Substantive: War of the Worlds

Wells' War of the Worlds marks the early age of science fiction. In his time, Wells' only true contemporary was an aging Jules Verne. Even so, Wells wrote only a limited selection of science fiction, focusing on the genre only in his early career. But while Wells, perhaps unintentionally, became known as a timeless author, his works show a clear reflection of the era they were written in. The value of this particular tale lies in Wells' dedication to his realistic created scenario, and the applicability of the themes drawn from this created "disaster of all disasters".

War of the Worlds and Colonialism

War of the Worlds may seem to immediately strike the reader as pure invasion literature. Aliens invade and figuratively (and literally) stomp on humanity, creating a story rife with possibilities. The entertainment value from such a story is no doubt high, but if prompted, Wells' story offers up plenty fine points for the reader to chew on far after the Martians succumb to their inevitable end. Of course the most notable point of the plot is its setting. Wells, drawing from his own current residence, set the Martian invasion in what would be at the time "suburban" England. His characters darted around streets that he knew himself. But besides making this a personal narrative, Wells' choice of England as the site for invasion rings of a certain karma at work. With respect to the work's timing, War of the Worlds is written just before the turn of the 19th century, a century which, among other things, was the hey-day of British colonialism. It's difficult to avoid drawing a clear line from the atrocities committed upon the colonies of Britian by the British army to the atrocities committed by the Martians upon the English people. While I don't believe Wells reveled in the thought of his own people dying and suffering under the Martians, his characterization of the people of the countryside and the Martians certainly withstand comparison to actions they might have taken faced with native peoples. This kind of characterization is found throughout the first portion of the story, before the Martians begin wrecking havoc upon the country, where men and women from around the country side come visit the first Martian cylinder. In general, those visiting treat the object with disrespect, going as far as setting up food stands next to the crash site. One can imagine the same actions witnessed on the shores of Africa, with well-to-do citizens making a show out of the local natives. But Wells takes this and flips the scenario completely on the head - the Martians begin subjugating those who have done the subjugation. Again, this rings of a certain "divine retribution". Wells very well could have allowed other cylinders to fall across the globe and still have written the exact same novel. But he very specifically withheld invasion from the rest of the world, instead choosing for the Martians to only attack England. Certainly other countries at the time were just as guilty of rampant colonialism, but perhaps the actions of Great Britain were close and most easily drawn upon for Wells. Regardless, Wells effectively plays his plot out in a way which reflects the actions of colonial Britain back upon itself.

War of the Worlds and the Horror of Warfare

Although his main character is never named, the narrator of War of the Worlds tells his tale through very personal journalistic prose, as if writing the story for a local newspaper. Wells himself at the time had very similar inclinations to his narrator, as he often wrote accessible scientific and journalism pieces himself during this time. The style chosen for War of the Worlds, although somewhat lacking the passion of a direct first person experience (the story is a retelling of the events), emphasizes the realness and aids the reader in suspension of disbelief. Perhaps it is this style that made Wells' story so easily converted into a radio drama which shocked the US in 1938. But it was the realistic horror of war, and the description of the burnt landscape of the English country side, that truly marks Wells effective story writing and predictive ability. Written in 1898, 16 years before the outbreak of World War I, Wells weaves his storyline in a way which frighteningly resembles the wartorn countries during the Great War. The destroyed houses, burnt landscape, consistent gun fire, and general panic of the people all closely resemble scenes from the total war that was WWI. In fact, the Martian's own weapons resemble those used in the war: the heat ray can be compared to the flame thrower, while the black gas can be compared to the poisonous gas used on the battlefield. The style in which the Martians waged war, using powerful vehicular weapons, wasn't even fully realized until the Second World War (also having a striking resemblance to Wells' destroyed countryside). Wells accomplished in his narrative what few science fiction authors have been capable of: an accurate prediction of the future. Unfortunately for Wells, his prediction falls short at the end of the story. Wars are not simply ended on an instant, and these ends are entirely determined by humans.