Wednesday, October 28, 2009

10 awesome The War of the Worlds items for bibliophiles listed on AbeBooks

1) The War of the Worlds (1897)
By H.G. Wells
Bound volume of the 1897 Cosmopolitan serialization, published simultaneously with the Pearson Magazine serialization in Great Britain. This is the first appearance of the work in the United States and predates the 1898 first edition novel; illustrated. $5,000

2) The War of the Worlds: A Newly Illustrated Digest of H.G. Wells' Famous Story (1939)
Dell Publishing's 48-page digest adaptation with comic-book style cover and b&w illustrations; tied to the famous 1938 radio broadcast by Orson Welles; front cover touts “When they told it on the radio … It terrified the whole country"; rear cover displays headlines from The New York Times and New York Post. $225

3) The Invasion from Mars: A Study in the Psychology of Panic, with the Complete Script of the Famous Orson Welles Broadcast (1940)
By Hadley Cantril
Written by a respected psychologist, this is the story of how the 1938 radio broadcast by Orson Welles sparked widespread panic and social disturbance across the nation; includes information derived from interviews of people who had listened to the broadcast; signed by scriptwriter Howard Koch. $1,000

4) The War of the Worlds (1943)
By H.G. Wells
Overseas edition for American Armed Forces. $60

5) Invasion from Mars: Interplanetary Stories (1949)
Stories selected by Orson Welles
Script of the 1938 radio broadcast by Orson Welles forms the introduction to this paperback collection of nine SF short stories; includes “The Green Hills Of Earth,” by Robert A. Heinlein, and “The Million Year Picnic,” by Ray Bradbury. $30

6) Orson Welles’ War of the Worlds (1969)
An Evolution Records sound recording of the 1938 radio broadcast by Orson Welles, issued to coincide with the 31st anniversary; two LPs in a folding pictorial card sleeve with liner notes by Howard Koch. $75

7) War of the Worlds: Washington Nightmare (1974)
Marvel Comics' Amazing Adventures No. 22, January 1974, comic book featuring an adaptation of H.G. Wells’ 1898 novel; written by Don MacGregor and illustrated by Herb Trimpe. $38

8) War of the Worlds: Global Dispatches (1996)
Edited by Kevin J. Anderson
Anthology of stories of H.G. Wells' Martian invasion as if witnessed by historical figures such as Jules Verne, Emily Dickinson, and other notables; contributors include Connie Willis, Robert Silverberg, Barbara Hambly, Allen Steele, Mike Resnick, Gregory Benford and David Brin; signed by 11 of the 18 contributors. $75

9) War of the Worlds: A Graphic Classic (2002)
By Tod Olson and Terry West
28-page graphic novel based on H.G. Wells' 1898 novel. $4

10) War of the Worlds: From Wells to Spielberg (2005)
By John L. Flynn
From comic books to radio broadcasts, from movies and television to trading cards and Jeff Wayne's record album, this book is a tribute to H.G. Wells' 1898 novel and the adaptations it has inspired. $12

Disclaimer: This list of items is for informational and educational purposes only. It should not be construed as an endorsement to purchase any of the items.

Pictured: The War of the Worlds, Armed Forces edition, 1943.

2 comments:

John Gosling said...

Wow, I had no idea about the Dell comic book version. I was pretty sure I had found every English language comic book version in existence. Now I just need to find $200. Out of (self) interest, I can add one title to your list - Waging the War of the Worlds, which is my own humble addition to the story of The War of the Worlds.

Paul said...

I don't think the Dell is a comic book, even though it has a comic book-style cover and b&w illustrations.

Just learned about your book earlier this month!