The majority of the novel is the main character, known only to us as "The Time Traveler" recounting to his colleagues his experience traveling to the year 802,701 AD. He explains that his first encounters there were much different than he'd imagined. He had been envisioning a race of humans much more advanced in the future, but instead finds a society of simple, childlike adults. They at first appear to have no cares or worries, and spend their days eating fruit and playing in the streams and fields.
After exploring a bit, he is horrified to find that his time machine has vanished. Knowing the small creatures would not have the strength to move it, he beings to wonder if there is something else living in this future world, and he can't help but feel ominous over this prospect.
The remainder of the book is his attempt to find the machine and return to his own time. I won't give anything else away, but I would definitely recommend The Time Machine.
