What to read, watch, and listen to if you lovedThe Time Machine
H. G. Wells · Book · 2016
If you loved The Time Machine, start with The Time Machine (George Pal, 1960) — a film from the same story. Below: 4 films, 4 series and 2 podcasts, each matched to The Time Machine across media.
What hooked you in The Time Machine was the way it uses speculative scenarios to expose humanity's grim, inevitable social fractures.
Start with the source
The source
The Time Machine
George Pal · Film · 1960
Films on the same thread
A Clockwork Orange
Stanley Kubrick · Film · 1971
Shares a thread with The Time Machine: Dystopian Fiction.
Just as The Time Machine examines the dark evolution of human nature, this film forces you to confront the brutal intersection of state control and individual free will.
Time After Time
Nicholas Meyer · Film · 1979
Explores: Culture Clash, Chasing a Villain Through Time, Morality of Progress.
This adventure directly honors the legacy of The Time Machine by pitting its creator against his own invention, exploring the moral consequences of time travel across different eras.
Metropolis
Film · 1927
Explores: Class struggle, Industrialization, Human-machine interaction.
If you were captivated by the rigid class divisions in The Time Machine, this film offers a similar, striking visual representation of a society fractured between two worlds.
The Terminator
James Cameron · Film · 1984
Explores: Man vs. Machine, Artificial Intelligence, Fate vs. Free Will.
Much like the dystopian future envisioned in The Time Machine, this story centers on the terrifying potential of technological advancement to reshape and eventually threaten the human race.
Series on the same thread
The Twilight Zone
Rod Serling · Series · 1959
Shares a thread with The Time Machine: Speculative Fiction.
The Time Machine uses speculative fiction to hold a mirror to society, a technique this anthology series masters by using psychological horror to explore fundamental human moral dilemmas.
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
Douglas Adams · Series · 1981
Explores: Existentialism, Bureaucracy, Cultural Clash.
While The Time Machine takes a somber look at humanity's end, this series offers a comedic perspective on the absurdity of existence when faced with the vast, uncaring universe.
Doctor Who
Sydney Newman · Series · 2005
Shares a thread with The Time Machine: Time Travel.
The Time Machine established the template for the lonely traveler navigating history, and this series continues that tradition by exploring the heavy burden of witnessing time's vast arc.
Travelers
Brad Wright · Series · 2016
Shares 3 threads with The Time Machine: Time Travel, Speculative Fiction, Dystopian Fiction.
If you appreciated the temporal displacement in The Time Machine, you will be drawn to this narrative, which examines the moral complexities of altering history to prevent collapse.
Podcasts on the same thread
Dan Carlin's Hardcore History
Dan Carlin · Podcast · 2026
Explores: civilizational collapse, human nature, moral ambiguity.
This podcast mirrors the analytical ambition of The Time Machine by dissecting the cyclical patterns of civilizational collapse and the harsh realities of power throughout human history.
Revolutions
Mike Duncan · Podcast · 2025
Explores: societal collapse, power dynamics, cyclical history.
Just as The Time Machine contemplates the long-term trajectory of our species, this series examines the recurring power dynamics and societal failures that define the history of revolution.
Keep exploring
Common questions
Is The Time Machine based on a book?
Yes, The Time Machine is based on the 2016 book written by H. G. Wells. The story follows a Victorian inventor who travels to the year 802,701 AD to witness the evolution of humanity into two distinct species known as the Eloi and the underground workers.
What is the premise of The Time Machine?
The Time Machine tells the story of a Victorian traveller who recounts his journey to the distant future. He discovers a dystopian world where mankind has evolved into two groups: the pleasure-seeking Eloi living above ground and the workers who dwell in the dark beneath the surface.
Should I watch The Time Machine movie after reading the book?
You can watch the 1960 movie adaptation of The Time Machine to see a visual interpretation of the Victorian traveller's journey. Both the book and the film explore the same core narrative regarding the evolution of humanity in the year 802,701 AD.
Does The Time Machine feature a specific setting?
The Time Machine begins at a Victorian dinner party in Richmond, London. The protagonist then travels to the year 802,701 AD, where he observes a dystopian future defined by the Darwinian evolution of humans into the surface-dwelling Eloi and the underground workers.