The War of the Worlds - H. G. Wells

I have never been much of a science fiction fan, so where better to start than with the father of the genre? The War of the Worlds is H.G.Wells' sixth novel, and follows the vein of his previous works with a sensational, speculative plot about the wonders and horrors of science. The novel begins with a clever observation of microscopic organisms in a petri dish and how extraterrestrials might view human activity as such from the cold reaches of Space. The planet Mars is under intense scrutiny by astronomers in the suburbs of London who have begin to notice unusual activity on its surface. This turns out to be the jettisoning of alien bodies to Earth, which soon after crash land in the English countryside. When it becomes clear that the visitors do not mean well for mankind, all hell breaks loose and we are treated to an image of what the end of the world might look like. The plot is one that has been imitated hundreds of times since to varying effects, so despite being the forerunner, the territory is exceedingly familiar.

The idea of Earth being ransacked by 'cool, unsympathetic' intellects superior to our own, and of people being turned into livestock is an appealing one, yet I could not traverse the inaccessible writing style. The faux journalistic accounts, the unnamed narrator, and the geeky reciting of place names to instill a sense of realism was all too much for me to endure. Wells often has a habit of trying hard to describe an alien concept, but I was quite unable to picture it in my mind's eye. The passages of gleeful destruction of real world landmarks and the obliteration of the unwashed masses holds a sadistic relish that would have appealed to myself as a twelve year old boy, but I have unfortunately moved away from such things as Martians and lasers. Admittedly, the second half of the book picks up a little, but I never got over my initial repulsion to the narrative voice. There are some interesting ideas on show, and they would have been downright pioneering back in 1898, but it is all old hat to a modern reader.

Rating: 2/5