Customer Reviews

The War of the Worlds: A Critical Text of the 1898 London First Edition, With an Introduction, Illustrations and Appendices (Annotated Hg Wells)

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This is an excellent critical edition of the initial edition of the War of the Worlds by Leon Stover. Most reprints of this and other of Wells' SF novels typically use later revisions.

Stover argues effectively for the greater artistic merit of the initial editions. It is part of a series

of extensively annotated editions of Wells' science fiction. The editor also has a lengthy introduction which discusses the context and ideas permeating each novel. Stover makes good use of previous studies while also providing his own illuminating analyses. What I like is that Stover keeps close to what Wells wrote and said in his various books and recorded conversations rather than spinning some personal take on the novel. Please do not confuse this with a typical reprint of his sf novels. It is much more.

Serious readers of HG Wells should get the series.