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The War of the Worlds

Herbert George Wells
Title:
The War of the Worlds
Book genre:
Science fiction
First Published:
January 1, 1898
Original language:
English

What's the book "The War of the Worlds" about?

"The War of the Worlds" is a science fiction novel written by H.G. Wells and published in 1898. The story begins in late 19th-century England and follows the experiences of an unnamed protagonist as he witnesses the invasion of Earth by Martians.

The Martians, fleeing their dying planet, arrive on Earth in cylindrical metal capsules, which they use to launch their attack. They possess advanced technology, including towering tripod fighting machines armed with heat-rays and a deadly black smoke. As they ravage the countryside and cities, humanity struggles to defend itself against the overwhelming power of the alien invaders.

This alien invasion masterpiece title explores themes of imperialism explores themes of imperialism, the vulnerability of human civilization, and the limitations of technology in the face of a superior force. It is considered a seminal work in the science fiction genre and has been adapted into numerous films, radio dramas, and other media over the years.

Listen to an excerpt from the book "The War of the Worlds"

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. If on Friday night you had taken a pair of compasses and drawn a circle with a radius of five miles round the Woking sand-pits, I doubt if you would have had one human being outside it, unless it were some relation of Stent or of the three or four cyclists or London people lying dead on the common, whose emotions or habits were at all affected by the new-comers. Many people had heard of the cylinder, of course, and talked about it in their leisure, but it certainly did not make the sensation that an ultimatum to Germany would have done.

In London that night poor Henderson’s telegram describing the gradual unscrewing of the shot was judged to be a canard, and his evening paper, after wiring for authentication from him and receiving no reply—the man was killed—decided not to print a special edition.

Even within the five-mile circle the great majority of people were inert. I have already described the behaviour of the men and women to whom I spoke. All over the district people were dining and supping; working men were gardening after the labours of the day, children were being put to bed, young people were wandering through the lanes love-making, students sat over their books.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Is this book available for free?

Yes, this book is in the public domain and can be accessed without any restrictions or royalties. The copyright term has expired. In most countries, copyrights last for the life of the author plus 70 years. Therefore, books published before the date of 1924 are generally in the public domain in the US if the copyright was not renewed.

How to download this book for free?

You can download this book for free, for example, on the Gutenberg Project website. This version is available to download and read in various ebook formats, including PDF, epub, TXT and others.

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