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Summary: Good Science Fiction is Based Firmly on Fact.
Review: H.G. Wells crafted his pioneering science fiction in a time when taxis were drawn by horse, indoor light came only from candles, and when far less was known by the general reader about astronomy and astrophysics. It was an era when the fiction of science and the fact of science were more easily interwoven. Even in our Speilberg-wise, video game era, when wars are intergalactic, as opposed to merely interplanetary, Well's seminal work fascinates us, even if it doesn't chill us. In fact, the scientifically literate reader should be able to anticipate the defeat of the Martian invaders based on general knowledge and Well's own foreshadowing.
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Summary: Hard to hate creatures with such cool toys
Review: I don't know if H.G. Wells can take all the credit for pioneering modern science fiction, but his 1898 novel "The War of the Worlds" is certainly a revolutionary stroke, apparently the first conception of what a hostile extraterrestrial invasion would be like. The invaders here are Martians, who, as Wells describes, are superevolved beyond humans, having had to sharpen their intelligence and develop superior technology in order to survive their planet's cold climate. Looking with jealousy towards their larger, warmer sunward planetary neighbor, they have decided to take over Earth, where they can build a new civilization. Meanwhile on Earth, astronomers, their telescopes pointed towards Mars, notice strange luminous flashes on the surface of the red planet; these, it can be surmised, are the Martians launching their interplanetary spacecrafts towards their target. A few months later the crafts land in the English countryside one at a time; it turns out the Martians have traveled in gigantic cylinders which contain all their equipment, including their land vehicles--tall walking tripods with rotating control centers that look like hooded human heads--which evidently are stored in parts and need to be assembled. These machines have weapons that deploy "Heat-Rays" which roast anything on contact and dense black powder which poisons the air and water. With these undeniably cool toys, the Martians have no problems advancing towards London and decimating every living thing in their path. Undiplomatic and incommunicative with earthlings, the Martians are cold-blooded killers with possibly the ultimate goal of enslaving the human species for labor in their colonies. The Martian beings themselves are described as vaguely globular, tentacular monsters that are mostly brain and little else, creatures seemingly borrowed from the distant future of Wells's imagination in "The Time Machine." What I found most original and bizarre about them was Wells's description of their machinery, which does not use wheels or any kind of angular mechanism, but rather complex systems of sliding parts on curved surfaces--in other words, their mechanisms approximate biomechanisms. Their cleverness is indeed formidable, but their information about Earth is lacking in one important area which causes their downfall. The human characters in the novel are hardly worth mentioning, especially the narrator, which is probably why he doesn't have a name; he is used simply as an eyewitness to relate the events. The Martians and their incredible machines were the only things that really drew my interest because Wells is at his best when he invokes the horror of the unknown rather than the realities of human behavior. Upon its first appearance, this novel must have struck many Victorians as distastefully grotesque, the idea of a cataclysmic war (at the dawn of the century that invented the cataclysmic war) the willful nightmare of a madman; but Wells was a visionary if not the most elegant writer, and visionaries sometimes shock us.
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Summary: Incredible Book - Not for kids
Review: I just finished reading "The War of the Worlds" for a high school book report. I found it a very captivaing story, it is highly detailed. And although myself, as a teen, had to use the dictionary more than a few times, H.G.Wells chooses his words brilliantly.
The most interesting aspect of this story is the point that H.G. Wells was not actually trying to tell the future. We was dipicting the present (or rather his present, the late 1890's). At that point there was a race to colonize Africa and in this story Wells is trying to show us the perspective of the Natives: Minding their own business and then a mess of higher intelligence with better technology invades their home. There is no spectacular war of technology at the end of the book because that's not the way it went down in Africa.
Although a massive attack and triumphant victory in my opinion would have made for a more exciting ending, it was an awesome book nonetheless. I don't however recommend it for children. The language is very advanced and as you can see by a couple of the other reviews kid's prefer a bit more action in their sci-fi. To truly appreciate this book one needs to have some understanding of the era in which it was written. When you are able to compare it, even to modern life, it makes for a captiviating, thought-provoking story. Happy Reading.
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Summary: A masterpiece of science fiction
Review: In 1898, H.G. Wells wanted to find out what it would be like if an intelligent race of Martians turned the tables by conquering and colonizing the Earth. The result is a gripping account of The War of the Worlds through the eyes of reporter in search of his family in the mid of extraterrestrial chaos. The poetic opening of the novel takes the reader directly to the Victorian world with its typical ponderings about the nature of society. The image of aliens studying Earth like scientists studying transient creatures that multiply in a drop of water is extremely powerful. Imaging the effect it would have had on any imaginative person living in the tumultuous end of the 19th century. The "Panic Broadcast" in 1938 of the radio play adapted by Orson Welles, gave the popularity of the book a major boost, when thousands of Americans fled for the non-existent alien attack.
