My Review (5 stars out of 5)
When an army of invading Martians lands in England, the population are thrown into panic. As huge three-legged machines trample across the countryside destroying everything in their path with a deadly heat ray, the people of Earth must come to terms with the possibility that humanity is to be ruled by aliens.
I bought an illustrated copy of this book some time ago which, for some reason, has now disappeared from Amazon. Anyway, as well as reading it, I also listened to the BBC audio version. Of course, I’m familiar with the story, having seen the big screen movies and at least one of the TV editions, but it was interesting to read the original and compare it with the more fantastical interpretations.
The novel was first published in 1898 (having been serialised the year before in Pearson’s Magazine). We are told the story through the eyes of the hero whose name we never learn. Neither are we told the names of his wife or his brother (who he only refers to as ‘my wife’ and ‘my brother’). At times, the story becomes a little overegged with theoretical custard, but overall it’s a clever tale that must have appeared quite shocking to its first readers, given that The War of the Worlds is one of the first novels to suggest the idea of alien invasion.
A classic of sci-fi literature, and a thoroughly entertaining read.
Colin Garrow 