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The Martian War: A Thrilling Eyewitness Account of the Recent Invasion As Reported by Mr. H.G. Wells
Classic science fiction author H. G. Wells's most memorable and compelling novel was arguably The War of the Worlds, made even more famous by the notorious Mercury Theater radio production starring Orson Welles that became the "Night That Panicked America." But what if the Martian invasion was not entirely the product of H. G. Wells's vivid imagination? What if Wells witnessed something that spurred him to write The War of the Worlds not as entertainment but as a warning to the complacent people of Earth?
International bestselling author Kevin J. Anderson, writing here as Gabriel Mesta, explores that tantalizing theory in this unique, thrilling novel that expertly evokes the Victorian era. From drafty London flats to the steamy Sahara, to the surface of the moon and beyond, The Martian War takes the reader on an exhilarating journey with Wells and his companions -- and is pure delight from start to finish.
272 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2005
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179 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 51 reviews
June 17, 2015
So here’s what really happened:
When H.G. Wells was turning his hand to science fiction, he was actually writing roman à clefs. You see, Wells himself had lived through events which inspired ‘The War of the Worlds’; ‘The Island of Dr Moreau’; ‘The Invisible Man’; ‘The First Man on the Moon’ and parts of ‘The Time Machine’. These books were not just the product of a genius imagination, they were based on Wells own experiences.
Okay, maybe not. But that is the premise of Kevin J. Anderson’s rollicking ride of a novel. Just as the Martians are about to attack, H.G. Wells is called to a secret institute in London where gathered together are some of the greatest minds in the Empire. And from there begins an adventure on which the fate of humanity hangs.
Reading modern versions of Victorian science fiction does need you to rapidly turn your suspension of disbelief quite high. Indeed the science part of this science fiction story in no way holds up, even to a layman like me. But if it’s not science fiction, what is it? Alternative reality fiction? Historical fiction? Fan fiction? In the end, I think, it’s an elaborate and beautiful love letter to Wells itself. And it’s quite lovely for it.
Now, excuse me, I must head off to find a book where Sherlock Holmes and Professor Challenger take on giant supernatural hounds.
When H.G. Wells was turning his hand to science fiction, he was actually writing roman à clefs. You see, Wells himself had lived through events which inspired ‘The War of the Worlds’; ‘The Island of Dr Moreau’; ‘The Invisible Man’; ‘The First Man on the Moon’ and parts of ‘The Time Machine’. These books were not just the product of a genius imagination, they were based on Wells own experiences.
Okay, maybe not. But that is the premise of Kevin J. Anderson’s rollicking ride of a novel. Just as the Martians are about to attack, H.G. Wells is called to a secret institute in London where gathered together are some of the greatest minds in the Empire. And from there begins an adventure on which the fate of humanity hangs.
Reading modern versions of Victorian science fiction does need you to rapidly turn your suspension of disbelief quite high. Indeed the science part of this science fiction story in no way holds up, even to a layman like me. But if it’s not science fiction, what is it? Alternative reality fiction? Historical fiction? Fan fiction? In the end, I think, it’s an elaborate and beautiful love letter to Wells itself. And it’s quite lovely for it.
Now, excuse me, I must head off to find a book where Sherlock Holmes and Professor Challenger take on giant supernatural hounds.
October 27, 2012
After reading and enjoying Kevin’s metafictional romp about Jules Verne (in Captain Nemo), I was looking forward to Kevin’s version of War of the Worlds.
The Martian War was originally subtitled ‘A Thrilling Eyewitness Account of the Recent Alien Invasion as Reported by Mr. H.G. Wells’, which is a fairly effective, if rather bold, summary. The book suggests the premise that the fictional tale War of the Worlds is actually a fictional account that is based on reality, written by HG Wells as a warning to encourage people to prepare for possible events in the future.
Kevin’s version combines fiction with ‘real’ people. Not only is the author HG Wells a key character, but the evolutionist and scientist Professor TH Huxley, who, as a mentor of Wells, introduces HG to a covert symposium of like-minded scientists, working for the British government against an impending war versus Germany. The sudden arrival of Doctor Moreau (see Wells’ The Island of Doctor Moreau) raises their awareness to a possible invasion from Mars. Moreau has been working for astronomer Percival Lowell in the Sahara Desert recreating the Martian canals to let the Martians know of intelligent life on Earth. Lowell doesn’t realise that letting others know of human intelligence can make the humans a threat rather than an ally, something Lowell comes to regret...
The plot’s firmly in the scientific romance vein, going from the Earth to Mars to the Moon – all Wells’ places – as well as having a rather steampunk-ish feel in places. Mad scientists, test tubes and electricity seem to be everywhere....
