War of the Worlds

By H.G. Wells

H.G. Wells may very well be the father of sci-fi - the length he goes to to try to ground his fiction (the Martians and their technology and biology) in science is fascinating. We get vivid depictions of the Martians' bodies along with explanations for their form, and attempts at making their technology understandable to the reader. Obviously some of his science, over 100 years later, is dubious, but for its time the book is super realistic.

 Another thing I liked was that War of the Worlds felt more like a horror story than science fiction. There are heavy science fiction elements, but for the most part the book follows the main character through his traumatic experience during the "war". We don't get to see the Martians all that much; instead we get personal with characters and see how horrible of an experience such an attack would be. Dead bodies everywhere, complete destruction, immense loneliness. It must have been terrifying to a reader in the early 1900s! Surrounding the Martians in semi-mystery and focusing on the human story allowed Wells to write this book in such a believable manner, and I think if he had tried to go bigger it would have felt too much like fantasy. 

Wells also makes some interesting points about the reign of humans on Earth, and our treatment of "lesser" species in our dominion. These ideas take a backseat to the more compelling aspects of the story, but it is cool to see him ponder these thoughts. (3/12/2021)