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|sort=Martian War|author=Kevin J. Anderson

|summary=What if science fiction pioneer H.G Wells had based his most famous works on events from his real life? This is the premise behind Kevin J. Anderson’s latest novel ''The Martian War''. Blending fact with fiction, the author’s obvious love of Wells' cannon shines though in this elegantly constructed pastiche even if the resulting story is, at times, a little too faithful to its source material leaving few surprises for Wells aficionados.

 Suppose H.G. Wells was not simply a skilled writer with a spectacular imagination, but was in fact centrally involved in a fantastical adventure which formed the basis for several of his most successful novels. Kevin J. Anderson has supposed exactly this in his latest novel ''The Martian War''. Real historical figures such as Percival Lowell and T.H. Huxley share centre stage with famous Wellsian characters like Dr Moreau and Mr Cavor in a story that borrows elements from ''War of the Worlds'', ''The First Men in the Moon'', ''The Island of Doctor Moreau'' and ''The Invisible Man''. Standing as one of the first great popularisers of science fiction as a literary genre, H.G. Wells' influence on the field remains undiminished even now, nearly seventy years after his death. Kevin J. Anderson is perhaps most famous for co-authoring a series of prequels to Frank Herbert's ''Dune'' and a number of books set in the ''Star Wars'' universe. Having now set his sights on Wells canon, does Anderson do justice to his sainted predecessor’s work? ''The Martian War'' certainly succeeds in capturing the spirit of Wells writing, the prose is brisk and to the point, yet never feels workmanlike. The characters too, whether borrowed from Wells or history, are deployed well and the weaving together of many true events from Wells' own life, such as his relationships with women and studying under T.H. Huxley, adds interest. Though Anderson glosses over potentially more controversial aspects of Wells' character, such as his politics and polyamory, this does suit the style, keeping the novel light, with the story and science fiction elements as its focus. 

Even so, Anderson has succeeded in creating an entertaining and highly readable story which will likely amuse most fans of H G Wells, even if it can’t match the invention of the master himself. If nothing else The Martian War is a brisk and breezy jaunt through comfortably familiar territory, homage rather than lazy pastiche, Anderson’s novel serves to reaffirm the brilliance and longevity of H G Wells' original stories. If this book appeals then you might like to try [[The Edge of the World by Kevin J. Anderson]]