Skip to content
SurenoGet Sureno
Cover of The War of the Worlds

Free classic

The War of the Worlds

H. G. Wells (1866–1946)

29 chapters and parts · about 5 hours to read

What the book is about

"The War of the Worlds" by H. G. Wells is a science fiction novel written between 1895 and 1897. When Martians with superior intelligence and advanced weapons invade Earth, humanity faces extinction. The extraterrestrials emerge from metal cylinders, wielding devastating heat rays and toxic chemical weapons as they methodically destroy England's defenses. An unnamed narrator struggles to survive the carnage and reunite with his wife while civilization collapses around him. One of the earliest alien invasion stories, Wells's novel explores humanity's vulnerability against an unstoppable force.

This summary comes from the Project Gutenberg catalogue, where it was written automatically.

  • Imaginary wars and battles
  • Life on other planets
  • Mars (Planet)
  • Martians
  • Science fiction

Chapters

  1. Book OneThe Coming of the Martiansabout 1 minute
  2. Book TwoThe Earth Under the Martiansabout 1 minute
  3. Book One: The Coming of the Martians · Chapter IThe Eve of the Warabout 11 minutes
  4. Book One: The Coming of the Martians · Chapter IIThe Falling Starabout 7 minutes
  5. Book One: The Coming of the Martians · Chapter IIIOn Horsell Commonabout 5 minutes
  6. Book One: The Coming of the Martians · Chapter IVThe Cylinder Opensabout 6 minutes
  7. Book One: The Coming of the Martians · Chapter VThe Heat-Rayabout 7 minutes
  8. Book One: The Coming of the Martians · Chapter VIThe Heat-Ray in the Chobham Roadabout 4 minutes
  9. Book One: The Coming of the Martians · Chapter VIIHow I Reached Homeabout 7 minutes
  10. Book One: The Coming of the Martians · Chapter VIIIFriday Nightabout 5 minutes
  11. Book One: The Coming of the Martians · Chapter IXThe Fighting Beginsabout 11 minutes
  12. Book One: The Coming of the Martians · Chapter XIn the Stormabout 11 minutes
  13. Book One: The Coming of the Martians · Chapter XIAt the Windowabout 10 minutes
  14. What I Saw of the Destruction of Weybridge and Sheppertonabout 19 minutes
  15. What I Saw of the Destruction of Weybridge and Shepperton · Chapter XIIIHow I Fell in with the Curateabout 9 minutes
  16. What I Saw of the Destruction of Weybridge and Shepperton · Chapter XIVIn Londonabout 19 minutes
  17. What I Saw of the Destruction of Weybridge and Shepperton · Chapter XVWhat Had Happened in Surreyabout 14 minutes
  18. What I Saw of the Destruction of Weybridge and Shepperton · Chapter XVIThe Exodus from Londonabout 22 minutes
  19. What I Saw of the Destruction of Weybridge and Shepperton · Chapter XVIIThe “Thunder Child”about 16 minutes
  20. Book Two: The Earth Under the Martians · Chapter IUnder Footabout 13 minutes
  21. Book Two: The Earth Under the Martians · Chapter IIWhat We Saw from the Ruined Houseabout 16 minutes
  22. Book Two: The Earth Under the Martians · Chapter IIIThe Days of Imprisonmentabout 10 minutes
  23. Book Two: The Earth Under the Martians · Chapter IVThe Death of the Curateabout 8 minutes
  24. Book Two: The Earth Under the Martians · Chapter VThe Stillnessabout 5 minutes
  25. Book Two: The Earth Under the Martians · Chapter VIThe Work of Fifteen Daysabout 6 minutes
  26. Book Two: The Earth Under the Martians · Chapter VIIThe Man on Putney Hillabout 28 minutes
  27. Book Two: The Earth Under the Martians · Chapter VIIIDead Londonabout 15 minutes
  28. Book Two: The Earth Under the Martians · Chapter IXWreckageabout 9 minutes
  29. Book Two: The Earth Under the Martians · Chapter XThe Epilogueabout 7 minutes

The War of the Worlds, by H. G. Wells, is in the public domain in the United States. Text from Project Gutenberg, eBook #36, with thanks. Sureno removed Project Gutenberg's header and licence and set the text in large print; this is not an official Project Gutenberg edition. Outside the United States, check your own country's copyright rules before copying it.

More free classics

See the whole shelf