Read Instead #11: One H. G. Wells novel over another -- Garbo

There's nothuing H. G. Wells has written that I wouldn't recjommend, but today I compare two of his books, one of which was made into a good movie, and then again into a pretty good movie. The other book was made into a terrible movie. But none of that has anything to do with the books in themselves. So here we go!

First, the book to skip. 

The War of the Worlds

 Why to skip it

The War of the Worlds was astonishingly innovative in its day. It offers analysis of both human and Martian values. But the novel also has its drawbacks. For instance, once you know how the story ends, you don't read the book with the same feeling of suspense the second time through. 

The Food of the Gods, and How It Came to Earth

 Why to read it

I love books and movies about mad science, and while The Food of the Gods is not quite that, it's close. The plot is closer to cascading events all caused by ill-considered science. The issue in the book is that short-sighted people launch tech advances which they haven't realized might grow and expand (literally and figuratively) and go out of control. (A familiar idea to you, perhaps.) Wells has a way of writing about ordinary people finding themselves in strange circumstances and doing their best to cope but finding that a single bad choice can lead to a an unmanageable mess very quickly. A bonus: As I read, I found myself caring about the characters, which is always a plus in science fiction. 

The Food of the Gods has fallen into disfavor because of the laughably awful movie version, with its  not-very-shocking trailer come-ons, many of which involve giant rats scurrying and gashing their nasty teeth. The book, however, is not all Giant Rats Take Over Earth, though. It's more a novel about lack of fail-safe steps and an unwillingness to look at where scientific advancements might take us if we don't question science and technology innovators soon enough or well enough. 

  Reading Times Compared

The War of the Worlds -- 2 hours

The Food of the Gods -- 3.5 hours

Disclaimer:  I suggest skipping books, but there's always a substitute offering in these posts. I never suggest skipping a book and playing more video games or spending more time doomscrolling. And I am not banning, condemning, harming, or trashing the books I recommend skipping. There's nothing wrong with the titles I suggest skipping; it's just a matter of making choices with limited time to read in a busy, busy world. 

Garbo