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    The War of the Worlds (AD Classic Illustrated)
    The War of the Worlds (AD Classic Illustrated)
    The War of the Worlds (AD Classic Illustrated)
    Ebook123 pages3 hours

    The War of the Worlds (AD Classic Illustrated)

    By H.G. Wells and Frank R. Paul

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    Shortly after astronomers observe explosions on the surface of Mars, meteor-like objects begin crashing into Earth. Martians emerge from their craters in large tripods, wiping out army units with heat-rays as they roam the English countryside. When the order is given to evacuate London, all seems lost. But there is one minor detail that the Martians did not plan for. H. G. Wells is credited with the popularisation of time travel in 1895 with The Time Machine, introducing the idea of time being the “fourth dimension” a decade before the publication of Einstein’s first Relativity papers. In 1896, he imagined a mad scientist creating human-like beings from animals in The Island of Doctor Moreau, which created a growing interest in animal welfare throughout Europe. In 1897 with The Invisible Man, Wells shows how a formula could render one invisible, recognizing that an invisible eye would not be able to focus, thus rendering the invisible man blind. With The War of the Worlds in 1898, Wells established the idea that an advanced civilization could live on Mars, popularising the term ‘martian’ and the idea that aliens could invade Earth.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherEngage Books
    Release dateJun 30, 2014
    ISBN9781927970980
    The War of the Worlds (AD Classic Illustrated)
    Author

    H.G. Wells

    H.G. Wells is considered by many to be the father of science fiction. He was the author of numerous classics such as The Invisible Man, The Time Machine, The Island of Dr. Moreau, The War of the Worlds, and many more. 

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    Reviews for The War of the Worlds (AD Classic Illustrated)

