The War of the Worlds

Martian cylinders land in the English countryside, and within days the machinery of Victorian confidence counts for nothing against heat-rays and walking tripods. First published in 1898, the novel by H. G. Wells is narrated by an ordinary man trying to survive a collapse he cannot influence, and much of its power comes from that limited view: rumour, flight, hunger and the sudden emptiness of familiar roads. The invasion works as a story of survival and also as a pointed reflection on conquest, since Wells turns the experience of empire back on its own centre. A closer look: • Foundational science fiction, written by H. G. Wells and dating from 1898 • Narrated from ground level as Victorian England is overrun • Reads as both survival narrative and commentary on colonial conquest • Harper Collins Classic English edition For readers of classic science fiction and students of the genre's origins, available at Boipoka.