The War of the Worlds. London: William Heinemann, 1898. First Edition, First Issue. Pp viii, 303, 16 pages of advertisements to rear; untrimmed edges. Publisher’s grey cloth, titles stamped in black, publisher’s monogram stamped in black on rear panel, edges untrimmed with white endpapers. A nice bright copy

The first edition, first state (with 16 pages advertisements dated Autumn 1897) in book form of the great classic of interplanetary invasion. It first appeared serially in ‘Pearson’s magazine.’

H.G. Wells’ The War of the Worlds is far more than a thrilling tale of Martian invasion—it is a foundational text of modern science fiction that fundamentally reshaped how we imagine our place in the universe. Its depiction of fragile human helplessness against vast, indifferent forces marks a turning point toward the dark, sceptical modernism of 20th-century literature. 

‘Still the most remarkable fantasy of imaginary warfare that has so far appeared in the history of the genre.’ – [Clarke: Voices Prophesying War].