About the Author
By the time he died on August 13, 1946, in London, Herbert George Wells was admired as a prophet and as an important social philosopher […]
The War of the Worlds
Setting
The War of the Worlds is set in the late 1890s in England. For Wells and his original audience, this was a modern Setting, and […]
Themes and Characters
The War of the Worlds reflects some of Wells’s social concerns, although it is not as heavily laden with social commentary as The Time Machine. […]
Literary Qualities
At the time Wells wrote The War of the Worlds, science had become the subject of much public debate. During this period, the natural sciences […]
Social Sensitivity
In many respects, The War of the Worlds is a tale told before. For instance, the Aztecs of Mexico first took Hernando Cortes and his […]
Topics for Discussion
1. Why are the Characters given abstract names such as “the Narrator” and “the Curate”? Are the names symbolic? What would be the point of […]
Ideas for Reports and Papers
1. Throughout his career, Wells was concerned about the ethical uses of technology and scientific knowledge. How are his ideas reflected in The War of […]
Related Titles and Adaptations
Wells wrote several visionary novels similar to The War of the Worlds. These books were called “scientific fantasies” because the term “science fiction” had not […]