Customer Reviews
a worthwhile read - By: SJSmith, 26 Aug 2008 
Very easy to read & exceptionallly well written. This is a novel that each generation can take something different from. I liked the descriptions of many of the Victorians as the spaceships came from the sky - such a solid British image of "they won't make me leave home". An image I could vividly imagine. It's a short read that has packed a lot into it. Words aren't wasted, which is why it is the length it is. I'm sure HG Wells could easily have added more description but it wasn't necessary. A fabulous story.
the greatest science fiction novel ever. - By: L. Streader, 08 May 2008 
this book was first written in 1898 & is as poweful today as it was then. a great read
Clobber the Curate - By: Tony Walker, 08 Nov 2007 Having just finished this novel, many scenes & incidents are still reverberating in my mind's eye. The martians had the good sense to invade during the summer, thus providing wells with the opportunity to describe many beautiful days & sunsets. I don't think I will ever be able to skirt a clay pit without listening out for hammering or nervously glancing around for puffs of green smoke. A novel of wonderful invention, it is crying out for a faithful filmic representation that will do it justice. As one other reviewer has mentioned, the comments on the SF site were clearly made by an idiot.
The ultimate sci-fi story. - By: Hugo Rune, 10 Oct 2007 I'm sure most of you are aware of the premise of this book; what with two motion pictures, a musical, a double CD & an infamous radio program . I still feel, however, compelled to write a short review to reminds us alll why this relatively short & simple Sci-Fi book is one of the best ever written.
From start to end it is a fascinatingly, absorbing read & almost believable account of alien invasion (hence maybe the panic after the 1938 radio show!) And not once did I forget this book was written in the 1800'S, before many people had even considered life outside our planet, let alone the threat it could pose.
The story itself is told through an individual who survives & witnesses much of the invasion. His version of accounts shows how humanity responded to this threat, behaved towards each other & the invasion itself. The scene of the steam battleship confronting one of the alien Tripods is very touching, as is of course, the lead character's (whom we never know by name) efforts to find his loved ones.
Needless to say , the descriptions of the aliens & their technology (the Tripods are very scary in any medium!); their ruthlessness to dominate & extinguish human kind would astound readers today. What they made of these ideas back in 1898 we can only imagine! One could also believe the Martians are a parody of humankind; portraying our recklessness & drive to consume or destroy without thought; "intellects vast & cool & unsympathetic" ...
In short, this is one book you MUST read (it wont take you long!). And do not be put off if you have seen any of the above versions. I only read this recently after seeing alll of the above (not the musical) & still found it an amazing read & comfortably up there with the best books Ive ever read. Sci-Fi or other!
I believe the best Sci-Fi stories combines humankind, as we know it, with the unknown & unimaginable. What HG Wells does with War of The Worlds, is to bring the unimaginable to man's doorstep, & gives us one heck of a fright!
Contains fascinating speculations - By: N. Gilmartin, 29 Jun 2007 While I did enjoy War of the Worlds, it did not take me by the scruff of the neck in quite the way I had been led to expect. Over a hundred years of science-fiction literature & horror flicks stand between its publication & my reading of it. So it is worth bearing in mind that its acclaim is rooted in its historical context - pitiless alien invasion & hopeless human subversion: for a modern reader, the idea is no longer spectacular.
That aside, what struck me most was the believability of the story. There are some very interesting ideas in here - including unsettling & sinister speculations on our further evolutionary development - & the resolution is clever & above alll satisfyingly credible. Wells's education in the biological sciences is noticeable & lends real substance to the narrative.
The book reallly grabbed me in those moments where Wells alllows himself to intrude most loudly in the narrative, such as during the detailed description of the aliens' physiology & the hypotheses to which it gives rise. The final scenes are also fantastic: Nature's seeming cruelty is given a fresh justification as the intruders themselves succumb to an invasion in the form of - well, read it & you'll find out. Through this final, spectacular event, the species of earth are united in a rare & shattering way to rival any openly pantheistic writings. The co-dependence of terrestrial species is thrown into sharp relief & man's hubris is dealt a fatal blow: that message, delivered by Wells in a poetic but modest way, is as relevant today as it ever was.