Though the science is not accurate, it is in keeping with Wells’s novels. Whilst we could baulk at air on the Moon and on Mars today, it is how things were imagined in the late 19th century. As were those Martian canals and ancient decaying cities. It is rather expected that if you’re going to buy into this tale, then liberties have to be taken with science.
Whereas in the original Wells book, Mankind’s survival is by luck rather than design, here humans take a much more pro-active role in the defeat of the Martians, emancipating enslaved Selenites and developing viruses to combat the Martians on their own territory. With such an energetic response, the ending shouldn’t be a great surprise, though the getting to that ending is quite entertaining.
As before, with Nemo, one of the great fun things about such a novel is the way it combines real people with fictional characters. Here, as well as TH Huxley, astronomer Percival Lowell, and Giovanni Schiaparelli, (the original cartographer of the ‘canals’ on Mars), we have the fictional Dr. Moreau, Hawley Griffin (from The Invisible Man) and Selwyn Cavor (from The First Men in the Moon) amongst others. It is great fun spotting the references, some subtle, others less so. Even ol’ Jules Verne gets a mention.
Perhaps with a nod to more modern audiences, Wells and Huxley are assisted by a feisty female in the persona of Wells’ girlfriend/mistress, Jane Robbins. Once a student of Wells, he is attracted to her by means of her quick enquiring mind and humour. She plays an important part in the tale here. In real life Jane married Wells, in his second marriage, in 1895.
As much as I liked this novel, it didn’t totally work for me. On the downside here, some of the tone was a little too contemporary for me and I found in places the themes rather ‘un-English’. Whether it’s because being English myself, or having read a lot of Wells-age type books from Wells and other authors such as Christopher Priest, Stephen Baxter and Eric Brown, I found it a little diverting here. Others may find it less of a problem.
More distractingly, the same can be said of Kevin’s links between Wells’ fiction and The Martian War. I found that, unlike the Nemo novel, some of the plot links and dialogue linking to Wells’ own work were too convenient and un-subtle to work convincingly. The first chapter, for example, includes so many references to the original War of the Worlds novel – the chances of anything coming from Mars, cylinders, ‘scrutinising’ earth, the importance of bacteria – that the overall effect is that it actually diminishes the ideas of the novel.
Despite this, in the end I enjoyed The Martian War as a scientific romance, though not as much as I did Captain Nemo. It is good entertainment, and typing as a fan of HG Wells’ science fiction, there’s a lot here to like.
Though it’s fun, perhaps it is a secret plot on the part of the Martians in trying to convince me the book’s not totally successful....
The Martian War was originally subtitled ‘A Thrilling Eyewitness Account of the Recent Alien Invasion as Reported by Mr. H.G. Wells’, which is a fairly effective, if rather bold, summary. The book suggests the premise that the fictional tale War of the Worlds is actually a fictional account that is based on reality, written by HG Wells as a warning to encourage people to prepare for possible events in the future.
Kevin’s version combines fiction with ‘real’ people. Not only is the author HG Wells a key character, but the evolutionist and scientist Professor TH Huxley, who, as a mentor of Wells, introduces HG to a covert symposium of like-minded scientists, working for the British government against an impending war versus Germany. The sudden arrival of Doctor Moreau (see Wells’ The Island of Doctor Moreau) raises their awareness to a possible invasion from Mars. Moreau has been working for astronomer Percival Lowell in the Sahara Desert recreating the Martian canals to let the Martians know of intelligent life on Earth. Lowell doesn’t realise that letting others know of human intelligence can make the humans a threat rather than an ally, something Lowell comes to regret...
The plot’s firmly in the scientific romance vein, going from the Earth to Mars to the Moon – all Wells’ places – as well as having a rather steampunk-ish feel in places. Mad scientists, test tubes and electricity seem to be everywhere....
Though the science is not accurate, it is in keeping with Wells’s novels. Whilst we could baulk at air on the Moon and on Mars today, it is how things were imagined in the late 19th century. As were those Martian canals and ancient decaying cities. It is rather expected that if you’re going to buy into this tale, then liberties have to be taken with science.
Whereas in the original Wells book, Mankind’s survival is by luck rather than design, here humans take a much more pro-active role in the defeat of the Martians, emancipating enslaved Selenites and developing viruses to combat the Martians on their own territory. With such an energetic response, the ending shouldn’t be a great surprise, though the getting to that ending is quite entertaining.
