The Time Machine

Jul 11, 2026

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The Time Machine excerpt presents a narrative framing in which the Time Traveller discusses a “recondite matter” with listeners in a late-evening, thoughtful atmosphere. He challenges widely accepted ideas through paradox, arguing that mathematical line, plane, and even cube concepts are abstractions rather than real entities. The conversation then moves into objections from Filby and the Psychologist, leading to the provocative question of whether an instantaneous cube can exist, setting up speculative reasoning.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryStory & Novel

FormatPDF

Pages130

Reading Time3 h 20 min

Contents

Chapters I–XII and Epilogue

Dear Reader, The Time Machine plays a great part in inspiring Félix J. Palma’s international bestseller The Map of Time. As a special gift to our readers, we are including the ﬁrst three chapters of Palma’s magical narrative in the back of this edition. We hope that you enjoy this sample and should you desire to continue on Palma’s adventure, please pick up a complete copy of The Map of Time. Kind Regards, Judith Curr Publisher, Atria Books Atria Paperback A Division of Simon & Schuster, Inc. 1230 Avenue of the Americas New York, NY 10020 [www.SimonandSchuster.com](www.SimonandSchuster.com) This book is a work of ﬁction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are products of the author’s imagination or are used ﬁctitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental. Supplementary materials copyright © 2004 by Simon & Schuster, Inc. Originally published in a different format. All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this book or portions thereof in any form whatsoever. For information address Pocket Books Subsidiary Rights Department, 1230 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10020 First Atria Paperback ebook edition May 2011 ATRIA PAPERBACK and colophon are trademarks of Simon & Schuster, Inc. The Simon & Schuster Speakers Bureau can bring authors to your live event. For more information or to book an event contact the Simon & Schuster Speakers Bureau at 1-866-248-3049 or visit our website at [www.simonspeakers.com](www.simonspeakers.com). Designed by Manufactured in the United States of America 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data eBook ISBN 978-1-4516-5886-6 There are no footnotes in this copy of The Time Machine. For all enrichments, please see the Simon & Schuster Enriched Classic, 978-0-7434-8773-3 THE TIME MACHINE Contents Chapter I Chapter II Chapter III Chapter IV Chapter V Chapter VI Chapter VII Chapter VIII Chapter IX Chapter X Chapter XI Chapter XII Epilogue The Map of Time Part One I THE TIME TRAVELLER (for so it will be convenient to speak of him) was expounding a recondite matter to us. His grey eyes shone and twinkled, and his usually pale face was ﬂushed and animated. The ﬁre burned brightly, and the soft radiance of the incandescent lights in the lilies of silver caught the bubbles that ﬂashed and passed in our glasses. Our chairs, being his patents, embraced and caressed us rather than submitted to be sat upon, and there was that luxurious after-dinner atmosphere when thought runs gracefully free of the trammels of precision. And he put it to us in this way—marking the points with a lean foreﬁnger—as we sat and lazily admired his earnestness over this new paradox (as we thought it:) and his fecundity. “You must follow me carefully. I shall have to controvert one or two ideas that are almost universally accepted. The geometry, for instance, they taught you at school is founded on a misconception.” “Is not that rather a large thing to expect us to begin upon?” said Filby, an argumentative person with red hair. “I do not mean to ask you to accept anything without reasonable ground for it. You will soon admit as much as I need from you. You know of course that a mathematical line, a line of thickness nil, has no real existence. They taught you that? Neither has a mathematical plane. These things are mere abstractions.” “That is all right,” said the Psychologist. “Nor, having only length, breadth, and thickness, can a cube have a real existence.” “There I object,” said Filby.“Of course a solid body may exist. All real things—” “So most people think. But wait a moment. Can an instantaneous cube exist?” “Don’t follow you,” said Filby.

FAQs

Who delivers the explanation in the excerpt, and in what setting?

The Time Traveller explains a “recondite matter” to the group. The discussion happens in a relaxed after-dinner atmosphere with the listeners seated comfortably by the Traveller’s own “patents.”

What core idea does the Time Traveller challenge about geometry?

He argues that the geometry taught at school rests on a misconception. He claims that mathematical lines and planes are abstractions without real existence.

How does the conversation react to the Time Traveller’s claims?

Filby objects and argues that solid bodies may exist, then the discussion escalates to speculative questions such as whether an instantaneous cube can exist.

Jul 11, 2026

Upload by Maeve