War of the Worlds: The Stem of All Science Fiction

War of the Worlds follows an unnamed narrator through an apocalyptic nightmare as he navigates an alien-invaded world.

I've been attempting to read more classics lately, and this one was high up on my list. Orson Welles' infamous radio rendition of this narrative has intrigued me since I first heard about it in my high school psychology class. Was the mass hysteria real? A hoax? Could a science-fiction tale really contain such powerful words? It is fascinating to think that a story could drive people to such drastic fear and panic. I was excited to witness the chilling tale for myself! However, as someone who is not quite accustomed to the writing style of the 1800's, I had a difficult time getting through the novel. I will admit that I found it boring at times; however, I don't believe that it is any fault of the book's. Although I will warn you that if you are looking for a fast-paced adventure with exciting characters, this book may not be for you.

Writing Style

As I previously mentioned, the writing style is a bit dated. It is difficult to connect with the characters due to the drastically different lifestyles they lived in the 1800's. However, once I pushed past the initial difficulty, I found a gripping tale of survival. Wells was unbelievably ahead of his time. He created many of the stereotypes for alien life forms that we see in practically every science fiction movie and novel today. The book's introduction mentions that Wells went beyond his contemporaries and "created new worlds for readers to explore" rather than simply exploring the human condition. Viewing the book as a metaphor for imperialism shows just how mind-blowing Wells' writing craft truly is.

Characters With an unnamed narrator, I felt that I knew practically nothing about the person whose journey I was witnessing. However, upon deeper analysis I discovered a great deal about the narrator. He is tortured, questioning his religion, questioning his own morals, and scrounging to survive. He begins to wonder if humanity is even worth it. My favorite portion of the novel is when he realizes that knowledge is humanity's superpower. He began a plot to fight back silently simply by maintaining his study of books and science. He hoped to prevent the Martians from stripping humans of their humanity permanently. I found it intriguing that the narrator still found knowledge so important as such a desperate, hopeless time.

Plot

This novel portrays a terrifying alien invasion in the 1800s. It describes the hopes and fears of one desperate man as he does everything he can to survive. At one point the man exclaims "Yes. Plentiful hope—For all this destruction!" This line perfectly symbolizes the beautiful persistence of humanity. Even throughout such a horrific invasion, they keep trying their best to live, they still dream, they still survive.

The book is the prototype for all things science fiction, and it is exciting to witness the beginning of such an influential genre. If you are a fan of Star Wars or Alien, I definitely think that you would enjoy reading this to find interesting comparisons to your favorite modern science-fiction movies or books! Comment your favorite piece of science fiction media or your thoughts on War of the Worlds!