The War of the Worlds (1898) is a science fiction novel by H. G. Wells. It describes the experiences of an unnamed narrator who travels through the suburbs of London as the Earth is invaded by Martians. Wells is considered by many (along with Jules Verne)as the father os the Science Fiction genre and the novel is one of the earliest stories that details a conflict between mankind and aliens.
Wells had a remarkable life, born into an impoverished lower middle class family in Kent, his parents were chalk and cheese. His mother a protestant cleaning lady and his father shopkeeper come gardener with a penchant for cricket. A broken leg in 1874led young Herbert, due to a bed ridden state, to adopt a taste for literture. After his parents went their seperate ways Wells drifted in an out of careers spending the downtime with his mother at Uppark country house in Sussex (her dwelling as a lady's maid)where he immersed himself in the expansive library, reading many classic works, such as Plato's Republic, and More's Utopia.
Soon after he studied Biology under Thomas Huxley, grandfather of Brave New World's Aldous Huxley, in London and fell into socialism, debate, Fabian society etc. One reference in this novel that stood out to me (being born in Tasmania) was the questioning of evil over ignorance in the aliens deeds. Wells draws a comparison to the invasion in his Sci Fi classic to the invasion, occupation and genocide of the indigenous population of Tasmania. Pointing out humanities own history of evil and the aftermath of cultural differences and waging war on 'the unknown'.
"We must remember what ruthless and utter destruction our own species has wrought, not only upon animals such as the vanished bison and dodo, but also upon its own inferior races. The Tasmanians, in spite of their human likeness, were entirely swept out of existence in a war of extermination waged by European immigrants, in the space of fifty years."
Although the observation is dated and sounds as if to come from a colonialist heart of lead. The point is addressed.
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