Rating: 
Summary: Still the most superb science fiction written
Review: The British author, H.G. Wells, was a man of many gifts. He wrote the "Outline of History", a superb, two-volume work on man's path through the ages, and many novels about English middle class life. Wells is perhaps best remembered, however, as one of the founders of science fiction. Of his many novels and short stories of this genre, War of the Worlds is one of the best.A cautionary note or two appears appropriate here. First, I hope you read this book before you see any of the movies taken from this novel. Screenwriters uniformly butcher good literature, and this book has suffered more than most at the hands of these amateurs. Second, Wells wrote many of his s/f novels nearly a century ago, and it is neither helpful nor appropriate to an enjoyable reading to compare the scientific knowledge of today with Wells's narratives, which were based on the best science of his time. As opposed to the more famous Jules Verne, Wells is an accomplished novelist, and keen wordsmith. His disciplined writing is geared to an educated, adult mind. You won't find any untied ends, or sheer voyages into fantasy, here. Instead, War of the Worlds is a very believable narrative of what would happen if modern man confronted a vastly superior, ruthless alien invader. The fact that a century has passed and science has learned far more about the physical universe doesn't matter at all. Human nature has not changed, and it is here that Wells is peerless in terms of analytical description. The novel takes place in 1890's-1900's England, at a time when England was the most powerful nation on Earth. The introduction is Genesis-like in quality, describing how man lay somnolent in the face of a gathering alien threat. Without warning, the aliens suddenly appear, and man greets them in innocent gestures of friendship, only to be slaughtered by giant robotic devices carrying heat-rays,(lasers), poison gas, and devices capable of powered flight, none which man had yet invented or used in warfare. The result, of course, is an absolute rout in which the best and worst of people appear. It doesn't spoil things to note that the Martian invaders are beaten by Earth microbes, since everyone knows that anyway. Wells's description of this defeat contains passages as good as any in literature. This book is the first in which man confronts aliens from places other than Earth, and many commentators have tried to draw more from it than appears on its face. Whether Wells intended an oblique criticism of British imperial policy is unknown to this writer, and I suggest that it really doesn't matter. What is apparent is that only quality novels can engender such hypotheses, and the fact that such theories have surfaced shows the depths of Wells's writing. Whether you finish the book viewing it as a morality play, or simply a visonary, well-written work, you will enjoy it immensely. I do not make the statement in jest that I consider it one of best novels ever written. I recommend it very highly.
Rating: 
Summary: The War of the Worlds
Review: I was a small boy when I saw George Pal's production of "THE WAR OF THE WORLDS "(Paramount,1953),directed by Byron Haskin.I was thrilled,then.A couple of years later,I read the "Classics Illustrated" adaptation of the novel(actually,the brazilian version of that comics series called,in portuguese, "Clássicos Ilustrados"),and,suddenly,I was enraptured by the sheer magic of H.G.Wells' imagination.IN 1960,I saw MGM's "THE TIME MACHINE",directed by Pal.More magic.After that,I started to read the original science fiction novels(or 'scientific romances'as this novels were called in Wells time)and short stories written by Wells(still in portuguese translations).Time goes by,I became a museum professional here in Brazil,and,in 1977,I was the Curator at a Rio de Janeiro art museum of an exhibition of the original drawings(illustrations)made by the brazilian painter and illustrator Henrique Alvim Corrêa(1876-1910)for a luxurious belgian edition of "The War of the Worlds"("LA GUERRE DES MONDES",L.Vandamme,1906)After the exhibition was over,the older son of the artist,still alive then,and a dear friend of mine,gave me,as a gift,one of the treasures of my small art collection,his copy of the beautiful and amazing poster,created and signed with a monogram by Alvim Corrêa,advertising that marvelous designed "Belle Époque" book.The poster is litographed and depicts one of the martian machines destroying a section of London or a Surrey village with its deadly heat rays.Incidentally,the Alvim Corrêa's drawings are being shown at Seattle's SCIENCE FICTION MUSEUM AND HALL OF FAME,since October30th,2004.
In 1977 too,I read for the first time in english,"The War of the Worlds".Now and again,I reread the novel.Always with pleasure.Herbert George Wells will be,forever,a source of inspiration for me.
Rating: 
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
Rating:
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. Imagine 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.
Rating:
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.
Rating:
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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