The Time Machine is a 1895 science fiction novella by H. G. Wells. It is credited with popularizing the idea of time travel and is considered one of the greatest science fiction novels ever written. The story is about a scientist who builds a time machine and travels to the future. He discovers that humanity has devolved into two races: the childlike Eloi and the monstrous Morlocks. The Morlocks are a humanoid species that are descended from humans, particularly low-class underground machine operators. They are subterranean and prefer dark, as their eyes are sensitive to light. In most timelines, the Morlocks eat their Eloi cousins. The story explores a dystopian vision of humanity's future and the author's angst about individual/industrial relations. The Time Machine is associated with five main genres, including science fiction, time travel fiction, and scientific romance. The average reader will spend 1 hour and 28 minutes reading this book at 250 WPM (words per minute).