WELLS, H. G. (1866-1946). The War of the Worlds. London: William Heinemann, 1898. 8vo. viii, 1-303, [1, blank], [16, ads] pp. Publisher's full gray cloth, boards and spine stamped in black. FIRST EDITION, FIRST ISSUE OF ADS (16 pages, dated 1897). This science fiction classic is one of the earliest novels to deal with conflict between the human race and extraterrestrials and is the basis of numerous film and television adaptations.

Spine toned, some rubbing, soiling and mild edgewear to binding, endleaves and text a bit toned and occasionally foxed, some pages with marginal wear and a few short tears or chips, a few pages near the end with creasing to lower corner, final page of ads unopened at fore-edge. Still, near fine. Housed in modern blue-grey cloth clamshell case.