The Time Machine

The Time Machine is H.G. Wells's first novel, and as he himself pointed out in a preface, it is apparent. That is not to say that it is a bad story by any means - a man inventing a time machine and travelling to the future to discover that mankind has split into two distinct races which are pretty much cattle and hunters - but I would not go so far as to label it a must-read by any means. In all honesty, I was more intrigued by the future world the Time Traveller journeys to after he visits the fate of mankind; the grotesque environment full of vile giant crabs.

As an aside, I find it astounding that Penguin can see fit to charge $9 or £8 for a 90-odd page book. For a book of this length, I think $5 would be fairer.