▁the ▁New ▁York ▁Sun ▁in ▁ 1 8 8 1 . ▁However , ▁the ▁mechanism ▁borders ▁on ▁fant asy . ▁An ▁unusual ▁clock , ▁when ▁w ound , ▁runs ▁backwards ▁and ▁trans ports ▁people ▁nearby ▁back ▁in ▁time . ▁The ▁author ▁does ▁not ▁explain ▁the ▁origin ▁or ▁properties ▁of ▁the ▁clock . ▁En rique ▁Gas par ▁y ▁R im bau ' s ▁El ▁An ac ron óp ete ▁( 1 8 8 7 ) ▁may ▁have ▁been ▁the ▁first ▁story ▁to ▁feature ▁a ▁vessel ▁engine ered ▁to ▁travel ▁through ▁time . ▁Andrew ▁S aw yer ▁has ▁commented ▁that ▁the ▁story ▁" does ▁seem ▁to ▁be ▁the ▁first ▁literary ▁description ▁of ▁a ▁time ▁machine ▁noted ▁so ▁far ", ▁adding ▁that ▁" Ed ward ▁Page ▁Mitchell ' s ▁story ▁' The ▁C lock ▁That ▁W ent ▁Back ward ' ▁( 1 8 8 1 ) ▁is ▁usually ▁described ▁as ▁the ▁first ▁time - machine ▁story , ▁but ▁I ' m ▁not ▁sure ▁that ▁a ▁clock ▁quite ▁counts ." ▁H . ▁G . ▁Well s ' s ▁The ▁Time ▁Machine ▁( 1 8 9 5 ) ▁popular ized ▁the ▁concept ▁of ▁time ▁travel ▁by ▁mechanical ▁means . ▁ ▁Time ▁travel ▁in ▁physics ▁ ▁Some ▁theories , ▁most ▁not ably ▁special ▁and ▁general ▁relativ ity , ▁suggest ▁that ▁suitable ▁geomet ries ▁of ▁spac etime ▁or ▁specific ▁types ▁of ▁motion ▁in ▁space ▁might ▁allow ▁time ▁travel ▁into ▁the ▁past ▁and ▁future ▁if ▁these ▁geomet ries ▁or ▁mot ions ▁were ▁possible . ▁In ▁technical ▁papers , ▁phys ic ists