Barry Forshaw is a writer and journalist specializing in crime fiction and cinema. His many books include British Gothic Cinema, British Crime Film, and Death in a Cold Climate. He has written for a variety of newspapers, edits Crime Time, and contributes to ITV author profiles and BBC TV documentaries.

The War of the Worlds was one of a handful of high-prestige science fiction productions in a low-budget era, and initiated modern cinema's reliance on screen-filling special effects. Barry Forshaw analyses and celebrates this key science fiction film of the 1950s, exploring its literary origins and numerous film progeny.

1. Introduction.- 2. End of the World: The Original Novel.- 3. Wells by Welles: The Broadcast That Panicked America.- 4. The Invasions That Never Happened.- 5. Wells Refashioned: The George Pal Movie.- 6. Spawn of Mars: Offspring, offshoots, other versions.- 7. Remnants of Wells.- Bibliography.- Cast and Crew.- Index.