The War of the Worlds - Modern Classics 136

The War of the Worlds - Modern Classics 136 Book Description In 1897, when The War of the Worlds was serialized in Pearson's Magazine, the sixtieth anniversary of Queen Victoria's accession to the throne was celebrated with ceremonies. The British Empire was at the height of its power, with vast territories stretching from Canada to New Zealand, covering most of Africa and the entire Indian subcontinent. The War of the Worlds is Wells' commentary on British imperialism; It is a philosophical and ideological story that reflects concerns about the possible consequences of the expansion of the empire at the beginning of the 20th century. The invasion of creatures from Mars, which roamed the empire's lands in their strange vehicles, destroying everything in their path with deadly heat rays while ending all life, perhaps coincided with these concerns of the Victorian reader. The fact that listeners took to the streets in panic, thinking that a radio play adapted from a novel by Orson Welles in 1938 was real, demonstrated the power of the work to trigger the imagination. The War of the Worlds, which has been made into various film and TV series versions, has inspired many of them. Wells' original and realistic narrative with his vivid imagination continues to attract readers from all generations today, when we are no longer strangers to the subject of space travel and invasions of our world from other planets. (From the Promotional Bulletin)