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Questions and Answers
What is the reason why the Martians are having trouble moving around on Earth?
What do the Martians use to destroy the town?
What do the Martians capture and feed on in the town?
What is the strange fog that the Martians release in London?
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Why do the Martians eventually die?
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What did an astronomer think he saw on Mars' surface a few years before the publication of The War of the Worlds?
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What did the townspeople initially think had fallen from the sky in Maybury, England?
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What did the alien use to attack the townspeople?
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What was the purpose of the white flag waved by the townspeople?
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What happened to the townspeople who went to the crash site?
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Study Notes
The War of the Worlds
- The novel was published in 1898 by H.G. Wells, inspired by the belief that aliens lived on Mars.
- This belief was sparked by an astronomer's observation of line-like structures on Mars, which were thought to be channels built by Martians.
The Story
- The novel begins with a meteor striking the town of Maybury, England, but it turns out to be a Martian space capsule.
- The capsule contains a huge metal cylinder, which opens to reveal a Martian alien.
- The townspeople try to make contact with the alien, but it's not friendly and uses a heat ray to kill them.
- Over the next few days, more capsules fall from the sky, and the Martians use their heat rays to destroy the town.
- The military arrives, but the Martians' heat rays are effective against them.
The Martian Invasion
- The Martians build machines using three long legs, which they use to invade the town and capture people for food.
- The Martians advance on London, using a toxic gas to suffocate the population.
- Survivors flee to the countryside, where they find a red weed spreading over every surface.
The Martians' Demise
- The red weed begins to die, and soon the Martians die too, possibly due to their bodies not having defenses against Earth's germs.
Science Fiction
- The War of the Worlds is an example of science fiction, a genre that explores hypothetical and futuristic ideas.
- The 1938 radio broadcast of the novel caused panic among listeners, who believed a real alien invasion was underway.
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Description
Learn about the inspiration behind H.G. Wells' classic science fiction novel, The War of the Worlds, and how it was influenced by the scientific beliefs of the time. Discover the historical context that led to the creation of this iconic novel.
