The War of the Worlds
From H. G. Wells to Orson Welles, Jeff Wayne, Steven Spielberg and Beyond
1st Edition
Published on 25. August 2016
384 pages
978-1-4742-2989-0 (ISBN)
Description
First published in 1897, H.G. Wells's alien invasion narrative The War of the Worlds was a landmark work of science fiction and one that continues to be adapted and referenced in the 21st century.
Chronicling the novel's contexts, its origins and its many multi-media adaptations, this book is a complete biography of the life - and the afterlives - of The War of the Worlds. Exploring the original text's compelling sense of place and vivid recreation of Wells's Woking home and the concerns of fin-de-siécle Britain, the book goes on to chart the novel's immediate international impact. Starting with the initial serialisations in US newspapers, Peter Beck goes on to examine Orson Welles's legendary 1938 radio adaptation, TV and film adaptations from George Pal to Steven Spielberg, Jeff Wayne's rock opera and the numerous other works that have taken their inspiration from Wells's original. Drawing on new archival research, this is a comprehensive account of the continuing impact of The War of the Worlds.
Chronicling the novel's contexts, its origins and its many multi-media adaptations, this book is a complete biography of the life - and the afterlives - of The War of the Worlds. Exploring the original text's compelling sense of place and vivid recreation of Wells's Woking home and the concerns of fin-de-siécle Britain, the book goes on to chart the novel's immediate international impact. Starting with the initial serialisations in US newspapers, Peter Beck goes on to examine Orson Welles's legendary 1938 radio adaptation, TV and film adaptations from George Pal to Steven Spielberg, Jeff Wayne's rock opera and the numerous other works that have taken their inspiration from Wells's original. Drawing on new archival research, this is a comprehensive account of the continuing impact of The War of the Worlds.
More details
Edition
1. Auflage
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
Target group
Professional and scholarly
College/higher education
Illustrations
26 b/w illustrations
ISBN-13
978-1-4742-2989-0 (9781474229890)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
Peter J. Beck
The War of the Worlds
From H. G. Wells to Orson Welles, Jeff Wayne, Steven Spielberg and Beyond
Book
08/2016
Bloomsbury Academic
€53.47
Shipment within 15-20 days
Person
Peter J. Beck is Emeritus Professor of International History at the University of Kingston, UK. His previous publications include Presenting History: Past and Present (2012).
Content
List of Tables
List of Illustrations
Acknowledgements
Preface
List of Abbreviations
Herbert George Wells: chronology
H.G. Wells: Books published, 1895-1900
Map: H.G. Wells and The War of the Worlds
Part I: Introduction
1. H.G. Wells's The War of the Worlds: an enduring
present-day story
2. Wells's powerful sense of place
3. Wells's strong sense of time: contextualising The War
of the Worlds
Part II: Writing and publishing The War of the Worlds
4.Wells's personal setting
5. Struggling for recognition as a new writer
6. Wells's 'literary factory' in Woking
7. Writing The War of the Worlds
8. The War of the Worlds: storyline and methodology
9. Leaving Woking for Worcester Park
Part III: Taking Wells's The War of the Worlds to the world in an
ever-expanding range of multimedia adaptations
10. The War of the Worlds's multimedia afterlife
11. Wells's Martians invade Boston and New York: serialising
The War of the Worlds in American newspapers, 1897-98
12. Wells's Martians invade the USA yet again: Orson Welles'
1938 War of the Worlds broadcast
13. 'Those Men from Mars' invade the Americas and Europe again
and again after 1938: the power of radio drama
14. The War of the Worlds reaches cinema and television screens
around the world: the Hollywood films of 1953 and 2005
15. The War of the Worlds inspires Jeff Wayne's rock opera and
reaches the music stage around the world
Part IV: The War of the Worlds's Literary Heritage
16. The War of the Worlds's literary heritage
Part V: Conclusion
17. Conclusion
Bibliography
Index
List of Illustrations
Acknowledgements
Preface
List of Abbreviations
Herbert George Wells: chronology
H.G. Wells: Books published, 1895-1900
Map: H.G. Wells and The War of the Worlds
Part I: Introduction
1. H.G. Wells's The War of the Worlds: an enduring
present-day story
2. Wells's powerful sense of place
3. Wells's strong sense of time: contextualising The War
of the Worlds
Part II: Writing and publishing The War of the Worlds
4.Wells's personal setting
5. Struggling for recognition as a new writer
6. Wells's 'literary factory' in Woking
7. Writing The War of the Worlds
8. The War of the Worlds: storyline and methodology
9. Leaving Woking for Worcester Park
Part III: Taking Wells's The War of the Worlds to the world in an
ever-expanding range of multimedia adaptations
10. The War of the Worlds's multimedia afterlife
11. Wells's Martians invade Boston and New York: serialising
The War of the Worlds in American newspapers, 1897-98
12. Wells's Martians invade the USA yet again: Orson Welles'
1938 War of the Worlds broadcast
13. 'Those Men from Mars' invade the Americas and Europe again
and again after 1938: the power of radio drama
14. The War of the Worlds reaches cinema and television screens
around the world: the Hollywood films of 1953 and 2005
15. The War of the Worlds inspires Jeff Wayne's rock opera and
reaches the music stage around the world
Part IV: The War of the Worlds's Literary Heritage
16. The War of the Worlds's literary heritage
Part V: Conclusion
17. Conclusion
Bibliography
Index
