The War Of The Worlds: Fresh Perspectives On The H. G. Wells Classic (Smart Pop series)

I happen to be a huge fan of H.G. Wells many books but the one that I enjoy the most is The War of the Worlds. So I bought this book up the second I found out about its existence. Being a fan of such authors as Stephen Baxter, Fred Saberhagen and Mercedes Lackey I couldn't put it down once I had it in my greedy little hands. With articles about Mars, how the novel effected sci-fi (and history in general), and even just fun sections on how smart the Martians REALLY were, this is a treasure. Also, many of the authors, in passing, mention other books and movies that have also taken the alien invasion theme from Wells and carried it onwards (many of which I have and many of which I don't have) - spin offs and such. This makes it a great source for finding sci-fi novels and movies that you might not have yet.A must for any fan, young or old.

Based on the glowing praise from other reviewers, I was expecting something wonderful when I ordered this book. Unfortunately, it fails to deliver.To be fair, there are two or three essays that give interesting historical or biographical insights into Wells' work. But these little gems hardly make up for all the self-indulgent, aimless, fuzzy writing that fills most of the book. Where was the editor?Advice: Check this out of a library, or browse through it at a bookstore. It's not worth paying for...

I was hoping for some insight into H. G. Wells' classic novel of alien invasion, the first "adult" novel I read many years ago. I found the various articles uneven and the last two rather silly, offering me no perspective at all. Some of the articles are very insightful. I particularly enjoyed Fred Saberhagen, Jack Williamson and Mercedes Lackey. The bonus of having the complete text of the novel to get some context to the articles was handy. While not a page turner, I think the book was worthwhile enough to be a keeper.

I REALY ENJOYED THE VARIOUS AUTHORS, ARTICLES PRINTED AT THE BACK OF THIS BOOK. THE PRINT IS EASY TO READ.