New cover for War of the Worlds.

This one is new to me, and I believe new to everyone. The book is printed to look aged.

Publisher Tor Doherty Associates, LLC. Artist Anthony Schiavino.

So this has all the classic elements. Houses of Parliament, with the tripod brandishing the heat ray. What makes it so distinctive, other than the aging? I think the hue of the heat ray, definitely green, but so powerful it is bleached to whiteness. This colour also looks very 1940's paperback. The second thing I like is the styling of the tripod. Yes, very classical ornate legs, hinting at Victorian styling, but something softer in the carapace. Could it possibly that it evokes the shape of the George Pal film version flying machines, whilst holding onto an almost organic tripod form?

The book has extra text by James Gunn. Intro, bio and afterword. The biography is not really illuminating, but the intro spent more time showing the inspiration to SF of later years than other intros do. They typically favour illustrating Wells humanitarian attitudes, and how they fit in the novel.

For reference I have added the previous image used by Tor. Sure, a powerful Tripod, but just a garish and annoying cover. I may add this to the collection one day, but I have limited space to keep them all, so...