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nickdablin 's review for:
The War of the Worlds
by H.G. Wells
adventurous
dark
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
Fascinating as the progenitor of almost all "alien invasion" science fiction, the War of the Worlds is now so archetypal that its tropes feel refreshingly straightforward in many ways. The science part of the science fiction is obviously completely dated and quaint, but the format of the story as eyewitness account told after the fact lends the whole thing a chilling air of believability. There is little to no characterisation in the traditional sense, indeed hardly any named characters at all. Yet the general thrust of humanity's reaction to the alien threat, from curiosity and disgust to fear, panic, madness all feels deeply realistic. Apart from the dated science and the usual caveats related to this being a book written by, for and about, straight, white, stiff-upper-lip Englishmen, the tale holds up remarkably well.