The War of the Worlds (Modern Library Classics)

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.