One of the most important and influential invasion narratives ever written, The
War of the Worlds (1897) describes the coming of the Martians, who land in
Woking, and make their way remorselessly towards the capital, wreaking chaos,
death, and destruction. The novel is closely associated with anxiety about a
possible invasion of Great Britain at the turn of the century, and concerns
about imperial expansion and its impact, and it drew on the latest astronomical
knowledge to imagine a desert planet, Mars, turning to Earth for its future. The
Martians are also evolutionarily superior to mankind. About the Series: For over
100 years Oxford World's Classics has made available the broadest spectrum of
literature from around the globe. Each affordable volume reflects Oxford's
commitment to scholarship, providing the most accurate text plus a wealth of
other valuable features, including expert introductions by leading authorities,
voluminous notes to clarify the text, up-to-date bibliographies for further
study, and much more.