Book Impressions - War of the Worlds by H. G. Wells

War of the Worlds should need no introduction, it is one of the classic science fiction stories of all time. It's been many years since I last read it and I'm pleased to report that it remains as good a read as I remembered it.

For those of you that don't know War of the Worlds is the alien invasion story, it takes place at the height of Victorian Britain. At the time it was the most powerful force on the planet when capsules from Mars arrive one by one across the country.

These aliens have come from Mars, their world is dying and they need a new world to live on. They invade the land and consume the people as food. The story concerns a solitary man trying to survive the invasion and find his wife again.

The story more than stands the test of time, it flows with economy and brilliant insight. For its time it was revolutionary, but even now where it has been imitated so many times it still stands out. The story is at times moving and others terrifying and the writing, while obviously not modern it still a great read.

One small part that fascinates me about the style is the assumption that you know the places and times that you are taken to. Of course that makes sense because he's writing for the people of his time, but reading it now, because he's not describing every detail, it makes you feel familiar, as if part of the tale, not just an observer.

This is a great story, a classic novel and if you haven't read it then you really should.

The chilling novel account of a Martian invasion of London in the nineteenth century—a science fiction classic for all time.

The War of the Worlds inspired the international bestseller The Map of the Sky by Félix J. Palma. As a gift to our readers, we are including an excerpt of The Map of the Sky in this eBook edition.


War of the Worlds is available from Amazon (and is a must read and this edition is free so you have no excuse!)