The War of the Worlds
Price: $3,500.00
Hard Cover. London: William Heinemann, 1898. First Edition. Very Good.
First edition, first printing, second state, with 32 pages of advertisements to rear. Publisher's gray cloth, with front board and spine lettered in black. Very good, with some toning to spine, very modest spotting to spine and front board, a touch of rubbing to foot of spine, light rubbing to corners, front board very gently bowed, light offsetting to endpapers, and light scattered spotting to text. Overall, a handsome and sturdy copy. L. W. Currey, "Science Fiction and Fantasy Authors" p. 526. The War of the Worlds is H. G. Wells' famous novel about a Martian invasion of Earth, narrated by an unnamed British protagonist. The book is divided into two parts: "Book One: The Coming of the Martians" and "Book Two: The Earth Under the Martians." Credited with popularizing "Martians" in the science fiction genre, the book explores the precariousness of the social order and the dangers of technology. The book was first serialized simultaneously in Pearson's Magazine in the UK and The Cosmopolitan in the US between April and December 1897. It has received many adaptations, none as notable as Orson Welles' 1938 radio play, which famously fooled some listeners into believing an actual Martian invasion was underway. More recently, the book was adapted into a 2005 film directed by Steven Spielberg and starring Tom Cruise and Dakota Fanning. Item #HGW021