As before, with Nemo, one of the great fun things about such a novel is the way it combines real people with fictional characters. Here, as well as TH Huxley, astronomer Percival Lowell, and Giovanni Schiaparelli, (the original cartographer of the ‘canals’ on Mars), we have the fictional Dr. Moreau, Hawley Griffin (from The Invisible Man) and Selwyn Cavor (from The First Men in the Moon) amongst others. It is great fun spotting the references, some subtle, others less so. Even ol’ Jules Verne gets a mention.
Perhaps with a nod to more modern audiences, Wells and Huxley are assisted by a feisty female in the persona of Wells’ girlfriend/mistress, Jane Robbins. Once a student of Wells, he is attracted to her by means of her quick enquiring mind and humour. She plays an important part in the tale here. In real life Jane married Wells, in his second marriage, in 1895.
As much as I liked this novel, it didn’t totally work for me. On the downside here, some of the tone was a little too contemporary for me and I found in places the themes rather ‘un-English’. Whether it’s because being English myself, or having read a lot of Wells-age type books from Wells and other authors such as Christopher Priest, Stephen Baxter and Eric Brown, I found it a little diverting here. Others may find it less of a problem.
More distractingly, the same can be said of Kevin’s links between Wells’ fiction and The Martian War. I found that, unlike the Nemo novel, some of the plot links and dialogue linking to Wells’ own work were too convenient and un-subtle to work convincingly. The first chapter, for example, includes so many references to the original War of the Worlds novel – the chances of anything coming from Mars, cylinders, ‘scrutinising’ earth, the importance of bacteria – that the overall effect is that it actually diminishes the ideas of the novel.
Despite this, in the end I enjoyed The Martian War as a scientific romance, though not as much as I did Captain Nemo. It is good entertainment, and typing as a fan of HG Wells’ science fiction, there’s a lot here to like.
Though it’s fun, perhaps it is a secret plot on the part of the Martians in trying to convince me the book’s not totally successful....
January 27, 2013
I was originally introduced to the writings of Kevin J. Anderson through his Jedi Academy trilogy, which I read when I was just a wee lad. Okay, when I say "wee lad" I mean high school teenager. Yeah, that's right. When all the other guys were partying, watching sports and chasing after girls, I was neck-deep in the Star Wars expanded universe. Who won high school now?
They did, obviously.
Hmm? O yes, my review, where was I...the story of the The Martian War rests on the assumption that all of the characters and settings created by H.G. Wells actually existed and inspired his writings. The story follows Wells, just beginning his career as an author and living with his his fiance Jane, as he is recruited by his mentor Thomas Huxley to join the Imperial Institute. The best scientific minds of Britain, including Dr. Cavor and Hawley Griffin, are preparing the Empire for a predicted war with Germany. Plans are derailed, however, when the disgraced scientist Dr. Moreau crashes a symposium at the Institute with startling news: we are not alone. Moreau describes how, with the help of astronomer Percival Lowell, they were able to make contact with an alien civilization on Mars, which is planning to invade Earth at the opposition of the two planets. Wells becomes caught up in a race against time to save humanity and will travel farther than any human being to prevent a war between the worlds. See what I did there? Heh.
This is another fictional mash-up, focusing entirely on the works of H.G. Wells. Not every story of his is represented. For example, The Time Machine is referenced and themes from the novel are apparent, but Wells' famous and nameless time traveler remains absent. Unlike some of the other examples of fictional mash-ups that have been reviewed on this blog, this novel does not involve zombies or vampires. So instead of gory horror, you get a good piece of fiction written in the style of an era when it looked like science would lead humanity to new heights. While many of their predictions failed to come true, you can't help but be delighted by their naive optimism, like how you can travel between planets and not have to worry about pesky things like radiation and lack of oxygen.
The novel also comes with some social commentary (visuals of a society that is desecrating their planet in an effort to maintain their civilization) and some OTL history references (apparently no one can walk on the moon without saying the word leap). If I had one major nitpick about the novel, it was the Martian technology (I can only suspend disbelief for so long). Everyone knows about the towering Martian battle tripods, armed with their unstoppable heat ray, but on Mars we get a glimpse of Martians using smaller walkers just to get around. Did I mention the walkers only have two legs? Why, after seeing the advantages of a two legged travel, would the Martians go with the more unwieldy tripod model for their primary war machine?
Of course who can fathom the mind of an alien anyway. Fans of adventures into the golden age of science will enjoy this episode into the secret life of one of the forefathers of science fiction. The sky is the limit...as long as you have some cavorite on hand!
They did, obviously.
