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Title: The War of the Worlds by H. G. Wells ISBN: 0-8125-0515-8 Publisher: Aerie Pub. Date: 15 February, 1993 Format: Mass Market Paperback Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $3.99 |
Average Customer Rating: 4.01 (158 reviews)
Rating: 4
Summary: Great Classic Story, Desiring More Character Development
Comment: "The War of the Worlds" is a gripping sci-fi classic detailing the devastation of London and environs during a Martian invasion, told in the past tense by an unnamed narrator (likely Wells himself) who luckily has lived to tell the story. Wells' late 19th century conceptualization of the Heat-Ray (laser gun), Black Smoke (chemical warfare) and Secret of Flying (airplanes) correctly anticipates the direction of 20th century military technology. However, his descriptions of the brain-strong, emotion-free Martians, with their intricate though wheel-less machines and rapid-growth red creeper plants, today remain only imaginary, since prospects of extant advanced life on Mars are, by modern scientific judgment, whilst conceivable, strikingly remote.
Wells' depiction of how humans commonly respond in disaster situations--initial nonchalance and controlled denial, followed by convulsive panic in the face of imminent death--is superb. Further, the juxtaposition of the narrator's courageous realism alongside the curate's wimpy fatalism and the artilleryman's dreamy idealism elevates the plot-oriented adventure to a stimulating, higher philosophical level.
The "good guy wins" story remains suspenseful until the end because the means of victory (I'll just say "by power of nature," to avoid revealing too much) is intriguing and believable. Regarding the title of the book, since the confrontation is limited geographically and involves a very restricted number of Martian invaders within the span of only a few weeks, a less grandiose title along the lines of "Invasion of the Martians" would be more true to the actual unfolding of events.
The main weakness of the book as a literary work is the superficial development of the human relationships between key characters. The narrator's brother seems to be mostly a literary device used by the author to expose the reader to events outside of the narrator's immediate experience. Most importantly, the narrator's relationship to his wife begs further development, especially since she is the emotional driving force behind the narrator's lonely resolve to persevere through his struggles and, ultimately, return to her side.
Rating: 5
Summary: Gripping
Comment: Unknown to the inhabitants of Earth, the planet Mars is aging and nearing its exhaustion. The Martians, not even perceiving humans to be anything other than animals, decide that it is time to seize this lush, young planet. Landing in several locations in southeastern England they begin their conquest of the planet. Can man, with his most advanced technology hope to stop the Martians with their much more advanced technology?
You've seen the 1953 movie, War of the Worlds, and want to read it in book form? Well, then don't look here. Herbert George Wells wrote this book in 1898, a mere one year after The Invisible Man, and two years after The Island of Doctor Moreau. The moviemakers of the 1950s made a wonderful movie, but one that, alas, bears very little resemblance to the original!
This book is one of the crowning examples of nineteenth century fantastic fiction. It is a gripping story that masterfully combines horror and suspense, keeping you at the edge of your seat until the final page.
I am lucky enough to possess the 2001, Books of Wonder edition that contains fourteen wonderful, full-color, full-page illustrations plus the two-page illustrations on the front and back, all done by the masterful Tom Kidd. It is very well made, and would make an excellent addition to any library.
Rating: 3
Summary: A little too retro "Sci. Fi." for me.
Comment: In "The War of the Worlds" Martians come down from space and start their conquest of our home Earth. The Martians, with their heat rays and giant robotic machines, are attempting to conquer Earth and use it as their new home because Mars has become uninhabitable. This story is told from an English man's point-of-view, with vivid descriptions telling what it was like when the Martians came down and waged their war on Earth. The story takes the reader through a chaotic and suspenseful journey seen through the eyes of one man trying to survive.
In my opinion the story was well written, overall. It was just a bit too retro science-fiction for me. The plot mainly revolves around a man's travels while he is trying to escape the onslaught of the Martians. I lost interest about mid-way through the book, because the plot became redundant. The character descriptions in the book were good, as well as the descriptions of the Martians. There was good visual depiction of the destruction that took place as the Martians conquered more territory. I think the conclusion could have been a little more climactic. Although it was clever, it just wasn't as exciting as I thought it would be. Although the concept of this story is interesting, I would not recommend this book to teens that enjoy futuristic adventure.
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Title: The Time Machine by H. G. Wells ISBN: 0812505042 Publisher: Tor Books Pub. Date: 01 December, 1995 List Price(USD): $3.99 |
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Title: 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea by Jules Verne ISBN: 0812550927 Publisher: Tor Books Pub. Date: 01 October, 1995 List Price(USD): $3.99 |
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Title: Journey to the Center of the Earth by Jules Verne ISBN: 0140022651 Publisher: Penguin Books Pub. Date: 01 October, 1965 List Price(USD): $4.95 |
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Title: The Island of Dr. Moreau (Bantam Classics) by H.G. WELLS ISBN: 0553214322 Publisher: Bantam Classics Pub. Date: 01 May, 1994 List Price(USD): $4.95 |
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Title: The Invisible Man (Dover Thrift Editions) by H. G. Wells ISBN: 0486270718 Publisher: Dover Publications Pub. Date: 01 February, 1992 List Price(USD): $2.00 |
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