    4/5

    211 ratings139 reviews

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    • 5/5
      I liked this quite a bit. Familiar with the story, of course, thanks to various other dramatizations, so it was nice to finally read this. The second half is quite eerie.
    • 4/5
      There isn't much use for the Humilation game in my regard, there are always blind spots and blank areas. I read this one today over three hours, pausing to admire its technique. It is a prescient novel, much as critical opinion concurs, one I find so haunting in its reach.
    • 4/5
      Published in 1898, three years after his famed debut The Time Machine, Wells presents a first-person account of a Martian invasion. By today's standards, the narrative feels detached. But the characterisation and concept shine. You meet a brave woman, an overwhelmed curate, a weak soldier. These very human interactions are just as welcome as descriptions of aliens and a London falling to pieces. A strong and thoughtful ending. Recommended.
    • 2/5
      “the Martians are coming!”And they have Heat-Rays and Black Smoke to kick some English tushies! And they do!But as exciting as this all sounds, this book is rather boring. It's mostly about running and hiding and being frightened out of one's mind. No "war" to speak of. But lots of histrionics. Lots. I really wish I could have smacked the narrator's face. Lots. Also, the localities are very casually mentioned, and as I'm not familiar with those places, it made no impact on me whatsoever. In fact, the listing of places became a big part of my boredom. Where is he running? Then where? Ah, who gives a damn. In fact, I rooted for the Martians! Dang.
    • 4/5
      I really enjoyed this as an audiobook. I saw the Tom Cruise movie and so I was comparing this to the movie. I don't think I would have wanted aliens invading Earth back in the time when there was horse and buggy and no cell phones and the weaponry wasn't as sophisticated as it is now. very entertaining for a long car ride.
    • 5/5
      A great,exciting,awesome, book!!! :D
    • 3/5
      Spannende klassieker, zonder meer. Ondanks zijn mythische status zeker geen topper.
    • 5/5
      Der ungekrönte König des Genres, das wohl berühmteste Hörspiel aller Zeiten. Unerreicht - unerreichbar - brilliant und folgenreich.
    • 4/5
      I liked this one a lot more than The Time Machine by Mr. Wells. I'll always remember this one, rather unfortunately, for events having nothing to do with it. I finished 5 or 10 minutes before some explosions at the plant I work on and wound up locked in the building for about 6 hours. Kind of funny now in retrospect.But otherwise I enjoyed it. I liked the fast pace and the surprising ending. He had kind of alluded to it throughout the book but the sudden feeling was well done. I also really liked the ending with his family, I didn't expect that. For the length it was really good. Definitely recommend if you're going to be reading some SF classics.
    • 4/5
      The classic science-fiction novel, The War of the Worlds originally appeared in serialized form in 1897. This is one of the first stories about a conflict between Earth and Alien visitors. The story is presented as a factual account related by a couple of unnamed characters that are brothers. One brother lives in Surrey, near where the first container from Mars lands, while the other is a doctor working in London.I have to admit that there were parts that I found quite amusing. In typical Victorian manner, the Martians, although armed with far superior weapons were first dismissed as a novelty and most Britishers could not accept that the Martians were able to disrupt the running of English trains. But the storyline told here is far from amusing. The Martians have launched a series of rockets which open to disgorge these alien creatures. They immediately engage in spreading death and mayhem. Many of the devices that the author invents here for the first time have gone on to become staples of science-fiction – death rays, mechanical robots, and chemical warfare all are used here to build the action and create mass hysteria. Another often used device in science fiction is what eventually brings the Martians down.Well there was plenty of action and excitement in this story, it unfolds in rather stiff prose which causes the story to feel every bit of it’s age. This groundbreaking novel today is probably better known for its famous adaptions in films, television, and notably the Orson Welles radio play that caused quite a stir in October of 1940. This was my first experience with H. G. Wells and I admire the originality and drama that comes across in War of the Worlds. I look forward to reading more of his works.
    • 3/5
      Excellent story. Kind of outdated its writing style but enjoyable read.
    • 5/5
      Maybe it's just these Trumpian times but this novel struck a chord with me. Really enjoyed it.
    • 5/5
      The fact that this was written in 1890's is simply astonishing!! Have seen both versions of movie of course and while they were good; I like the original story better (with the exception of the whole London being the best city in the world thang); all sci fi fans should read this
    • 3/5
      its a classic story, interesting to read it after the album, and the film and film.... it was hard work in places, but i enjoyed it.
    • 4/5
      Obviously a classic, but the novel has been bettered by future adaptations (radio, film, etc.). The book has some dull moments, and the ending (which some adaptations have made into an amazing twist) is squandered in the book. Having your protagonist wonder "perhaps X will save humanity" makes it much less interesting when, yes, in the end, X saves humanity.
    • 4/5
      Everyone knows this is about the Martians invading. Most people probably know even more of the plot from having seen various film adaptations. I haven't seen any of them, but even so I had a good idea of what the aliens looked like before I even opened the book (and not just because the cover of my edition has illustrations of them done by Edward Gorey). So I'll just go over the outline - Martians land on earth, Martians kill everything in sight with some combination of heat ray, poison gas, and feeding habits, humans are resigned to total domination, the end of the book offers some uncertain reprieve.With that over, let's talk about the themes explored in the book. Much like The Time Machine, Wells has opinions on man's fate that aren't all that positive. Hubris is obviously one of man's biggest failings, in Wells' view, both for thinking that we are alone in the universe, and for thinking that getting rid of extraterrestrial invaders will be an easy task. Parallels are also drawn between man's dominion over the animals and finding the shoe on the other foot as Martians gain dominance on earth. Ultimately, the book seems to say that problems exist for which humans aren't going to have the answers, and we'd better hope that the planet itself can rescue us.Recommended for: fans of future tech and/or Martians, microbiologists, anyone who's ever wondered if, in the event of an invasion, the English would offer tea to the interlopers.Quote: "At the time there was a strong feeling in the streets that the authorities were to blame for their incapacity to dispose of the invaders without all this inconvenience."
    • 5/5
      Not quite the first alien invasion novel, or the first dystopian novel, or the first “contact” novel, but certainly the best that combined all three. Serialised beforehand and eventually published as a novel in 1898, this could be seen as the book that launched the whole new genre of science fiction. Sure H G Wells had dabbled before with The Time Machine, The Island of Dr Moreau, The Invisible Man and even The Wonderful Visit, but The War of the Worlds, puts it all together to make a wonderful reading experience. How it must have fired the imagination of Well’s Victorian audience, because it still has the power to resonate today. The story of the Invaders from Mars is well known to most readers and there have been comic strip versions, radio broadcasts and spectacular film versions, so there is no need to detail the plot here, but re-reading it this week still made some aspects leap off the page at me. For a start most of the action takes place in the south west Home Counties that surround London, I was born and bred in that area and so when Wells places his startling events around Chertsey and Weybridge and then Twickenham, Richmond and Barnes I am right there with him. This gives the whole novel a parochial feel for me and indeed it is parochial because most of the action takes place in those sleepy small towns that in Victorian times were not a part of Greater London. The books big theme is an alien invasion and yet it all appears to be happening next door to where I lived. Of course at the time of writing, England was probably the most powerful of the colonial powers and so setting an invasion of the world around the outskirts of London made perfect sense.Well’s novel takes place in his present day and so the novel has a wonderfully authentic Victorian feel, here people are fleeing from the monstrous war machines on bicycles and horses and carts, the army is very slow to respond and when it does it feels amateurish, there is no ease of communication and people are unaware of what is happening around them