Hmm? O yes, my review, where was I...the story of the The Martian War rests on the assumption that all of the characters and settings created by H.G. Wells actually existed and inspired his writings. The story follows Wells, just beginning his career as an author and living with his his fiance Jane, as he is recruited by his mentor Thomas Huxley to join the Imperial Institute. The best scientific minds of Britain, including Dr. Cavor and Hawley Griffin, are preparing the Empire for a predicted war with Germany. Plans are derailed, however, when the disgraced scientist Dr. Moreau crashes a symposium at the Institute with startling news: we are not alone. Moreau describes how, with the help of astronomer Percival Lowell, they were able to make contact with an alien civilization on Mars, which is planning to invade Earth at the opposition of the two planets. Wells becomes caught up in a race against time to save humanity and will travel farther than any human being to prevent a war between the worlds. See what I did there? Heh.
This is another fictional mash-up, focusing entirely on the works of H.G. Wells. Not every story of his is represented. For example, The Time Machine is referenced and themes from the novel are apparent, but Wells' famous and nameless time traveler remains absent. Unlike some of the other examples of fictional mash-ups that have been reviewed on this blog, this novel does not involve zombies or vampires. So instead of gory horror, you get a good piece of fiction written in the style of an era when it looked like science would lead humanity to new heights. While many of their predictions failed to come true, you can't help but be delighted by their naive optimism, like how you can travel between planets and not have to worry about pesky things like radiation and lack of oxygen.
The novel also comes with some social commentary (visuals of a society that is desecrating their planet in an effort to maintain their civilization) and some OTL history references (apparently no one can walk on the moon without saying the word leap). If I had one major nitpick about the novel, it was the Martian technology (I can only suspend disbelief for so long). Everyone knows about the towering Martian battle tripods, armed with their unstoppable heat ray, but on Mars we get a glimpse of Martians using smaller walkers just to get around. Did I mention the walkers only have two legs? Why, after seeing the advantages of a two legged travel, would the Martians go with the more unwieldy tripod model for their primary war machine?
Of course who can fathom the mind of an alien anyway. Fans of adventures into the golden age of science will enjoy this episode into the secret life of one of the forefathers of science fiction. The sky is the limit...as long as you have some cavorite on hand!
November 26, 2009
Complete rubbish. Very boring story in which Mesta tries to weave several of Wells' stories into one. The result is a very badly written and ridiculous saga of unconnected bits and pieces. A cheap production to cash in on Wells' name.
August 23, 2011
Didn't even bother finishing...Horrible
June 24, 2018
Could not finish it. Got as far as the moon and realized how bored i was. Saw neither a purpose for this novel nor a reason to keep reading it.
February 13, 2025
It's hard to praise this book without giving away too much. The synopsis on the inside covers was mercifully incomplete, leading to many wonderful surprises. To sum it up briefly, this narrative is a well-deserved love letter to H. G. Wells and his writings.
Alas, if only it had really happened like this.
Alas, if only it had really happened like this.
August 15, 2018
Reimagines H.G. Wells' classic The War of the Worlds as alt-history. Fails.
Do you need more? OK. It fails because the original, while ground-breaking, isn't up to much by today's standard for speculative fiction. It's quaint and over-familiar.
It fails because Anderson assigns famous names to the characters but no depth, so Wells is the observer/writer, Lowell the rich scientific dabbler, Moreau the mad scientist, etc., but he never really probes what makes any of the characters tick.
It fails because it builds up to a slam-bang finish that is entirely predictable due to age and retelling. Given that pretty much everybody (on this planet, at least) likely to pick the book up knows the Martians are invading with Bad Intentions, everything leading up to that revelation is eye-pokingly dull. Why an author wouldn't take that into account while constructing the plot is far more mysterious / spooky / bizarre than anything Anderson dreamed up.
Skimmed the last half because I was tired of waking up with this propped up on my chest.
Do you need more? OK. It fails because the original, while ground-breaking, isn't up to much by today's standard for speculative fiction. It's quaint and over-familiar.
It fails because Anderson assigns famous names to the characters but no depth, so Wells is the observer/writer, Lowell the rich scientific dabbler, Moreau the mad scientist, etc., but he never really probes what makes any of the characters tick.
It fails because it builds up to a slam-bang finish that is entirely predictable due to age and retelling. Given that pretty much everybody (on this planet, at least) likely to pick the book up knows the Martians are invading with Bad Intentions, everything leading up to that revelation is eye-pokingly dull. Why an author wouldn't take that into account while constructing the plot is far more mysterious / spooky / bizarre than anything Anderson dreamed up.
Skimmed the last half because I was tired of waking up with this propped up on my chest.
May 8, 2017
This wasn't quite what I had in mind. I was under the impression that it was a kind of prequel to War of the Worlds, but it was a different story entirely. It explores the idea of what might have happened if H.G. Wells had traveled to Mars and discovered what the Martians were up to before they actually invaded Earth. I found it entertaining at times, but it falls short of the masterpiece that it was based on.
