The War of The Worlds

H.G. Wells

May 2023 · Diamond Pocket Books Pvt Ltd

About this ebook

The War of the Worlds is a science written by H. G. Wells. It was first published serially in the UK and the USA. Considered a landmark work of science fiction, this novel details a cataclysmic conflict between humans and extraterrestrial 'Martians.' Since its publication, The War of the Worlds has inspired numerous adaptations and imitations. Based on the experience of an unidentified male narrator and his brother, the novel records the events of a Martian invasion. The narrator sees flashes of light on the surface of Mars through a telescope at an observatory in Ottershaw, England.

This happens when Mars comes closer to the Earth. This is conveyed to, Ogilvy, his companion, who is a well-known astronomer. Ogilvy, however, dismisses the idea that the flashes are an indication of life on Mars. According to Ogilvy, chances against anything manlike on Mars are a million to one even though the flashes continue for several nights. Questions of order and hierarchy are the key issues around which The War of the Worlds revolves.

About the author

H.G. Wells (1866-1946) was an English novelist, sociologist, and historian. Wells is best known for science fiction novels namely The Time Machine and The War of the Worlds and comic novels namely Tono-Bungay and The History of Mr. Polly. He graduated in 1888 and became a science teacher. Textbook of Biology was Wells’s first published book.

However, he became popular with his first novel, The Time Machine. This was followed by a slew of science fictions such as The Wonderful Visit, The Island of Doctor Moreau, The Invisible Man, The War of the Worlds, The First Men in the Moon, and The Food of the Gods. Over the years, the image of the Martian as described in The War of the Worlds has passed into popular mythology. Wells’s influence was enormous, both on his own generation and next ones which followed it.