The War of the WorldsThe War of the Worlds
Score Classic
What it's about
In the 1890s, strange cylinders fall from the sky onto the English countryside south of London. Out of them come Martians in giant three-legged fighting machines armed with heat rays and poison gas, and humanity is helpless. The narrator, a writer, tells of his desperate struggle to survive and reach his wife, as London is evacuated and civilization collapses.
Why it's worth reading
It was voted onto the BBC's Big Read and is on Le Monde's list of the books of the century. It invented the alien invasion story.
You'll love it if you liked
The Day of the Triffids
Frankenstein
The Martian ChroniclesGood to know
It's short. The ending, and how the Martians are defeated, is famous.
By the numbers
- Readers15 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics0 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Bestseller59 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Buzz0 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
Where it ranks
- #232 of the 313 science fiction books we rank
- #661 of the 762 classics we rank
- #2324 of the 2,816 books we rank
Why it made the list
Reads as
Adventurous
More by H. G. Wells
If you like this, read next
Ender's Game
Dune
The Lord of the Rings
Hyperion
The Dispossessed
FoundationExplore the best-of lists
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Quick answers
Is The War of the Worlds worth reading?
Yes. It was voted onto the BBC's Big Read and is on Le Monde's list of the books of the century. It ranks #2,324 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 60.6 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is The War of the Worlds about?
In the 1890s, strange cylinders fall from the sky onto the English countryside south of London. Out of them come Martians in giant three-legged fighting machines armed with heat rays and poison gas, and humanity is helpless. The narrator, a writer, tells of his desperate struggle to survive and reach his wife, as London is evacuated and civilization collapses.
How long does it take to read The War of the Worlds?
About 6 hours (245 pages), or about 2 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What should I read after The War of the Worlds?
If you liked it, try The Day of the Triffids by John Wyndham, Frankenstein by Mary Shelley or The Martian Chronicles by Ray Bradbury.