I loved War of the Worlds. It's been on my shelf my whole life and somehow I never got round to it. It's the exact kind of speculative mundane science fiction that gets me really excited, and Wells' Victorian perspective adds another fascinating layer to that. It's fun to dream of a time where we still had no idea what the Martian surface could look like. Of course, if that's not your boat, then the progressive social commentary that Wells - writing at the height of empire - provides on British (settler-)colonialism through the lens of the Martian invaders is enough to make it worth reading.

The style of writing really sells the authenticity. The book is presented as one man's account of his experience during the invasion. Events are written largely as matter of fact, presented to inform the reader rather than sensationalise. Geographical locations are name dropped as though with the assumption that the reader should be familiar with them - and of course, if you happen to be, this makes the whole affair vividly imaginable. Particularly the many references to areas of west London I can imagine myself being witness to the Martians myself.