No.24 in the Millennium SF Masterworks series, a library of the finest science fiction ever written * 'The founding father and presiding genius of UK science fiction' The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction * 'The Prospero of all the brave new worlds of the mind, and the Shakespeare of science fiction' -- Brian W. Aldiss.
H.G. Wells was born in Bromley, Kent in 1866. After working as a draper's apprentice and pupil-teacher, he won a scholarship to the Normal School of Science in 1884, studying under T. H. Huxley. He was awarded a first-class honours degree in biology and resumed teaching but had to retire after a kick from an ill-natured pupil afflicted his kidneys. He worked in poverty in London as a crammer while experimenting in journalism and stories. It was with THE TIME MACHINE (1895) that he had his real breakthrough.
Wells's classic sf story has been retold frequently since its original publication in 1898. It has also been updated several times, from Orson Welles's panic-inducing 1938 radio broadcast to the 2005 film starring Tom Cruise. This adaptation maintains the original setting and time period as aliens from Mars invade 19th-century England. Townspeople gather to look on, first in wonder and then in terror as the aliens destroy or devour everyone in their path. The story follows a nameless narrator who travels across the ravaged countryside searching for his wife and trying to survive what seems to be the end of humanity. Verdict Despite the prevalence of War versions available in various formats, graphic novels seem to be a rarity. The art here captures the mood well and lends an air of excitement to the narrative, whether depicting explosive moments of warfare or the tense stillness of the narrator hiding in abandoned buildings. The story is mature but not terribly graphic. Recommended for young adult readers, particularly those who claim to hate reading.-Peter Petruski, Cumberland Cty. Lib., Carlisle, PA (c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
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