The War of the Worlds

“No one would have believed in the last years of the nineteenth century that this world was being watched keenly and closely by intelligences greater than man’s and yet as mortal as his own…”

Book 1: The Coming of the Martians

The story begins in late 19th-century England, where strange explosions on Mars are observed by astronomers. Soon after, a cylindrical object crashes near Woking. The narrator, a writer, witnesses the event and observes as Martians—tentacled, inhuman creatures—emerge from the cylinder. When humans approach in curiosity, the Martians incinerate them with a Heat-Ray, marking the start of their invasion.

As more cylinders land across England, the British military attempts to fight back but is swiftly overpowered by the Martians’ advanced weaponry, including towering tripod war machines. Panic spreads as refugees flee London, and the narrator’s brother escapes to the coast, witnessing chaos and destruction along the way.

Book 2: The Earth Under the Martians

The narrator becomes trapped in a ruined house near a Martian pit and observes their behavior. He discovers that the Martians feed on human blood and are rapidly adapting to Earth’s environment. After days of hiding, he escapes and makes his way to a deserted London.

To his shock, the Martians begin dying—not from human resistance, but from Earth’s bacteria, to which they have no immunity. The invasion collapses as the invaders perish. Humanity begins rebuilding, forever changed by the realization that they are not the dominant species in the universe.

Key Ideas

• Human vulnerability in the face of superior alien intelligence.
• Critique of British imperialism through the lens of an invaded society.
• The fragility of civilization in times of crisis.
• Evolution and survival as central themes.
• The role of chance in human survival.

Notable Adaptations