Even now, more that a century after its first publication, the story still lives on and maintains its popularity. Whereas the narrative sometimes tends to be pompous and belittling for the modern reader, the strong ideas and compelling storyline offers more that enough food for thought. Compared to other major works of its time, Wells succeeded in composing a refreshing plot that keeps the reader hooked until the end. The convincing description of Earth under attack, depicted in situations like the brave battle at sea with the Thunder Child, widens the setting of the story to global proportions. At the same time this contrasts strongly with the personal struggle of the protagonist when hiding in a claustrophobic hiding place and seeing his friend being devoured by the aliens.
Joy and despair. Pain and hope. Every emotion is interwoven in one of literatures most important works of science fiction. Although probably not the initiator of the genre, The War of the Worlds certainly has had a tremendous influence on what the Sci-Fi turned out to be. No fan of the genre can allow skipping this masterpiece.
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Summary: Taking Care Of Things
Review: In Southern England at the turn of the twentieth century, astronomers notice strange activity on Mars. Later, "cylinders" land in Surrey. These turn out to have been fired from Mars, and contain the vanguard of an invasion force. As the Martians begin their conquest, reaction to the invasion ranges from blind panic to resistance - will humanity survive?
Well's classic is of course dated now, but it remains an interesting read and still poses questions about the nature and future of humanity. It's really a novel about the reactions of the humans rather than sci-fi war book: the battles scenes are few.
Of course the invasion happens in England - a natural setting perhaps for an English writer of the time. Also Great Britain was at the height of its imperial power. Note that the 1953 Hollywood version transplanted events to the USA (I'll bet Spielberg's version will do the same), as did the truly execrable "Independence Day". Invaders from space always target Earth's dominant power.
Despite being at the height of its power, Great Britain was also (paradoxically) aware of imminent decline: economic and military challenges were becoming more threatening. The purpose of the Empire was being questioned. One could read this uncertainty into "The War of the Worlds" - the Martian invasion exposes British vulnerability.
There are even wider themes than that: humanity's care (or lack of care) of the planet; the old religious theme of God punishing humanity for its failings, and so on.
Wells's ending is sudden, but clever. Again, not surprisingly for the time, it's very Darwinian, but it does tie in with the theme of humanity's care for itself and for the planet are of paramount importance - and indeed is a much better resolution than a lot of flag-waving.
G Rodgers
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Summary: A race of aliens with very human characteristics
Review: Many people who have heard of "The War of the Worlds" may have seen the movie without reading the book. The movie was set in Cold War America, with martians that flew in what looked like greenish manta rays. The book was set in Victorian England, and the martians looked like towering tripods. In both versions however the premise is the same: Earth invaded by a superior alien intelligence. HG Wells wrote about humanity's ego and complacency being crushed by a highly developed lifeform. "The War of the Worlds" has been interpreted as an allegory of imperialism. Just as the British took over other countries to make them part of the Empire, so too is the Earth being taken over by the Martians. They even bring their own plant life with them, the "Red Weed". The Martians see us as vermin, trying to wipe us out with heat rays and poisonous black gas. Thats's what makes the story so much fun. It is frightening in a cosy sort of way. We read the story in a safe, comfortable room, while the narrator talks of all the death and destruction he sees. An interesting point that Issac Asimov once brought up was that if alien intelligence did exist, their advanced evolution would also mean they would be emotionally superior to us. They would not act like barbarians, as war is a primitive thing. When people write alien invasion stories, they are really saying something about us. We are destructive and aggressive by nature. Our history has been one long story of conquest, slavery and even genocide. So HG Wells has put a little bit of us into his Martians. Both metaphorically (as imperialists), and literally (as food).
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Summary: The War of the Worlds
Review: This book was ok.... Not my favorite of all books. For one the style of writing, for two i thought it was kind of dumb. But anyway... I chose it cause i thought it was interesting and I had heard about the radio show by Orson Welles, so I wanted to read it. I was really disappointed. It is about martians who pretty much try to take over the world. I would not recommend this book to anyone except those who like weird fantasy and Old English writing. Sorry this isn't a good review.
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Summary: A major classic and influence on later literature.
Review: This is the first novel describing warfare between planets. Mars is portrayed as a dying world. An invasion, expeditionary force of Martians has landed in southern England, landing first in Woking (about 25 miles southwest of London), and this event and the destruction caused by the Martians is seen through the eyes of a writer in speculative philosophy. This book is probably Wells' most noted work. It was published right after certain noted astronomical observations had been reported in the newspapers. Wells refers to his novel as an attack on "human self-satisfaction." At that time, Britain was deeply involved in Empire activities in Africa and India and Wells had presented a story in which "the tables are turned:" now it is England who suffers takeover. The book isn't simply a science fiction tale (or, even the first novel of a war between planets). It leads into a discussion of Britain's role in the world, of imperialism, and of colonialism. And, to all those teenagers who thought it was boring and gave it one star, remember that it was the first novel in a whole sub-genre of science fiction. It appeared in 1898! My goodness, think of the science of that time. Marie Curie's first paper was only just published in 1897. The first all-metal dirigible first flew in November of 1897. This is a pioneering novel. And you should read it as such. Those other books and films you use as examples would not be what they are without Wells.
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