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Essay / Analysis of The Time Machine as Science Fiction . The tale features an adventurous main character who manages to find a little romance while traveling through time, but is rarely found sitting on a shelf next to other adventure novels of its era like Around the World in '80 days or The Mines of King Solomon. . The Time Machine could arguably fit the conventions of genre logic that would qualify it as horror or adventure, but it is only referenced in the realm of science fiction and this universal agreement is due precisely to the alignment of themes and motifs that James Gunn has chosen. outlined his definition of the science fiction genre: the existence of a fourth dimension, the evolution of humanity and the importance of curiosity as an integral component of the human imagination. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay Fundamental to Gunn's definition of science fiction—the influence of which extends across the breadth of his broader definition—is that it is a genre-centered about the idea of change and the possibility of events in a character's timeline being altered by the apprehension of the fourth dimension. The importance of the ability to manipulate time in order to alter the past and change the future is so vital that Wells decided to confirm its implication in the very title of his book. From this title page to the very last page, the time machine becomes a real character; arguably an even more fascinating character than the Time Traveler himself. This sense of character is further deepened and obviously becomes an aspect of Gunn's denotative description of science fiction by virtue of the truly dimensional exploitation of time in which it is used. The main technology of the novel is not simply used to move the main character back or forward a few decades, but rather across entire eras. Through the use of his machine, the Traveler has perhaps the rarest opportunity in the universe: to actually witness first-hand the effects of evolution on his own species. In this way, The Time Machine directly confronts another key element of Gunn's definition of science fiction, positing the idea that "the universe is knowable (even though it may never be known) and that people are adaptable” (Gunn, 2002). It is debatable whether The Time Machine presents an enjoyable demonstration of Gunn's claim that science fiction is fundamentally Darwinian, but it is impossible to deny that it is truly one of the science fiction novels the most authentically Darwinian fiction ever written. The book is not a warm and fuzzy vision of Darwinian progress toward the perfection of the human species. Far from the nightmarish future presented by the book, there is no allusion to the suggestion that "Darwin's theory of evolution described human beings as being in a constant struggle for survival, but inventions such as “electricity, the telephone and the subways promised to make the struggle easier and easier.” people’s lives are more manageable” (Galens, 2003). What the future holds for humanity is the most overlooked aspect of the entire misunderstood concept of survival of the fittest. The Morlocks may have evolved to become as adept at survival as the Eloi are not, but between the two of them, neither seems to possess the ability to return, 2008.
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