It tells the story of two scientists who invent a substance which if swallowed allows a man to time travel.

They travel to the future, where humanity has branched into different species with their own particular tasks.

The book was published in English in 1958, translated by Margaret Sansone Scouten.

The book was adapted into the 1982 film Le Voyageur imprudent.

The film was directed by Pierre Tchernia and stars Jean-Marc Thibault and Thierry Lhermitte.