il ▁en ▁f ût ▁jamais ▁( 1 7 7 0 ) ▁by ▁Louis - S éb ast ien ▁Mer cier , ▁R ip ▁Van ▁W ink le ▁( 1 8 1 9 ) ▁by ▁Washington ▁Ir ving , ▁Looking ▁Back ward ▁( 1 8 8 8 ) ▁by ▁Edward ▁Bell amy , ▁and ▁When ▁the ▁S le eper ▁Aw akes ▁( 1 8 9 9 ) ▁by ▁H . G . ▁Well s . ▁Pro long ed ▁sleep , ▁like ▁the ▁more ▁familiar ▁time ▁machine , ▁is ▁used ▁as ▁a ▁means ▁of ▁time ▁travel ▁in ▁these ▁stories . ▁ ▁The ▁earliest ▁work ▁about ▁backwards ▁time ▁travel ▁is ▁uncertain . ▁Samuel ▁Mad den ' s ▁Mem oir s ▁of ▁the ▁Tw enti eth ▁Century ▁( 1 7 3 3 ) ▁is ▁a ▁series ▁of ▁letters ▁from ▁British ▁amb ass adors ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 7 ▁and ▁ 1 9 9 8 ▁to ▁diplom ats ▁in ▁the ▁past , ▁con ve ying ▁the ▁political ▁and ▁religious ▁conditions ▁of ▁the ▁future . ▁Because ▁the ▁narr ator ▁receives ▁these ▁letters ▁from ▁his ▁guard ian ▁ang el , ▁Paul ▁Al kon ▁suggests ▁in ▁his ▁book ▁Orig ins ▁of ▁Fut ur istic ▁F iction ▁that ▁" the ▁first ▁time - tra vel er ▁in ▁English ▁literature ▁is ▁a ▁guard ian ▁ang el ." ▁Mad den ▁does ▁not ▁explain ▁how ▁the ▁ang el ▁obtain s ▁these ▁documents , ▁but ▁Al kon ▁as ser ts ▁that ▁Mad den ▁" des erves ▁recognition ▁as ▁the ▁first ▁to ▁to y ▁with ▁the