The War of the Worlds (Dyslexia-Friendly Edition)

The first modern tale of alien invasion, H.G. Wells’s The War of the Worlds remains one of the most influential science fiction novels ever published.

The night after a shooting star is seen streaking through the sky from Mars, a cylinder is discovered on Horsell Common in London. At first, naïve locals approach the cylinder armed just with a white flag – only to be quickly killed by an all-destroying heat-ray, as terrifying tentacled invaders emerge. Soon the whole of human civilization is under threat, as powerful Martians build gigantic killing machines, destroy all in their path with black gas and burning rays, and feast on the warm blood of trapped, still-living human prey. The forces of the Earth, however, may prove harder to beat than they at first appear.

The War of the Worlds has been the subject of countless adaptations, including an Orson Welles radio drama which caused mass panic when it was broadcast, with listeners confusing it for a news broadcast heralding alien invasion; a musical version by Jeff Wayne; and, most recently, Steven Spielberg’s 2005 film version, starring Tom Cruise. Still, H. G. Wells’s timeless story shows no sign of losing its grip on readers’ imaginations.

This special edition from Common Classics has been updated with a dyslexia-friendly font, designed to increase readability for readers with dyslexia. Unique letter shapes, heavy weighted bottoms, and wider letter spacing may help some symptoms of dyslexia.

Lexile: 1160