(Ü/PS) Time and Time Again: The (Re)Telling of H.G. Wells across Different Media

Hailed as “the Prospero of all the brave new worlds of the mind, and the Shakespeare of science fiction” (Aldiss 1973: 132), Herbert George Wells remains celebrated for his prophetic vision and creative ingenuity until today. His ‘brave new worlds’ do not only capture readers’ imagination and provide out-of-this-world entertainment, but they also cleverly explore numerous social and scientific developments of the fin de siècle, rendering Wells an extraordinary futurist and social critic.

In this seminar, we will examine one of Wells’ most renowned works, The Time Machine (1895), and consider how the novella incorporates Marxist and Darwinist thinking to negotiate issues of class, gender, and national identity. We will, furthermore, look into the adaptation of the novella into film (1960) and, more recently, comic book (2018) and see how Wells’ original material is retold and updated time and again. This seminar thus aims to establish why his scientific romances continue to resonate with contemporary audiences—why “[w]hatever Wells writes is not only alive, but kicking” (James qtd. in Chesterton 1936: 227).

To be prepared for this adventurous travel, please read and watch:

Wells, H.G. (1895/2005). The Time Machine. London et al.: Penguin Classics. [ISBN 978-0141439976]

Dobbs (2018). H.G. Wells: The Time Machine. Illus. Mathieu Moreau. Insight Comics. [ISBN 10: 1683832019 / ISBN 13: 9781683832010]

H.G. Wells’ The Time Machine (1960). Dir. George Pal.  Perf. Rod Taylor, Yvette Mimieux, and Alan Young. Scr. David Duncan. Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.

This seminar takes place Thu (5. DS) at W48/0004/U.