1. During his career, Wells was deeply concerned with the ethical application of technology and scientific knowledge. How are his views represented in The War of the Worlds? (A useful starting point for your research is Isaac Asimov's "The Science Fiction Breakthrough" and Rosalynn D. Haynes's H. G. Wells, Discoverer of the Future. Wells's own Experiment in Autobiography also provides insight into his intentions regarding the ethical use of advanced technology in his novels.)

2. Compare The War of the Worlds to another well-known outer-space invasion novel, such as John Wyndham's The Day of the Triffids (1951). In what ways are the books similar? How do they differ? Does Wyndham appear to be responding to any specific elements of Wells's novel?

3. What was the state of military readiness in England during the late 1890s? Does Wells accurately portray the military of that era in his depiction?

4. What were the prevailing theories about life on Mars in the 1890s? Who first proposed the existence of canals on Mars? Why did people believe these canals were constructed by intelligent beings? Who were the key scientists speculating about intelligent life on Mars? To what extent does Wells draw from these scientific speculations in his work?

5. The War of the Worlds was written during a tumultuous period in Wells's life. Why did he decide to write this novel? How did he choose its subject matter? What was the critical reception of the book? How did the general public react? Were these responses in line with Wells's expectations?

6. The War of the Worlds contains numerous dramatic scenes of people fleeing from the Martians, such as in Chapter 16 of Book 1, where the Narrator's brother escapes from London. Are there any historical events that parallel these scenes? How realistic is Wells's depiction of mass exodus compared to real-life instances of people fleeing invaders? For example, you might research Afghans fleeing the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in the 1980s, South Vietnamese escaping the North Vietnamese capture of Saigon in the 1970s, Manchurians fleeing the Japanese invasion during World War II, or Georgians fleeing Atlanta during General Sherman's invasion in the Civil War.

7. Investigate and report on the actual panic that ensued in the northeastern United States when Orson Welles's adaptation of the novel was broadcast on the radio in 1938.

8. Compare Wells's novel, Orson Welles's 1938 radio adaptation, and George Pal's film version. How well do these adaptations capture the key elements of the book, such as characterization, plot, and themes? What ideas does each version aim to convey? Which adaptation communicates its ideas most effectively? Which is the most entertaining?