The Man Who Loved Morlocks
Science Fiction Speculative Fiction Australian Fiction Adventure Fantasy Classic Literature Literary Continuation Vintage Collectible
First-edition hardcover of David J. Lake’s 1981 sequel to H. G. Wells’ The Time Machine, The Man Who Loved Morlocks is one of the scarcest titles in Australian speculative-fiction collecting. Only 128 pages, this compact Hyland House release never saw a large print-run, and surviving copies in tidy, unread condition—especially with the original dust jacket—are now snapped up by Wells devotees, Oz-fantasy completists, and anyone building a shelf of vintage ‘literary-continuation’ novels. The book’s small footprint (230 mm) and light 355 g weight make it an easy showpiece to slip into a narrow space on the collector’s case or to mail safely for gift-giving.
Lake’s adventure picks up where Wells left off: the Time Traveller returns to the far future determined to understand—and ultimately to champion—the gentle, subterranean Morlocks against the decadent Eloi. What follows is a compact but idea-packed quest that swaps Victorian social satire for 1980s ecological and ethical concerns, all while retaining the brisk pacing and sense-of-wonder that mark classic British scientific romance. Readers who enjoy thoughtful “what-happened-next” expansions of famous canon will relish Lake’s respectful yet fresh angle on Wellsian themes of class, evolution, and the price of knowledge.
For collectors, this first printing is distinguished by its distinctive Australian dust jacket artwork and the publisher’s understated 1981 colophon; it predates any later paperback reissue and is already four decades out of print. The copy offered here shows only minor edge scuffs and two tiny spine-base tears—common shelf wear that keeps the price accessible—while the interior pages remain bright, unmarked, and tightly bound, giving you a handsome reader’s copy that still looks impressive on the shelf. Secure this vintage piece of science-fiction history before the last first-edition jackets disappear into private collections.
Refer to our eBay listing for a full condition report and many more high-quality pictures of this item.
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