March 25, 2012
Between this and Last Days of Krypton it is hard for me to say that KJA isn't the best writer alive today. This is his take on H.G. Wells's War of the Worlds and is the far superior novel as far as I'm concerned. KJA managed to infuse the book with originality and the same sense of wonder that Wells was able to inspire. A true accomplishment.
October 16, 2012
This book is exceptionally poor. The writing is below the grade level of a freshman (in high school, not college). The author appears to believe that entertainment is derived from grossing out readers, which he attempts in most chapters. The science is absurd, even if he is attempting to write in the Victorian style (and I suspect that readers from that era would also pan this book).
September 8, 2024
A fun pulp science fiction novel with some famous adventures on the Martian planet between a young H.G. Wells, his companion Jane, his former female student/lover along with famous evolutionist Thomas Huxley. Also Kevin J. Anderson had creatively added the infamous Mr. Moreau of the mysterious island from Wells's famous book and incorporated him into the story as an unscrupulous scientist who warns humanity of the malicious intentions of the invading Martians.
Not a terribly compelling story requiring much brain activity but still an entertaining take on the classic War of the Worlds story. Finally read it after receiving it as a birthday gift some 12 years ago from friend and fellow goodreads blogger Adam Mccormick.
Not a terribly compelling story requiring much brain activity but still an entertaining take on the classic War of the Worlds story. Finally read it after receiving it as a birthday gift some 12 years ago from friend and fellow goodreads blogger Adam Mccormick.
November 30, 2020
Gostei bastante deste livro. A história consegue juntar personalidades da época com vários acontecimentos narrados nas obras de ficção da época, em especial de grande parte das obras de H.G. Wells, que é a personagens principal deste livro. Achei esse o facto mais relevante da obra, a capacidade de juntar personalidades da época e personagens, ideias e momentos das obras de Wells. Fantástico!
Também gostei da história por si mesma, achei-a interessante, muito parecida com a narrativa presente nas obras de Wells e em grande parte da ficção daquela época (século XIX).
Recomendo a todos os que gostam de histórias de ficção científica.
Também gostei da história por si mesma, achei-a interessante, muito parecida com a narrativa presente nas obras de Wells e em grande parte da ficção daquela época (século XIX).
Recomendo a todos os que gostam de histórias de ficção científica.
October 31, 2017
Love this stuff! A blend of real literary characters meet their imaginations.
In this case HG Wells fantastic creations are alive and real, together with Wells real friends and colleagues they must stop the impending Martian invasion.
Featuring Dr Moreau, Griffin the invisible man and Cavorite.
A whimsical tribute to Wells and his creations set in the Victorian era of his original stories.
Fun and unscientific without the restraints of modern knowledge, this is a great read for fans of Wells and Burroughs will enjoy this book very much.
I did!
In this case HG Wells fantastic creations are alive and real, together with Wells real friends and colleagues they must stop the impending Martian invasion.
Featuring Dr Moreau, Griffin the invisible man and Cavorite.
A whimsical tribute to Wells and his creations set in the Victorian era of his original stories.
Fun and unscientific without the restraints of modern knowledge, this is a great read for fans of Wells and Burroughs will enjoy this book very much.
I did!
March 3, 2017
La guerra de los mundos de H.G.Wells se reescribe como una situación alternativa, en la que una nave exploradora marciana llega a la Tierra y una nave terrícola llega a Marte después de pasar por la Luna. El conflicto entre las dos especies pondrá en peligro la paz del Sistema Solar.
October 20, 2012
Kevin J. Anderson in his new book, “The Martian War” published by Titan Books gives us a different version of The War Of The Worlds by H. G. Wells.
From the back cover: The Hidden Invasion
Millions thrilled to H. G. Well’ brilliant account of the Martian invasion. But what if that account proved not to be fiction? What if he sought to warn us of impending doom?
In the wake of the first Martian assault, H. G. Wells has united with scientists T. H. Huxley and Dr. Moreau, astronomer Percival Lowell, and Hawley Griffin–the Invisible Man. They seek a weapon that will stem the tide of the invasion, though their path may take them from the streets of London to the treacherous sands of the Sahara, and then to the Moon itself!
