War of the Worlds

H.G. Wells' classic novel War of the Worlds is one of the most profound prophetic novels ever written, comparable to other works such as A Brave New World and 1984 in that they predict events leading to the decline of mankind in times of social unrest. In this case, Wells has written a book in the time of a decline in British imperialism, and the events that take place in the tale critique both the …

…the native Tasmanians and Americans were not as scientifically evolved as the British) to deal with the Martians; and the Martians pursued their prize with little thought of its consequences (again a reference to British colonization). Wells proposes no solution to mass destruction, and was forced to watch his predictions of mankind's actions and behavior during WWI and the birth of the atomic age in WWII. I doubt he took any satisfaction from his foresight.