426: The Time Machine by H.G. Wells

With literary contributor Longinus, the boys drink and review Furious George Hefeweizen from Crooked Crab Brewing, then continue their "shortcut to the classics" series with The Time Machine. After a brief biography and sense of Wells' historical setting, the boys review the plot, then give their analysis. The story follows the journey of an unnamed protagonist, referred to as the Time Traveller, who invents a machine capable of traveling through time. He demonstrates the machine to a group of friends and then embarks on a journey to the distant future. The Time Traveller arrives in the year 802,701 AD, where he encounters two distinct species: the Eloi and the Morlocks. The Eloi are gentle, childlike people who live above ground in a seemingly idyllic society, but they are frail and lack intellectual curiosity. The Morlocks, on the other hand, are sinister, nocturnal creatures who live underground and maintain the machinery that supports the Eloi's lifestyle. As the Time Traveller explores this future world, he realizes that the Eloi are not the dominant species but are actually prey for the Morlocks. The novel delves into themes of social class and evolution, suggesting a grim future for humanity. The story culminates with the Time Traveller narrowly escaping the Morlocks and returning to his own time, only to disappear again on another journey, leaving his ultimate fate unknown. The novel ends with a sense of mystery and contemplation about the future of humanity and the possibilities of time travel.