The true account of the war of the worlds…
If you like history then this book is for you. If you like science fiction then this book is for you. If you like the fairly new genre, alternate history then this book is for you. “The Martian War” is a rip-rousing adventure yarn that will grab your attention and keep you flipping pages as fast as you can read them. Kevin J. Anderson has taken historical events, historical people and woven them together with fictional characters and H. G. Wells’ The War Of The Worlds. This time H. G. Wells is the primary character. Mr. Anderson did such a great job with his research on life in 1893 that, after a while, history and fiction begin to blur and the action is so real that you begin to believe that the events of the story actually happened. That is how good a story-teller Mr. Anderson really is. If you enjoyed the original “War Of The Worlds” then I am sure you will enjoy this book as well.
If you would like to listen to interviews with other authors and professionals please go to www.kingdomhighlights.org where they are available On Demand.
To listen to 24 hours non-stop, commercial free Christian music please visit our internet radio station www.kingdomairwaves.org
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Titan Books. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
From the back cover: The Hidden Invasion
Millions thrilled to H. G. Well’ brilliant account of the Martian invasion. But what if that account proved not to be fiction? What if he sought to warn us of impending doom?
In the wake of the first Martian assault, H. G. Wells has united with scientists T. H. Huxley and Dr. Moreau, astronomer Percival Lowell, and Hawley Griffin–the Invisible Man. They seek a weapon that will stem the tide of the invasion, though their path may take them from the streets of London to the treacherous sands of the Sahara, and then to the Moon itself!
The true account of the war of the worlds…
If you like history then this book is for you. If you like science fiction then this book is for you. If you like the fairly new genre, alternate history then this book is for you. “The Martian War” is a rip-rousing adventure yarn that will grab your attention and keep you flipping pages as fast as you can read them. Kevin J. Anderson has taken historical events, historical people and woven them together with fictional characters and H. G. Wells’ The War Of The Worlds. This time H. G. Wells is the primary character. Mr. Anderson did such a great job with his research on life in 1893 that, after a while, history and fiction begin to blur and the action is so real that you begin to believe that the events of the story actually happened. That is how good a story-teller Mr. Anderson really is. If you enjoyed the original “War Of The Worlds” then I am sure you will enjoy this book as well.
If you would like to listen to interviews with other authors and professionals please go to www.kingdomhighlights.org where they are available On Demand.
To listen to 24 hours non-stop, commercial free Christian music please visit our internet radio station www.kingdomairwaves.org
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Titan Books. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
February 15, 2016
The prolific Anderson turns his hand to reimagining HG Wells’ life in this tale, which has the thinker and novelist living out the “real” events that “inspired” his books.
It’s the late 19th Century, and Wells is invited by his mentor TH Huxley (one of several historical figures present) to a secret science symposium. The event is gate-crashed by Dr Moreau, who sensationally reveals a Martian invasion plan. Wells, his girlfriend Jane and Huxley are subsequently sent on an odyssey around the Solar system in Dr Cavor’s sphere, ultimately coming face to face with the terrible Martians themselves.
Wells fans will recognise Moreau and Cavor from the great man’s works. There are plenty more nods to his books and short stories throughout. Anderson obviously loves Wells’ work, and sends him on a rollicking adventure, but in some respects The Martian War is simply a pale imitation of Alan Moore’s far more intelligent The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen. Anderson’s writing is energetic, but full of adjectival clutter and anachronism, while the book’s depiction of Victorian England is paper-thin, sub-steampunk silliness peppered with clunkily delivered shots of biographical and historical data.
On the Moon and Mars, where he’s riffing off Wells’ own imagery, Anderson does a far better job, and the segments of the story taken from Dr Moreau’s journal are the story’s most convincing and entertaining elements. In fact, The Martian War is probably the best Anderson novel we’ve yet read.
February 4, 2014
One word will sum up this book: FUN! I started reading it not really convinced that I'd finish it, but I was quickly absorbed into the story, which is an alternative account of the impending Martian invasion as depicted in H G Wells' famous work. We have a third-person account of Wells' own adventure and discovery of the Martians and what they are planning for Earth, an experience which ultimately leads him to write The War Of The Worlds as a warning to mankind. We're also treated to a first-person version of events from the journal of the infamous Dr. Moreau who has teamed up with astronomer and Mars enthusiast Percival Lowell in a quest to learn as much as they can from a lone Martian crash survivor. There are also appearances by familiar characters from some of Wells' other stories, all wrapped in a wonderful steampunk style with lots of technology and action. I particularly liked the insights that we get into the mind of Dr. Moreau through his journal entries, and also the way that the author blends actual historical people and places into the story. To end up giving this five stars I surprise myself, but it really is an enjoyable book. It's well written (as you'd expect from Kevin J Anderson) and the language used is fantastic, very well suited to the Victorian era in which the story is set. Another of those pleasant surprises that come along every now and then.
