Sci Fi Audiobooks: Ongoing column reviewing classics of sci fi and fantasy as well as current works available in audio format.
Book Summary:
Explosions are observed on the surface of Mars by astronomers, which many believe to be meteorites striking that planet. A few weeks later, a large object falls out of the sky and crashes to Earth in England, which again is explained as a meteorite. But in short order, Martians emerge from this object (and more that arrive) in large mechanical tripods and begin an all-out attack on the human race using a powerful heat ray that destroys all in its path and an ominous, inky black gas that suffocates all who come into contact with it. The British army, considered one of the greatest fighting forces in the world, tries to repel the attack but quickly succumbs to the superior technology of the Martians, and it appears that the human race stands no chance of stopping these alien invaders.
Originally Published: 1898
Book Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars (Highest Rating)
Audiobook Rating: 3 ½ out of 5 Stars
Bottom Line:
The War of the Worlds stands as one of the all-time great works of the genre, delivering a seminal science fiction tale that carries an important message at its core. The audio adaptation from Librivox volunteers has its ups and downs, but for the most part is well done.
Historical Context:
This book arrived at a time when science fiction was beginning to establish itself, building on earlier works by Wells as well as authors such as Jules Verne, Edward Bellamy, George Griffith, and others. It stands as one of the first genre tales to deal with an alien invasion, setting many precedents that future sci fi writers would follow. But beyond its groundbreaking concepts, the novel also delivers an important social message, something found in many of the best works in the genre. Great Britain was at the height of its imperial power at the time and seemed nearly unassailable, yet Wells keyed onto that and imagined what would happen if the people of that nation suddenly found themselves facing an invasion from an even more powerful force. In doing so, he not only helped define the alien invasion story, but also offered a sobering reflection on power, vulnerability, and the fragility of even the mightiest empires.
A Closer Look:
The War of the Worlds delivers the quintessential science fiction novel and, for me, competes with other notable titles such as Frank Herbert’s Dune and Ursula K. Le Guin’s The Lathe of Heaven as my all-time favorite in the genre. The book presents a story backed by scientific plausibility based on the knowledge of the time (and some of the science still stands up today), as Wells offers a credible speculation of why and how the Martians would invade Earth, driven to flee from their own dying, depleted planet. They launch themselves from Mars using cannon-like projectiles (à la Verne’s From the Earth to the Moon) and deal with the higher gravity of Earth through their machines and technology. They then proceed to exterminate the primary vermin that populate the planet (that would be the human race), much like we would root out an infestation of ants. And then they begin to terraform Earth to resemble their Martian atmosphere, making it unlivable for humans. Wells even postulates that these invaders have evolved to a point where they rely mostly on their intellectual capacity and very little on physical activity. And all of the concepts he proposes, including their susceptibility to microorganisms in our atmosphere, have their scientific roots supported by the knowledge and theories of that time.
But Wells also uses his story to make a social statement. England was one of the most powerful empires of the late nineteenth century, and its people had developed a complacency and arrogance that dominated their lives and culture. But Wells took that society, which had come to see itself as invincible and destined to rule, and turned it on its head. England, which had spread its reach throughout much of the world and invaded many “inferior” countries, now faced invasion within its own borders and felt as helpless as many of those poor souls subjected to its yoke. In the opening paragraphs of the book, Wells comments on how the Martians see us as a lesser species: “And we men . . . must be to them at least as alien and lowly as are the monkeys and lemurs to us.” He also notes that their invasion of Earth is hardly different than the human race’s own history of encroachments on others they deemed inferior:
And before we judge of them too harshly we must remember what ruthless and utter destruction our own species has wrought, not only upon animals, such as the vanished bison and the dodo, but upon its inferior races. The Tasmanians, in spite of their human likeness, were entirely swept out of existence in a war of extermination waged by European immigrants, in the space of fifty years. Are we such apostles of mercy as to complain if the Martians warred in the same spirit?
These points are repeated throughout the book and emphasize the theme of humans (particularly those from the imperial nations) receiving their own comeuppance.
It is the combination of the scientific elements and social statements that make The War of the Worlds so important to the science fiction genre as well as a relevant piece of literature. Wells did not simply sprinkle the book with scientific terms to give it a faux sense of legitimacy. He also did not resort to a more juvenile approach to the story (quite common with early sci fi works). Instead, as I have already mentioned, his science is almost immaculate for its day, and his story is well-developed, gripping, and still resonates over a century after its first publication. One could easily make an argument for nominating The War of the Worlds as the greatest science fiction novel of all time, and I definitely have it close to the top of my list. Those who have only encountered it through one of its film adaptations should definitely go back and experience the original book, because only there will you encounter the full depth and power of the story that Wells crafted.
Comments on the Audiobook:
War of the Worlds has had several audiobook adaptations, but I chose to listen to the recording by LibriVox—which provides free audio adaptations of works currently in the public domain—to see what that service has to offer. It is fully volunteer-supported, and each book typically has multiple readers voicing the various chapters. Because of that, the readers lack the polish of professional voice-over talent, but for the most part, the LibriVox recording of The War of the Worlds was quite enjoyable. Most of the readers did a decent job, and even those who fell a bit short were not unlistenable. Of the narrators for this book, I liked Stephan Möbius and Peter Yearsley the most, and fortunately, they read the majority of the chapters. Yearsley actually sounds a whole lot like Boris Karloff, a voice that at first did not seem to fit with the book but which grew on me. There are other versions of the book available on Librivox with a single narrator, but I have not sampled those. LibriVox actually has quite a number of early science fiction works available in its catalog, including other titles by Wells as well as classics from Jules Verne, Edgar Rice Burroughs, Arthur Conan Doyle, and more. They even have works going into the mid-20th century (mostly short stories) by authors such as Philip K. Dick, Lester Del Rey, James Blish, Ben Bova, and others. These recordings are available for free (though donations are appreciated), so it’s an easy and inexpensive way to get started with audiobooks. There are quite a number of professional adaptations of The War of the Worlds out there as well, including an excellent reading by Simon Vance that is available from Audible.
Download the Librivox adaptation of The War of the Worlds at this link.
