The War of the Worlds

HarperCollins is proud to present its incredible range of best-loved, essential classics.



'For a time I believed that mankind had been swept out of existence, and that I stood there alone, the last man left alive.



When a strange, meteor-like object lands in the English countryside, the inhabitants of Earth find themselves victims of a terrible attack. Ruthless Martians, armed with heat rays and poisonous smoke, are intent on destroying humanity. As the unnamed narrator struggles to find his way across decimated wastelands, the fate of the planet hangs in the balance...


First serialised in 1897, The War of the Worlds terrified and thrilled its readers, the fictional alien invasion evoking a new and hair-raising idea: we are not alone. The imagination of H.G. Wells has had a lasting and significant impact on the science fiction genre, and continues to inspire the work of countless writers, artists and directors to this day.