1. Why are the characters given abstract names such as "the Narrator" and "the Curate"? Are the names symbolic? What would be the point of symbolic names?

2. In many stories about invaders from outer space, the aliens are so advanced that human beings can do nothing to hurt them. Wells allows his human beings to destroy some Martian warmachines. Why does he do this?

3. Is the ending of the book, in which the Martians are destroyed by microbes and chased down by packs of dogs, a letdown? Can you think of a better ending?

4. If modern scientists were to spot flashes of incandescent gas on the surface of Mars, how do think they would react? How would the national government react? How would the military react? Would any of these groups react differently than they do in The War of the Worlds?

5. What if scientists...