but when they do see the carnage, there is shock, then fright, then confusion It must have felt very real to Well’s Victorian readers and it felt real for me reading it in 2013. Wells uses a first person survivor of the invasion to tell his story and this enhances the reality of the events described.There are some unforgettable scenes here; the flight from London with the narrators brother trying to cross a small road jam packed with vehicles, the battle between the Martians and the iron clad “Thunderchild” that takes place just off the English coast, the Martian war machine hunting humans along the river Thames and finally the eerie scenes in an almost deserted London when the Martians death calls reverberate around the city.The book is in two parts and the first part details the dramatic events leading upto the Martian take over. Part two is more reflective, perhaps a little slower, but it is full of atmosphere and a kind of horror. This is dystopia and Wells reinforces the major themes with some telling conversations with the narrator’s two main protagonists. The curate who attaches himself to the narrator is shown as weak, almost helpless, his faith of no use in the circumstances. Then there is the artillery man dreaming of leading a guerrilla war against the Martians, but in practice his methods are foolhardy and he is naïve and quickly becomes disheartened. Wells/the narrator says in the opening chapter when he reflects back on events:“And before we judge them (the Martians) too harshly we must remember what ruthless and utter destruction our own species has wrought, not only upon animals such as the vanished bison and the dodo, but upon the inferior races. The Tasmanians, in spite of their huiman likeness, were entirely swept out of existence in a war of extermination wages by European immigrants……..”Survival of the fittest and natural selection are themes that surface throughout this book.Wells was writing before the advent of the two world wars but at a time when “Invasion literature” was popular, invasion by Germany that is rather than Martians, but some of the devastation and panic amongst people seems prophetic of events that would soon become familiar. This is his description of the flight from London:“Never before in the history of the world has such a mass of human beings moved and suffered together. The legendary hosts of Goths and Huns, the hugest armies Asia has ever seen would have been but a drop in the current. And this was no disciplined march; it was a stampede - a stampede gigantic and terrible - without order and without a goal, six million people unarmed and unprovisioned, driving headlong. It was the beginning of the rout of civilization, of the massacre of mankind.” . This has got to be one of the first and one of the best science fiction novels. It is a novel with both a message and a warning: chock full of literary merit. It is still a great read today and if you have never got round to reading it I would encourage you to do so. It is free and in the public domain. A five star book
    • 5/5
      Loved this book. Bit slow and lengthy at times but a great plot and great theme to it. Hardcore sci fi right here. :)
    • 4/5
      As a science fiction fan, I have always been interested in reading The War of the Worlds, since it's the first of its kind. The modern movie with Tom Cruise put me off a little bit, even though I know it was vastly different than the novel. However, I finally got around to reading it and thought it was pretty good.Told mostly in first-person narrative, the novel starts off with cylinders landing on Earth. The Martians look like sickly, ungainly creatures barely able to survive on Earth, but then prove otherwise, using their heat rays and gigantic killing machines to wreak havoc on England.If you're looking for story with a lot of character development, look elsewhere. This is a novel solely focused on its plot. The narrator is basically the same person from beginning to end, just a little bit more jaded from war near the end. However, the plot is fantastic and moves along at a brisk pace. Wells does an excellent job in painting a picture of terror and war. I really enjoyed the suspense and thriller aspects of the novels. Also, it's simply interesting to see how this novel has influenced modern interpretations of science fiction and alien invasions.There are a lot of moments in this story that seemed convenient or forced; of course the main character would be trapped in a room with a peep hole so that he can observe the Martians and describe them; of course had a brother in London who lived to be able to relate those events, etc. This slightly bothered me, but it did further the story and provide a better picture of what was going on. Though I wish Wells would have used some other methods of conveying this information, I can see the dilemma of wanting to provide a seemingly-real firsthand account while also being able to provide all the details.Also, the narrator bothered me. He always seemed to know best and know more than everyone else, and I didn't really see justification for those thoughts. But, that's more of a personal issue.I do think this is best enjoyed when you have some knowledge of the historical context in which its written. It is imbued with the scientific thoughts of its time, as well as political and social ideas. (Namely, the idea of colonialism.) Understanding all of that makes The War of the Worlds a much better and more interesting story.Overall, I liked this novel. It's interesting to see how our ideas of aliens and alien invasion stories have developed, and it's simply an entertaining, dramatic story -- there were times where I held my breath in anticipation for what would happen next. I would recommend this for fans of science fiction and classics lovers.
    • 4/5
      This classic tale of men from Mars may not be as bone-chilling as the Orson Welles broadcast, but there still is plenty of suspense. More detailed than the movies, this gripping tale of survival that ends almost at the point of giving up is one that shouldn’t be missed. How much can a man take? How long before he thinks it’s better to just give up and die? These are questions that this story raises. Thought-provoking as well as entertaining.
    • 4/5
      It took me over a hundred years but I finally got around to reading this novel.
      Wells certainly had an incredible imagination and this novel is a fine example of that. At times I found it hard to believe this was written so long ago. Seemed a lot less dated than most books from that era.
      I enjoyed the story and I am sorry it took me so long to read it.
    • 4/5
      It has been a few years since i first read this and I was struck at how skillfully the story was told without ever mentioning a name - I think by doing this Wells made it far more relatable (you put yourself into the role of the protagonist and his brother). Also I can see now how strongly he was pushing evolution as a scientific theme - It is hard to imagine exactly how far we have come in our understanding of science in such a short time until you read something like this.
      Wells predicted things that were unimaginable at the time: A conflict involving the whole world, chemical warfare (black gas), Flying machines, mechanical devices capable of almost animal movement (something we are still getting to) and the suggestion of interstellar flight.
      The way Wells imagined some of these things were accomplished (even I, with my limited knowledge of science) know would not be possible - such as a cannon firing the martian rockets at earth and all of them landing in such small area - are easy to criticise but the fact is he extrapolated his story from the cutting edge of science in his day.
      Two world wars have brought many of the not so nice things that he imagined to life and we didn't even need martians to do it.
    • 4/5
      Wells can really write. Some of the passages were awesome. Even though I am not an expert on London geography, I was able to get the feeling the book tried to convey. Actually, I believe that the use of so many know places (for Londoners) gives the book more credibility, together with the scientific details. Despair and the feeling of lostness is portrayed marvelously.
    • 3/5
      Although I am a big fan of his works, personally I thought The War of the Worlds was disappointing. Every Wells' book has its moments, and his easy reading style is always a pleasure. Nonetheless, the story line was quite simplistic, with Wells making little attempt to add "science" to the "fiction." I was particularly surprised by Wells worn out ending which resulted in his wife miraculously returning from the Martians' onslaught with no absolutely explanation. Wells can do better, and did in other works.
    • 3/5
      The War of the Worlds 3/5All you classic fans with probably trial me as a witch after this review haha however, I liked this book, i didn't enjoy it as much as The Time Machine or Island of Dr Moreau though. I think i had high expectations because i've seen 'the film' and it was a surprise to find out the book was nothing like the film at all so was expecting a much more in depth story. It was good but i did prefer the story in the film sadly. The idea is very original and the story as a whole is good, it just wasn't as gripping for me as the time machineor the island of Dr Moreau
    • 5/5
      eBook

