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Cover of The War of the Worlds by H.G. Wells

The War of the Worlds

H.G. Wells

Martians invade Victorian England, and one unnamed man struggles to survive as civilization collapses around him.

First published 2002 · War of the Worlds

ClassicsScience Fiction

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Story

An unnamed, educated narrator in southern England witnesses strange cylinders falling from Mars and gradually realizes that humanity is under attack. What begins as curiosity turns into terror as the invaders emerge with overwhelming technology and start devastating the countryside.

As the Martians advance toward London, the story follows the narrator through flight, hiding, and near-total social collapse. Along the way, the narrative widens to show how ordinary people, soldiers, clergy, and other survivors respond to panic, confusion, and the breakdown of order.

The book closes with humanity still shaken but alive, as the Martians are defeated not by military force but by an unexpected vulnerability. The ending leaves a strong sense of survival after catastrophe, while also underscoring the fragility of human power and the forces that can overturn it.

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In the War of the Worlds series

Shown by first publication year; this may not be reading order.

Cover of The Crystal Egg by H.G. Wells The Crystal Egg H.G. Wells · 2014 · War of the Worlds

Details

Authors
H.G. Wells
First published
2002
Genres
Classics, Science Fiction, Horror, Fantasy, Aliens
Subjects
Imaginary wars and battles · Juvenile fiction · Space warfare · Science Fiction & Fantasy · Fiction · Diseases · Martians · Invasions · Classic Literature · Open Library Staff Picks · open_syllabus_project · English Science fiction · Imaginary wars and battles in literature · Mars (Planet) · Science fiction · Space vehicles · Earth · Romance Ingles · Fiction, science fiction, general · British and irish fiction (fictional works by one author) · Fiction, fantasy, general · Children's fiction · Examinations · Vocabulary · SAT (Educational test) · English language · Study guides · Fiction, action & adventure · Life on other planets · War stories · Extraterrestrial beings, fiction · Outer space, fiction · Literature · English literature · Seres extraterrestres · Extraterrestrial beings · Ficcion · Guerra espacial · Fiction, science fiction, action & adventure · Human-alien encounters · Comic books, strips · Wells, h. g. (herbert george), 1866-1946 · Adaptations · Graphic novels · Aladdin (legendary character), fiction · War, fiction · Adventure and adventurers, fiction · Guerras imaginarias · Novela · Guerra · Life on other planets, fiction · Fiction, war & military · Imaginary wars and battles -- Fiction · Space warfare -- Fiction · Mars (Planet) -- Fiction · Imaginary wars and battles--fiction · Space warfare--fiction · Pr5774 .w3 2005dx · 823.912 · Long Now Manual for Civilization
ISBN-13
9780375759239

[DEV NOTE: Eventually use our own synthesized data.]