"The Martians fire their gas-guns."
by Henrique Alvim Corrêa
by Henrique Alvim Corrêa
The War of the Worlds is a science fiction novel written by H. G. Wells about a Martian invasion of Earth. The Trope Maker for Alien Invasion stories (as well as Tripod Terror), it has been directly adapted into other works of media numerous times, and inspired countless others.
Adaptations
These works aim to tell the same story presented in the original novel, more-or-less. Comic Books
- H. G. Wells' The War of the Worlds (2006), a comic adaptation of the original novel, serving as a prequel to Scarlet Traces.
Films — Live-Action
- The War of the Worlds (1953), by noted film producer George Pal and directed by Byron Haskins.
- War of the Worlds (2005), directed by Steven Spielberg and starring Tom Cruise.
- H. G. Wells' War of the Worlds (2005), the first mockbuster film by The Asylum.
- H. G. Wells' The War of the Worlds (2005), a film by Pendragon Pictures. Notable, in that it's the most faithful film adaptation of the original novel.
Live-Action TV
- War of the Worlds (2019), a miniseries which aired on Canal+ and Fox Europe.
- The War of the Worlds (2019), a miniseries which aired on BBC.
Music
- Jeff Wayne's Musical Version of The War of the Worlds (1978), a Rock Opera Concept Album based on the original novel. Starring Richard Burton as the Narrator.
- Jeff Wayne's Musical Version of The War of the Worlds – The New Generation (2012), a remake of the above with more emphasis on synthesizers. Starring Liam Neeson as the Narrator.
Radio
- The War of the Worlds (1938), a radio drama directed and narrated by Orson Welles. Infamous for unintentionally causing mass panic among audiences who were unaware it was fictional.
Tabletop Games
- The War of the Worlds (1980)
- The War of the Worlds: Invasion (2020)
Video Games
- Jeff Wayne's The War of the Worlds (1998), a PC Real-Time Strategy game based on the Jeff Wayne album, developed by Rage Software.
- Jeff Wayne's The War of the Worlds (1999), a PS1 Third-Person Shooter / Vehicular Combat game based on the Jeff Wayne album, developed by Pixelogic Limited.
Sequels
These works aim to explain on what happened to Earth after the initial invasion. Comic Books
- Scarlet Traces (2002), a sequel to the original story where Martian technology has been reversed engineered.
- War of the Worlds: Second Wave (2006), a comic book sequel to the original novel, by Boom! Studios.
Films — Animated
- War of the Worlds: Goliath (2012), a Malaysian animated film serving as a sequel to the original novel.
Films — Live-Action
- War of the Worlds 2: The Next Wave (2008), a sequel to the 2005 film by The Asylum.
Literature
- The Massacre of Mankind (2017), an official sequel written by Stephen Baxter, authorized by H. G. Wells' estate.
Live-Action TV
- War of the Worlds (1988—1990), a series based on, and serving as a sequel to, the 1953 film.
Tabletop Games
Reinterpretations
These works take the basic concept and events and reinterpret them. This can be for a variety of reasons, such as to give an alternate perspective to the events of the novel, or to fit it into the continuity of a separate series, or just to tell a different story inspired by the original. Comic Books
- Killraven (1973), set in an alternate Marvel Universe where the Martians invaded a second time in 2001 and conquered the planet.
- Sherlock Holmes in the Case of the Missing Martian (1990)
- Superman: War of the Worlds (1998), a DC Elseworlds story taking place in 1938, where Superman is revealed to the world just as the Martians begin their invasion.
- The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen: Volume 2 (2002), re-imagines the invasion in that series' context.
- War of the World War One (2016—2019), a comic series where the Martian invasion happened during World War I.
Literature
- War of the Worlds: Global Dispatches (1996), an anthology novel comprised of 18 short stories by different authors, edited by Kevin J. Anderson.
- War of the Worlds: The Anglo-Martian War of 1895 (2015), a faux history book expanding the overview of the war. Part of the Dark Osprey series by Osprey Publishing.
Film — Live-Action
- War of the Worlds: The True Story (2012), a reboot/sequel to the 2005 film by Pendragon Pictures. Presented as a mockumentary in homage to the Phony Newscast style of the 1938 radio program.
Tabletop Games
- Wings of Glory: Tripods and Triplanes (2019), from Ares Games. In Spring 1918, the first Martian tripods arrive on Earth, specifically in the middle of the battlefields of World War I. The Entente and the Central Powers throw together a hasty alliance to battle the invaders.
Parodies
These works poke fun at the story. Radio
- Bleak Expectations (2008), parodied in the second series finale: "A Happy Life Broken and then Mended a Bit".
Western Animation
- The Simpsons (2006): "The Day the Earth Looked Stupid" of "Treehouse of Horror XVII" is a parody of the panic that the 1938 radio play caused, where an actual alien invasion is ignored because everybody believes it to be another radio play.
