The Time Machine, by H. G. Wells - Akasha Classics, AkashaPublishing.Com - The Time Machine was first published in 1895 and later directly adapted into at least two theatrical films of the same name, as well as two television versions, and a large number of comic book adaptations. Considered by many to be one of the greatest science fiction novels ever written, this novella 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. The book's protagonist is an amateur inventor or scientist living in London who is never named; he is identified simply as The Time Traveller. He details the experience of time travel and the evolution of his surroundings as he moves through time. While traveling through time, his machine allows him to observe the changes of the outside world in fast motion. He observes the sun and moon traversing the sky and the changes to the buildings and landscape around him as he travels through time and finds himself in a.d. 802,701.