War of the Worlds (1898)

I just finished my journey through The War of the Worlds by H. G. Wells (1898) courtesy of the daily bite-sized emails of DailyLit (which I love -- next up: Anne of Green Gables!). It is no secret that I love H. G. Wells, and The War of the Worlds continued his streak of exceeding my high expectations.

The War of the Worlds is such a popular novel that I felt like I already knew the whole story, even though I'd never read it, heard the radio version, or seen any of the movies. And yet, the original text contains plenty of surprises, enough science to keep it interesting, and a truly engaging story of human behavior. It's a fast read, and should be required reading for anyone interested in science fiction, war, outer space, or life as we know it.

And even if you don't want to read it, take some time to browse through this amazing collection of The War of the Worlds book covers and interior illustrations (like the one above by Edward Gorey) from the past 110 years.

[Oh, come on -- go read it right here! Or on Daily Lit! Or, you know, in book form.]