2011 Reprint of 1895 Edition. ''The Time Machine'' is a science fiction novella by H. G. Wells, published in 1895 for the first time and later adapted into at least two feature films of the same name, as well as two television versions, and a large number of comic book adaptations. It indirectly inspired many more works of fiction in many media. This 32,000 word story is generally credited with the popularization of the concept of time travel using a vehicle that allows an operator to travel purposefully and selectively. The term ''time machine,'' coined by Wells, is now universally used to refer to such a vehicle. This work is an early example of the Dying Earth subgenre.