May 6, 2014
This book is something of an homage to H. G. Wells. We meet him in school in 1884 with his professor T.H. Huxley who we learn is about to retire. They spend an evening on a cold London rooftop to watch a Leonid meteor shower. With Mars in the sky Wells speculates with his professor about life arising there. Herbert is living on the edge, nutritionally, and wears paper thin clothes not suitable for the event and comes down with a nasty fever. In his fever dreams is born the images and some ideas of "War of the Worlds".
I had very modest, if any(!), expectations for this book and it really surprised me how readable and enjoyable it was. It is a mix of reality and a lot of fiction to not give us an historical fiction of how Wells created "War of the Worlds", but a very mashed-up imagined idea of maybe the way that it should have happened. What we find is that Wells stories of the Martians and Dr. Moreau may have not been entirely products of his imagination.
This book was very enjoyable and a lot of fun. Sometimes I need to suspend my disbelief and let imagination run. Written in something of a Victorian style, some people will probably hate this book but as a 60 year old teenager I found it extremely entertaining.
The author's name is a pseudonym for Kevin J. Anderson. This 2005 novel has recently been reissued under the author's actual name.
I had very modest, if any(!), expectations for this book and it really surprised me how readable and enjoyable it was. It is a mix of reality and a lot of fiction to not give us an historical fiction of how Wells created "War of the Worlds", but a very mashed-up imagined idea of maybe the way that it should have happened. What we find is that Wells stories of the Martians and Dr. Moreau may have not been entirely products of his imagination.
This book was very enjoyable and a lot of fun. Sometimes I need to suspend my disbelief and let imagination run. Written in something of a Victorian style, some people will probably hate this book but as a 60 year old teenager I found it extremely entertaining.
The author's name is a pseudonym for Kevin J. Anderson. This 2005 novel has recently been reissued under the author's actual name.
August 24, 2022
Now we finally have some answers.
Apparently H.G. Wells not only wrote the most famous alien invasion book in history, he actually lived through it. This is the premise of Mr. Anderson's novel, and it is a great premise at that. Not only does it star H.G. at its core but also throws in several other characters from movies and books from the same time period as War of the Worlds.
The story chronicles a potential invasion by Martian forces and the fight to stop it. This book has two major things going for it, it is extremely well written, and its also a darn good story. I expected this book to be written in a manner that was slightly sub-par, and would, rather, be more of an homage to the best alien invasion book ever rather than an actual narrative.
But instead I received a book that not only was well written, but a book that actually had a wonderful plot. I will spare you the details as I dont want to spoil a single thing from this wonderful volume so I will have to spare you the details. All this being said, I would recommend this book to anyone that like both Sci Fi or the specific genre of alien invasion. The book is a wonderful homage to the source material and I has some good old fashioned fun reading this one.
Apparently H.G. Wells not only wrote the most famous alien invasion book in history, he actually lived through it. This is the premise of Mr. Anderson's novel, and it is a great premise at that. Not only does it star H.G. at its core but also throws in several other characters from movies and books from the same time period as War of the Worlds.
The story chronicles a potential invasion by Martian forces and the fight to stop it. This book has two major things going for it, it is extremely well written, and its also a darn good story. I expected this book to be written in a manner that was slightly sub-par, and would, rather, be more of an homage to the best alien invasion book ever rather than an actual narrative.
But instead I received a book that not only was well written, but a book that actually had a wonderful plot. I will spare you the details as I dont want to spoil a single thing from this wonderful volume so I will have to spare you the details. All this being said, I would recommend this book to anyone that like both Sci Fi or the specific genre of alien invasion. The book is a wonderful homage to the source material and I has some good old fashioned fun reading this one.
December 5, 2014
"The Martian War," written by the excellent Kevin J. Anderson under his pen name Gabriel Mesta, is an imaginative re-telling of H.G. Wells's "The War of the Worlds." In the story, the young writer H.G Wells and his lady friend Jane Robbins take off with biologist Thomas H. Huxley in an antigravity space vehicle and travel to Mars to head off the martians' malevolent plans to invade earth. Yes, it's a wild ride and full of humor and great dialogue.
Anderson manages a parallel story line, in which Wells's character Dr. Moreau appears as kind of an anti-hero. Moreau joins up with astronomer Percival Lowell, who has discovered that a martian spacecraft is heading toward earth. Moreau and Lowell manage to meet a martian emissary, who turns out to be hard to manage because of his practice of feeding himself by draining humans of their blood.
I've read Anderson's "Saga of the Seven Sons" and one of his "Hellhole" books. "The Martian War" is a departure in terms of content and style, but it is very well done and a nice surprise.
