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Cover of The War of the Worlds

Science Fiction

The War of the Worlds

by H. G. Wells

The first-person narrative of the Martian invasion of 19th-century Earth.

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First published
1898
Length
60,336 words
Reading time
About 4 hr 12 min
Language
English (UK)

About the book

H. G. Wells’ classic tale of alien invasion has to this day never been out of print. Like many works of the era, it was originally published as a serial—though the publisher, Pearson’s Magazine , demanded to know the ending before committing to publication.

The War of the Worlds , with its matter-of-fact narrative style and deft mixture of contemporary science and fictionalized interstellar war machines, became an instant hit. Its themes of colonialism, social Darwinism, good and evil, and total war still resonate with modern-day readers, so much so that it’s been continuously adapted for screen, radio, television, comics, and print.

the Read4Max reading text contains approximately 60,336 words arranged in 32 navigable sections.

About the author

H. G. Wells

H. G. Wells (1866–1946) is described by Wikidata as English writer (1866–1946), with citizenship or national association recorded as United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and United Kingdom.

Recorded occupations include writer, historian, journalist, Idist, science fiction writer, and novelist. Languages recorded for H. G. Wells include English. Wikidata lists The Outline of History, The Time Machine, The Invisible Man, The Island of Dr Moreau, The War of the Worlds, and The First Men in the Moon among H. G. Wells's notable works. Open Library identifies The Time Machine as a leading work in its author record. Open Library catalogs 9847 works under this author record. The Read4Max catalog currently includes The First Men in the Moon, The Food of the Gods, The Invisible Man, The Island of Doctor Moreau, The Time Machine, The War of the Worlds, and The World Set Free under H. G. Wells's authorship.

1866–1946

Reading options

  • A complete text with direct section navigation in the browser reader.
  • A downloadable EPUB for phones, tablets, desktop reading apps, and compatible ereaders.
  • Book and contributor metadata are checked against the source edition before indexing.

Themes and ideas

  • Science fiction
  • War stories
  • Martians
  • Mars (Planet)
  • Space warfare
  • Imaginary wars and battles
  • Life on other planets

Table of contents

Open reader
Show all 32 sections
  1. Dedication
  2. Epigraph
  3. The War of the Worlds
  4. Book I
  5. I
  6. II
  7. III
  8. IV
  9. V
  10. VI
  11. VII
  12. VIII
  13. IX
  14. X
  15. XI
  16. XII
  17. XIII
  18. XIV
  19. XV
  20. XVI
  21. XVII
  22. Book II
  23. I
  24. II
  25. III
  26. IV
  27. V
  28. VI
  29. VII
  30. VIII
  31. IX
  32. X
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