War of the Worlds, The

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One of the first and greatest works of Science Fiction. Man had not yet learned to fly when H. G. Wells conceived this story of a Martian attack on England. Giant cylinders crash to earth, disgorging huge, unearthly creatures armed with heat-rays and fighting machines. Amid the boundless destruction they cause, it looks as if the end of the world has come. The War of the Worlds was published as a serial in Pearson's Magazine April to December 1897. It first appeared in volume form (Heinemann) in 1898. It was included in Volume 3 of the Atlantic Edition of the Works of H. G. Wells in 1924.

Bespreking

A masterpiece of science fiction

In 1898, H.G. Wells wanted to find out what it would be like if an intelligent race of Martians turned the tables by conquering and colonizing the Earth. The result is a gripping account of The War of the Worlds through the eyes of reporter in search of his family in the mid of extraterrestrial chaos. The poetic opening of the novel takes the reader directly to the Victorian world with its typical ponderings about the nature of society. The image of aliens studying Earth like scientists studying transient creatures that multiply in a drop of water is extremely powerful. Imaging the effect it would have had on any imaginative person living in the tumultuous end of the 19th century. The "Panic Broadcast" in 1938 of the radio play adapted by Orson Welles, gave the popularity of the book a major boost, when thousands of Americans fled for the non-existent alien attack.

Even now, more that a century after its first publication, the story still lives on and maintains its popularity. Whereas the narrative sometimes tends to be pompous and belittling for the modern reader, the strong ideas and compelling storyline offers more that enough food for thought. Compared to other major works of its time, Wells succeeded in composing a refreshing plot that keeps the reader hooked until the end. The convincing description of Earth under attack, depicted in situations like the brave battle at sea with the Thunder Child, widens the setting of the story to global proportions. At the same time this contrasts strongly with the personal struggle of the protagonist when hiding in a claustrophobic hiding place and seeing his friend being devoured by the aliens.

Joy and despair. Pain and hope. Every emotion is interwoven in one of literatures most important works of science fiction. Although probably not the initiator of the genre, The War of the Worlds certainly has had a tremendous influence on what the Sci-Fi turned out to be. No fan of the genre can allow skipping this masterpiece.