The War of the Worlds

by

Read by Cori Samuel

English · 1898 · 6h 54m · Science Fiction, War & Military Fiction

4.7 (1408 reviews)

No one would have believed, in the last years of the nineteenth century, that the Earth was being scrutinised and studied from across the gulf of space. With infinite complacency, humanity went about its little affairs, serene in its assurance of its empire over matter. It is possible that the micro-organisms we watch under a microscope, do the same. Few people gave thought to the idea of life on other planets, and none imagined that it could be so vastly superior in intellect to ourselves. No one considered the possibility of extra-terrestrial danger. Yet the eyes that regarded our planet were envious and unsympathetic, and slowly and surely drew their plans against us. (Cori Samuel, adapted from Chapter One.)

Chapters

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The Eve of the War 16:47 Read by Cori Samuel
The Falling Star 9:11 Read by Cori Samuel
On Horsell Common 6:52 Read by Cori Samuel
The Cylinder Opens 8:23 Read by Cori Samuel
The Heat-ray 10:53 Read by Cori Samuel
The Heat-ray in the Chobham Road 5:56 Read by Cori Samuel
How I Reached Home 9:24 Read by Cori Samuel
Friday Night 6:42 Read by Cori Samuel
The Fighting Begins 13:17 Read by Cori Samuel
In the Storm 14:50 Read by Cori Samuel
At the Window 13:34 Read by Cori Samuel
What I Saw of the Destruction of Weybridge and Shepperton 25:45 Read by Cori Samuel
How I Fell In with the Curate 12:22 Read by Cori Samuel
In London 25:13 Read by Cori Samuel
What Had Happened in Surrey 19:07 Read by Cori Samuel
The Exodus from London 28:24 Read by Cori Samuel
The 'Thunder Child' 22:31 Read by Cori Samuel
Under Foot 17:09 Read by Cori Samuel
What We Saw from the Ruined House 23:16 Read by Cori Samuel
The Days of Imprisonment 13:28 Read by Cori Samuel
The Death of the Curate 11:28 Read by Cori Samuel
The Stillness 6:51 Read by Cori Samuel
The Work of Fifteen Days 8:39 Read by Cori Samuel
The Man on Putney Hill 38:24 Read by Cori Samuel
Dead London 23:02 Read by Cori Samuel
Wreckage 13:15 Read by Cori Samuel
The Epilogue 9:39 Read by Cori Samuel

Reviews

excellent professional reader


(5 stars)

this is by far the best version, evidently read by an expert reader, with a clear voice that makes the narrated story come to life! thanks to this wonderful volunteer

Great book, interesting reading


(4 stars)

I'd been a fan of War of the Worlds since I heard the Jeff Wayne musical as a teen. I really enjoyed the Steven Spielberg movie, yes I even thought Tom Cruise was good! But I'd never actually read the book. It was insightful to imagine how early 19th century England would've handled an alien invasion. Technology is different than today but people seem to change very little. The lady who retorted to the narrator that she'd "heard quite enough of the alien" is a reaction I can imagine many people having if an invasion happened now. Instead we'd have it on the various social medias with claims of fake news or tinfoil hatters. One of my favourite parts was Cori's narration! I couldn't help but imagine the actual narrator in the book being a woman. A progressive one at that as she had a wife! It was nice to imagine such a progressive society existing at the time.


(5 stars)

Excellent story, eerily previews WWI & WWII destruction and rebirth of London in an 1897 tale-- earning Wells his moniker as "the Shakespeare of science fiction." Reader is tremendous, catching all the emotion, horror, and yes beauty of the tale.

must listen


(5 stars)

if i ever read the book, i didn't remember it well. I think all i remember is the famous US radio show and the resulting two movies. This is truly a great of science fiction. Well written and full of prescient imagination. On top of that, the book is extremely well read. If you like sci-fi-- however remotely-- this is a must listen. The book blows away any of the adaptations.

Indeed a story to make you think and keep you absorbed


(5 stars)

I started this wonderful narrative with another version, which simply failed partway through and left me in suspense. With a huge amount of luck, I found this version with a reader with such a relaxing voice and now I have finished with such an appreciation of microscopic things and tier power. Small is the new big!

A classic


(5 stars)

While some of the science, and ways of thinking are of course outdated, *The War of the Worlds* remains as THE original story of Martian invasion that inspired so many more in the decades to come. Even if you are not a major fan of classical science fiction I recommend you read *The War of the Worlds* for its history if nothing else.

well read classic


(4.5 stars)

This is a great example of the vision of Librivox, a talented reader, a high quality recording of a genre-creating (in this case alien encounter sci-fi) classic. I dock half a star for the narrative itself, I think later offerings in this genre do a better job estimating the reactions of the public to a hostile alien invasion.


(4 stars)

The first few chapters of this book are amazing and really set the tone for a great short story. I never felt the rest of the book really delivered on that promise. Especially that ending. Even with a great reader my interest in the book drifted until I just stopped listening.