Book Review: The War of the Worlds

H.G. Wells’ The War of the Worlds is one of most well known and best regarded science fiction novels ever written. Its portrayal of human vulnerability when confronted with an unknown threat the key theme that runs through out the story. Beneath the spectacle of tripod war machines and heat rays lies a deeper commentary on civilisation’s fragility, and how quickly the façade of order crumbles in the face of existential terror.

A Mirror to Humanity

One of the most striking themes in The War of the Worlds is humanity’s immediate descent into chaos when threatened. The moment the Martians land and begin their methodical destruction, the novel reveals a society ill prepared to cope with the unexplainable; panic spreads like wildfire and governments stumble through in disarray. People revert to desperation out of self preservation. Wells doesn’t just tell a story about alien conquest, he tells one about how quickly our systems, our values, and our sense of control can disintegrate under pressure.

We read as people abandon their homes, turn on one another, and attempt futile resistance against a technologically superior force. Humanity doesn't just find itself in a battle against enemies from another world, humanity also ends up fighting itself and exposes some of the weaknesses in the human condition. In that way the novel reads as much like a psychological study as it does science fiction.

The Smallest Equaliser

Yet, in a narrative twist that remains profoundly humbling, it is not tanks, bombs, or clever human invention that defeats the Martians. It is Earth’s simplest and most ancient inhabitants: microbes.

After laying waste to cities and dismantling any resistance, the Martians begin to spontaneously die, not from battle, but from infection. Their immune systems succumb to Earth’s invisible microbial life, something an advanced civilisation like the Martians should have predicted. It's a poetic conclusion that underscores Wells’ theme of humility. An advanced civilization that could traverse the stars, design monstrous machines, and wield devastating technology, fails to account for the smallest, most ubiquitous form of life on our planet.

Conclusion

This ending does more than surprise; it recontextualises the entire novel. It reminds us that in the grand order of nature, even the mightiest fall if they do not respect the unseen forces that govern life.

In our current age, where pandemics, ecological collapse, and systemic shocks are all too real, Wells’ message feels eerily relevent. It holds up a mirror to ourselves, and what we see isn't always flattering, as a stark examination of how humanity reacts under pressure and a cautionary story.