      I think I read this before as a kid, but even if I hadn't, it's impossible to approach this book and expect much in the way of surprises. As enjoyable as the story is, it seems kind of surprising how completely it has soaked into the communal consciousness.

      I can't tell if that's because of or in spite of how incredibly passive the book is. Essentially, none of the narrators or other main characters really do much of anything. The Martians are the primary actors, rendering everyone else completely impotent, but the reader is offered absolutely nothing in the way of forging a relationship with them. That's certainly (and brilliantly) realistic, but it also creates a strange and uncomfortable distance between the reader and the story.

      Eh. What am I babbling on about. This is a summer movie, years ahead of its time.
    • 4/5
      This is a good old fashioned yarn. I read the book through in one or two sittings. HG created a sense of menace and despair through the book, which I loved. His descriptions were evocative of the times, and I could almost visualize the destruction taking place, as the book weaved along. The writing is, for our times, old fashioned, yet timeless. The almost forgotten craft of writing is something that was displayed through the book. I lost the part where the Martians were 'destroyed'. It would have been really nice to have had a nice description of this, but you can't have everything in life!If you want a good book to read by the fireside, then this is one I can recommend.
    • 3/5
      When an unidentified object lands just south of London, residents are left dumbfounded. Could it really be aliens from Mars? When actual aliens emerge from the pods, all of London is left running for its collective life as the aliens begin a methodical destruction of the planet. We follow the narrator as he makes his way back to his wife, suffering under the trampling of the Martians and witnessing horrors he never imagined possible. The War of the Worlds is written as if it were a factual account of the narrator’s experiences. I liked that. It takes what could be a basic story and makes it feel very visceral. It did annoy me that I knew absolutely nothing about the narrator beside the fact that he was a scientist and was married. He does recount one part of the story as a second hand account from his brother but that’s all you get to know about him. I found that frustrating.I did find this story much more interesting than The Time Machine and I think that had to do with the fact that there was a lot more action. In parts of The Time Machine, it felt as if little was happening but in The War of the Worlds, it was all action all the time. I do wish, and this goes for both books, that Wells had taken a few minutes to name his narrators; a pet peeve of mine. The intense dislike I had for The Time Machine didn’t appear when reading The War of the Worlds, in fact, I liked it better but if I had put this book down at any point, the possibly that I wouldn’t have picked it back up was there.
    • 4/5
      I teetered on three or four stars and ended up giving it four because of the fabulous Orson Welles radio broadcast that it inspired.

      This book is pretty much exactly what you expect. Definitely a classic and probably defined the field of science fiction.

      Worth the read.
    • 5/5
      H.G. Wells' gift to Halloween

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    The War of the Worlds (AD Classic Illustrated) - H.G. Wells

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