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A classic science fiction novel by H. G. Wells about an alien invasion of Earth in the late 19th century. The novel explores themes of evolution, imperialism, and human survival in the face of a hostile extraterrestrial threat.
- Herbert George George Wells
- 1898
- Overview
- Plot summary
- Analysis and interpretation
- Publication and reception
- Adaptations
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The War of the Worlds, science fiction novel by H.G. Wells, first published serially by Pearson’s Magazine in the U.K. and by The Cosmopolitan magazine in the U.S. in 1897. The novel details a catastrophic conflict between humans and extraterrestrial “Martians.” It is considered a landmark work of science fiction, and it has inspired numerous adapt...
Questions answered in this section
•What happens during the Martian invasion described in The War of the Worlds?
•How does the narrator’s journey unfold as he tries to escape the Martians?
•How does the Martian invasion end, and what are its consequences?
These AI-generated questions have been reviewed by Britannica’s editors.
The War of the Worlds chronicles the events of a Martian invasion as experienced by an unidentified male narrator and his brother. The story begins a few years before the invasion. During the astronomical opposition of 1894, when Mars is closer to Earth than usual, several observatories spot flashes of light on the surface of Mars. The narrator witnesses one of these flashes through a telescope at an observatory in Ottershaw, Surrey, England. He immediately alerts his companion, Ogilvy, “the well-known astronomer.” Ogilvy quickly dismisses the idea that the flashes are an indication of life on Mars. He assures the narrator that “[t]he chances against anything manlike on Mars are a million to one.” The flashes continue unexplained for several nights.
Questions answered in this section
•How does the Martian invasion affect the social order in England?
•What is the main lesson the narrator learns about humans’ relationship with animals?
These AI-generated questions have been reviewed by Britannica’s editors.
Questions of order and hierarchy are at the center of The War of the Worlds. When the Martians first land in England, they are not perceived as a threat. Most men and women—in the suburbs of London and the city—continue to go about their business. Even after the Martians kill several people, daily life is not significantly disrupted. Faced with an impending attack, the English people cling to established regimens and existing social structures. The narrator is particularly struck by this:
The most extraordinary thing to my mind, of all the strange and wonderful things that happened upon that Friday, was the dovetailing of the commonplace habits of our social order with the first beginnings of the series of events that was to topple that social order headlong.
Questions answered in this section
•When was The War of the Worlds first published as a book?
•How successful was The War of the Worlds commercially and in terms of critical reception?
These AI-generated questions have been reviewed by Britannica’s editors.
The War of the Worlds was first published serially. Wells sold the rights for The War of the Worlds in 1896. Between April and December 1897, the story was serialized simultaneously by Pearson’s Magazine in the U.K. and The Cosmopolitan in the U.S. Both versions featured illustrations by British children’s book illustrator Warwick Goble.
Wells’s story subsequently appeared in serial form in several American newspapers, including William Randolph Hearst’s The New York Evening Journal and the Boston Post. Notably, the versions that appeared in The New York Evening Journal and the Boston Post were set in America rather than England. Wells did not authorize these reproductions. He protested the change in setting as a “manipulation” of his work.
Questions answered in this section
•How did Orson Welles’s radio play adaptation of The War of the Worlds mislead some listeners?
•Which filmmakers have made notable adaptations of The War of the Worlds?
These AI-generated questions have been reviewed by Britannica’s editors.
Orson Welles’s radio play remains the most famous adaptation of Wells’s novel. On October 30, 1938, Welles presented an adaptation of The War of the Worlds on his radio program, The Mercury Theatre on the Air. As Welles later told reporters, he wrote (and performed) the radio play to sound like a real news broadcast about an invasion from Mars. Some listeners who missed the introduction to Welles’s performance mistook the broadcast as actual news coverage of a Martian invasion. The resulting reaction was greatly exaggerated by the press. Headlines across the U.S. reported that “Attack from Mars in Radio Play Puts Thousands in Fear,” “Radio Listeners in Panic, Taking War Drama As Fact,” and “Radio Fake Scares Nation.” On October 31, The New York Times reported that thousands of people “called the police, newspapers, and radio stations here and in other cities of the United States and Canada seeking advice on protective measures against the raids.” In all, the broadcast is estimated to have fooled about 20 percent, or less than a million, of its listeners.
A number of filmmakers have attempted to tackle The War of the Worlds. In 1953 Byron Haskin directed an Academy Award-winning adaptation of the novel starring Gene Barry and Ann Robinson. Haskin’s adaptation influenced many future science fiction films, including Steven Spielberg’s War of the Worlds (2005), which starred Tom Cruise and Dakota Fanning and featured narration by Morgan Freeman.
Learn about the plot, characters, and themes of H.G. Wells's classic science fiction novel, The War of the Worlds, published in 1897. The novel depicts a devastating alien invasion of Earth and the human struggle to survive and resist.
The War of the Worlds: With Eleanor Tomlinson, Rafe Spall, Robert Carlyle, Rupert Graves. In London during the Edwardian era, George and Amy's attempt to start a life together is interrupted by a Martian invasion of Earth.
- (10K)
- 2019-10-05
- Drama, History, Sci-Fi
- 48
War of the Worlds: Directed by Steven Spielberg. With Tom Cruise, Dakota Fanning, Miranda Otto, Justin Chatwin. An alien invasion threatens the future of humanity. The catastrophic nightmare is depicted through the eyes of one American family fighting for survival.
- (479K)
- Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi
- Steven Spielberg
- 2005-06-29
A short summary of H.G. Wells's The War of the Worlds. This free synopsis covers all the crucial plot points of The War of the Worlds.
A classic science fiction novel about a Martian invasion of Earth, The War of the Worlds explores themes of imperialism, evolution, and the fragility of human civilisation. Learn about the novel's plot, characters, and interpretations in this comprehensive summary and analysis by Dr Oliver Tearle.
Learn about the plot, themes, characters, and literary devices of H.G. Wells' classic sci-fi novel. The Narrator relates the story of the Martian invasion of Earth and its impact on humanity's survival and beliefs.
