Book Anatomy · The War of the Worlds
The War of the Worlds: Commercial facts
13 lenses on commercial facts for The War of the Worlds by H.G. Wells. Count lenses are exact for our text. AI lenses are our reading and cite only quotes that passed a word for word check.
Jump to: L1 L2 L3 L4 L5 L6 L7 L8 L9 L10 L11 L12 L13
L1. Total word count. Count
1898, 60,403 words. See the full lens on the book page.
L2. Chapter count and average length. Count
1898, 60,403 words. See the full lens on the book page.
L3. Length against modern norms for the genre. Both
60,403 words. Modern science fiction often runs 90,000 to 110,000 words, so this is short for the shelf today. These ranges are rough trade norms, not rules.
At 60,403 words, the book is shorter than modern science fiction norms of 90,000 to 120,000 words. It is novella length by contemporary standards, making it a quick read suitable for serialisation.
L4. First published as a serial or a volume? Research
1898, 60,403 words. See the full lens on the book page.
Facts from outside the text (sales, serial history, adaptations, sequels, most quoted lines). Coming in a later phase, with sources and dates.
L5. Serial instalment breaks and how each ends. Both
The book was serialised in Pearson's Magazine from April to December 1897. Book One ends at chapter 17 with the Thunder Child's heroic action. Book Two begins at chapter 18 with the narrator trapped in ruins, maintaining suspense across the break.
Chapters: Ch 17, Ch 18
It was the torpedo ram, Thunder Child, steaming headlong, coming to the rescue of the threatened shipping. (Ch 17, para 23)
L6. Sales and reviews in its day. Research
Facts from outside the text (sales, serial history, adaptations, sequels, most quoted lines). Coming in a later phase, with sources and dates.
L7. Adaptations: film, TV, stage, count and type. Research
Facts from outside the text (sales, serial history, adaptations, sequels, most quoted lines). Coming in a later phase, with sources and dates.
L8. Sequels and series. Research
Facts from outside the text (sales, serial history, adaptations, sequels, most quoted lines). Coming in a later phase, with sources and dates.
L9. Modern books in the same mould (comps). AI
Modern comps include Andy Weir's The Martian, Blake Crouch's Dark Matter, and Orson Scott Card's Ender's Game. All feature intelligent protagonists facing overwhelming odds. The Expanse series shares the cosmic conflict theme.
L10. Who it would be shelved for today. AI
Today it would be shelved as science fiction or speculative fiction. It appeals to readers of hard sci-fi, invasion narratives, and classic literature. Young adult readers and general fiction audiences would also find it accessible.
L11. Content notes. AI
Content notes: graphic descriptions of death and burning, feeding on human bodies, psychological breakdown, violence including striking a man unconscious, and existential despair. No sexual content. Themes of colonisation and dominion.
Chapters: Ch 5, Ch 19, Ch 21
All that crowd did not escape; three persons at least, two women and a little boy, were crushed and trampled there (Ch 6, para 11)
Except in the corner, where a multitude of crows hopped and fought over the skeletons of the dead the Martians had consumed, there was not a living thing in the pit. (Ch 22, para 13)
L12. A modern pitch line and blurb. AI
When Martians invade Earth with unstoppable weapons, a man must survive the collapse of civilisation and find his wife in a transformed world. A classic tale of human vulnerability and the power of nature's smallest creatures.
L13. Title style against genre norms. AI
The War of the Worlds uses a direct, declarative title naming the central conflict. This style matches 1890s science fiction norms. Modern genre titles often add subtitles or metaphors; this one is straightforward and timeless.
Ask The War of the Worlds a question about its craft (free beta)
Answers cite chapter and paragraph, and every quote is checked against the text. (3 free questions a day).
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