Books

THE WAR OF THE WORLDS, Heinemann, 1898, first edition, some age toning to the top page edges, else a bright vg+/near fine copy. Most uncommon thus. Laid in is a fine 3 page, 135 word holograph letter SIGNED by Wells to Jane Barr on his EASTON GLEBE, DUNMOW residential stationery concerning a snafu with her letter and its subsequent return. He explains why he was unable to respond for too long a time; asking how long she is staying in London; asking him also to ring up his good friend Rabecca West. A nice chatty letter.

The War of the Worlds is a science fiction novel by English author H.G. Wells. It first appeared in serialized form in 1897, published by Pearson’s Magazine in the UK and by Cosmopolitan magazine in the US. The novel details the experiences of an unnamed protagonist in London and his brother in Surrey during an invasion of Earth by Martians. It is a pioneering work of the science fiction genre, popularizing the alien invasion trope.