(#31) / War of the Worlds / by H. G. Wells / (Book)

Opening

Bibliographic Information:

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

ISBN-13: 978-1453603802 / William Heinemann

p. 138 / $6.95 (Amazon)

1898

Body of Content

Summary: The War of the Worlds is a science fiction tale – written as a first-hand account of an Englishman who finds himself at the center of an alien invasion.  While the book is set in late 19^th-century England, mysterious observations on the surface on Mars lead to equally mysterious meteors falling outside London.  From the craters, alien machinery emerges – particularly the giant tripod machines which sweep through the urban settings.  Although the aliens are only seen briefly – and never develop conversations with the Earth inhabitants – their intentions are clear when they begin destroying human civilization and feeding upon people.  The narrator, along with his countrymen, attempts to flee the carnage.  Travelling with his wife, they must flee from a host of dangerous situations in the hopes of finding peace in an increasingly unstable and chaotic world.  

Critique: Few novels deal with characters that are not given names.  But Wells provides a story that is deplete of formal names.  The reader never learns the narrator’s name – though, when the filmmaker’s recently adapted the book to the big screen, Tom Cruise took the narrator’s role as “Ray Ferrier”.

The namelessness of the human characters points to two central themes in the book – 1) the shared agony and fate felt by the characters as a common race at the hands of the alien invaders – 2) and on a more metaphorical level, the trend of imperialism to treat the native peoples indiscriminately.

The aliens in the novel change the environment of the Earth to fit their own purposes.  Such an act mirrors British imperialism, where the local environment became a source of plunder – as resources were shipped back to England – and the selection of crops came from royal decisions instead of local necessities.  The Wars of the Worlds is a science fiction novel – but it contains a measure of social implications – as a commentary on clashes between differing human cultures.          

Teaser: Martians have landed on Earth.  One man seeks to save all that holds dear.  

Information about the Author: Wells wrote many famous science fiction-themed novels including The Island of Doctor Moreau, The Shape of Things to Come, The Invisible Man, and The Time Machine.  A British citizen, Wells was born in 1866 and died in 1946.  After a few odd jobs – including working as an assistant to a chemist – Wells studied biology at the Normal School of Science after winning a scholarship.  Wells came from a humble family – and after graduation – money woes continued to follow him.  He actually married his cousin – Isabel Mary Wells – but the marriage dissolved after a handful of years.  Wells would later marry a former pupil under his tutorage – Amy Catherine Robbins – though she died in 1927, leaving Wells as a widow for the remainder of his years (A&E, 2011).

Wells increasingly wrote and spoke on issues related to social welfare and socialism – with decidedly political tones.  Fellow Englishman and contemporary G. K. Chesterton alluded to Wells’ change in literary direction, saying “Mr. Wells is a born storyteller who has sold his birthright for a pot of message” (Wikipedia, 2011).   

Supplemental Material

Genre: Science Fiction / Adult Crossover

Curriculum Ties: History – imperialism, technology

Booktalking Ideas: 1) Did you know that the book was performed on the radio as a theatrical play. 2) Why do you think H.G. Wells is considered such a hallmark fixture of modern science fiction lure? And what place does War of the Worlds play in the debate? 

Reading Level: A crossover title, Wells’ novel fits well with teens interested in science fiction.  It would take a more advanced reader to detect the political overtones – mostly readable by late teens – 16-19.  

Challenge Issues and Defense: The book is a crossover title – so as a general rule – some parents may want the library to put the book in the adult section versus the YA section.  As one of Wells’ main works, the book is a classic – helping challenges based on the historical acclaim of the title.

Personal Reasons for Inclusion: Even though this is an adult title, I read this crossover book in 8^th grade.

Last Thoughts

References:

A&E Television Networks. (2011). H.G. Wells [Webpage]. Retrieved from

http://www.biography.com/people/h-g-wells-39224?page=3

Wikipedia. (2011). H. G. Wells [Webpage]. Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/H.g._wells

Listening to (Music):

Artist – Brave Saint Saturn / Album – “So Far From Home”