ARK -- 4 December 2014
Anderson manages a parallel story line, in which Wells's character Dr. Moreau appears as kind of an anti-hero. Moreau joins up with astronomer Percival Lowell, who has discovered that a martian spacecraft is heading toward earth. Moreau and Lowell manage to meet a martian emissary, who turns out to be hard to manage because of his practice of feeding himself by draining humans of their blood.
I've read Anderson's "Saga of the Seven Sons" and one of his "Hellhole" books. "The Martian War" is a departure in terms of content and style, but it is very well done and a nice surprise.
ARK -- 4 December 2014
November 15, 2012
Is this the pinnacle of great literature? Not really. Is it a fun, quick read? Definitely. An interesting take on "what if" science fiction, Anderson takes H.G. Wells and some of his more familiar characters and contemporaries and drops them right into their own stories with a romp through a possible Martian invasion. Of course, one must realize that the science in this is complete bunk, but a simple suspension of belief solves that problem instantly. Alternating voices between the action of Wells and the journal of Dr. Moreau gives the book a nice duality and provides a unique pace, voice, and viewpoint to the narrative. The only complaint is that some of the characters and races, namely the Selenites, could have used more fleshing out, but this does not detract from the overall feel and readability of the work.
May 13, 2013
This is a great take on the formulation of a timeless classic. So suppose H.G Wells saw something that led him to write The War of the Worlds, now suppose that something was Mars, Martians, and other fantastic alien views. All those speculations are what this book is, a what if narrative about H.G Wells and his inspiration of his hard hitting classic that rocked America. Now this book is fantastic I love it, My Favorite thing about this is the fact that it takes a well established story that actually exists and then turns it on its ear by adding a supposed prequel that explains it. Another reason I love this book is that even though it smashes science over the head and tosses it out it still tries to make scientific and logical reasoning's for its oddities.
March 9, 2013
Gabriel Mesta is Kevin J. Anderson. I'm used to just a little bit more from him I think. In 'The Martian War', Anderson builds a story around H.G. Wells and his "real" adventures much as he did with Jules Verne in 'Captain Nemo'. The story is told on two fronts from two different perspectives. One focuses on Wells and his companions, the other comes from entries in the journal of Dr. Moreau. While the story is interesting it fails to really expand on what we know from Wells' stories. It is kind of predictable but is a short, entertaining read.
September 12, 2014
When I started reading this book, I thought that I was getting into a sort of high adventure along the lines of "The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen." As it turns out, that's not what this book is.
And I think it's the better for it. Anderson is able to capture the style and feel of a turn of the century world encountering an alien crisis. The technology used (such as the cavorite sphere) are obviously fictional, they are entirely in keeping with the understanding of the time and seem completely plausible and real within the context of this story.
Definitely a good read!
And I think it's the better for it. Anderson is able to capture the style and feel of a turn of the century world encountering an alien crisis. The technology used (such as the cavorite sphere) are obviously fictional, they are entirely in keeping with the understanding of the time and seem completely plausible and real within the context of this story.
Definitely a good read!
December 23, 2015
Well done sir, you have done Wells proud. This epic adventure not only includes most characters that H.G.Wells invented but the tale also reads like a Wells book. I loved it from start to finish it was almost as if the man came back from the dead to write it. Now in saying that, it wasn't flawless and some points seemed predictable and maybe droned on however that was only enough to knock 1 star off the total 5.
Again Well Done!
Again Well Done!
February 1, 2013
Not a true prequel/sequel tie in, The Martian War is more of a look back at the possibility of how Wells came up with the story. The way it is told by Kevin J. Anderson, this story could have been the inspiration behind Wells’ War of the Worlds.
For a more in-depth review, please go to:
http://amazingstoriesmag.com/2013/01/...
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January 16, 2013I really wanted to like this book, but it reads more like a "sketch" than a fully formed novel. If you weren't very familiar with H.G. Wells and his fiction I think it would be even more disappointing. I have to say I think the graphic novel "League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, Volume Two" uses some of the same concepts but in a more compelling way.
May 19, 2013
Imaginative and a well-done homage to the godfather of SF. The pacing of the whole thing feels a bit rushed, and it's a short book by modern standards, lacking time to do much character development. That may be more true to some of Wells' original work, but it nonetheless leaves modern readers wanting more.
May 23, 2013
A quick enough read but overall less than satisfying. Blends HG Wells inspired sci-fi with historical characters.Spends much time building the mental superiority of the Martians only to have them outwitted and outfoxed at every turn achieving nothing more substantial than a few minor Meccano constructs. Bettered by the works of Phillip Jose Farmer and recent steam-punk outings.
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