The War of the Worlds / The Time Machine. H.G. Wells (2 Paperbacks) Penguin 2005

 THE WAR OF THE WORLDS. by H.G. Wells

The night after a shooting star is seen srtreaking through the sky from Mars, a cylinder is discovered on Horsell Common near London. At first, naive locals approach the cylinder armed just with a white flag - only to be quickly killed by an all-destroying heat-ray as terrifying tentacled invaders emerge. Soon the whole of human civilzation is under threat, as powerful Martians build gigantic killing machines, destroy all in their path with black gas and burning rays, and feast on the warm blood of trapped, still-living human prey. The forces of the Earth, however, may prove harder to beat than they at first appear.

 

The first moden tale of alien invasion, THE WAR OF THE WORLDs remains one of the most influential of all science-fiction works.

This edition features an Introduction by Brian Aldiss

 

THE TIME MACHINE by H.G. Wells

When a Victorian scientist propels himself into the year 802,701 AD, he is initially delighted to find that suffering has been replaced by beauty, contentment and peace. Entranced at first by the Eloi, an elfin species descended from man, he soon realizes that this beautiful people are simply remnants of a once-great culture - now weak and childishly afraid of the dark. They have every reason to be afraid: in deep tunnels beneath their paradise lurks another race descended from humanity - the sinister Morlocks. And when the scientist;s time machine vanishes, it becomes clear he must search these tunnels if he is ever to return to his own era.

The Time Machine is the first and greatest modern portrtayal of time-travel.

This edition features an introduction by Marina Warner.

 Penguin Classics paperbacks published in 2005 (£7.99 each r.r..p.)