First published in 1898, the novel terrified readers of the Victorian era with its account of an invasion of hostile creatures from Mars who moved across the English landscape in bizarre metal transports using deadly heat rays to destroy buildings and decimate all life in their path. The narrative's power to stir the imagination was made abundantly clear when Orson Wells adapted the story for a radio drama on Halloween night in 1938 and created a national panic. Although we are somewhat more sophisticated today about space travel and interplanetary invaders, The War of the Worlds still offers a riveting reading experience. Its narrative energy, intensity and striking originality remain undiminished, ready to thrill a new generation of readers with old-fashioned storytelling power.
