THE TIME MACHINE

H.G. Wells's 1894 novel (his first) describes the adventures of his hero, the time-traveler, mostly in the year A.D. 802,701, when he encounters a class-ridden battle between the decadent Eloi and the primitive Morlocks. This multi-voiced presentation works well, especially in the opening and closing scenes when the hero displays his time apparatus to his skeptical friends. Michael York, as the time-traveler, nicely evokes the wonder of encountering the future. Sci-fi enthusiasts should, however, take note: Although the novel is one of its author's briefest (running to 76 pages in a Wells anthology), these tapes, while entertaining, are considerably abridged and rewritten from the original, a status not indicated on the packaging. G.H. © AudioFile 2000, Portland, Maine [Published: OCT/NOV 00]