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3.6 AVERAGE
3.6 AVERAGE
Classic science fiction from H. G. Wells, that -- despite the high-saturation of the story into popular culture -- still manages to surprise and excite. And occasionally freak this reader out... Martians!
challenging
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
War of the Worlds marks a turning point in fiction's history, but looking past its historical significance, there's nothing remarkable about this story or its concepts.
Certainly, it's worth a quick read for people interested in the history of Sci-Fi, or for those who take a liking to retrofuturism, but far from essential reading.
Certainly, it's worth a quick read for people interested in the history of Sci-Fi, or for those who take a liking to retrofuturism, but far from essential reading.
dark
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Esperaba poder leer un libro de ciencia ficción como los de ahora con unos avances tecnológicos nunca vistos. Tal vez fue culpa mía no haber interiorizado que es un libro de ciencia ficción de 1898. Comencé a leerlo por la broma radiofónica y aunque no tenía mucha esperanza en que me gustase me ha decepcionado más de lo esperado. El libro está contado en primera persona desde un punto de vista donde los hechos ya han sucedido y el escritor no daba más que detalles de cómo va a acabar. El final fue una forma bastante original de acabar el libro aunque después de casi 300 paginas hacer un final de 10 no me parece lo más adecuado.
I read three H.G. Wells books recently: The Time Machine, The War of the Worlds, and The Island of Dr. Moreau. The star ratings are relative.
4.5 stars, slightly below Moreau. I can see why this is a classic of science fiction. The story and main character is compelling. Wells has spent a considerable amount of time thinking about how society would respond to an attack from a vastly superior alien species. The story was much more interesting than The Time Machine. The book is a little exposition heavy, but I can forgive that since the exposition is well thought out and interesting. I particularly liked Wells's description of the Martians and their technology. He had clearly spent time on thinking what an alien physiology and technology might be.
It was also refreshing to see how society responded. By over confidence and then despair. It rang true. The different view points on how humans could continue under the Martians was interesting, in particular when the person espousing these views seemed to be a bit more of a thinker than a doer.
Unlike the Time Machine, but like Moreau, the characters were interesting and fairly quickly developed. Although, they do seem to exist a bit more to illustrate Wells's ideas than to be free standing characters. It's science fiction, though, so that's unsurprising.
Finally, the ending might have been a bit too happy. I like happy endings as long as there's a struggle to get there, so I can live with that.
4.5 stars, slightly below Moreau. I can see why this is a classic of science fiction. The story and main character is compelling. Wells has spent a considerable amount of time thinking about how society would respond to an attack from a vastly superior alien species. The story was much more interesting than The Time Machine. The book is a little exposition heavy, but I can forgive that since the exposition is well thought out and interesting. I particularly liked Wells's description of the Martians and their technology. He had clearly spent time on thinking what an alien physiology and technology might be.
It was also refreshing to see how society responded. By over confidence and then despair. It rang true. The different view points on how humans could continue under the Martians was interesting, in particular when the person espousing these views seemed to be a bit more of a thinker than a doer.
Unlike the Time Machine, but like Moreau, the characters were interesting and fairly quickly developed. Although, they do seem to exist a bit more to illustrate Wells's ideas than to be free standing characters. It's science fiction, though, so that's unsurprising.
Finally, the ending might have been a bit too happy. I like happy endings as long as there's a struggle to get there, so I can live with that.
I bought this book for the pictures by Gorey, but then realized I had never actually read _The War of The Worlds_ so I took the time to read it. It was well worth the time because, as with many adaptations, none of the movie versions of this do justice to the story.
This is an amazing story and a joy to read. I’m shocked it’s from 1898. 1925, or even post-WWII seems more appropriate. The writing style occasionally shows its age, but other than a few brief moments, the whole text feels extremely recent.
The plot beats, the storytelling devices (I love the perspective shifts and distinct crisis stages), and the big ideas are all extremely relevant today. This isn’t just a great work because it moved the entire sci-fi genre forward (though it did). It’s a great work because it’s really damn enjoyable to read right now, in 2023.
The plot beats, the storytelling devices (I love the perspective shifts and distinct crisis stages), and the big ideas are all extremely relevant today. This isn’t just a great work because it moved the entire sci-fi genre forward (though it did). It’s a great work because it’s really damn enjoyable to read right now, in 2023.