No science fiction anthology is complete without an excerpt from The War of the Worlds by H. G. Wells. It has every element of great science fiction: suspense, intrigue, and Martians. The story is a timeless classic. It captivated readers nearly one hundred years ago, and it is still relevant and spellbinding. What is the purpose of this passage? to inform readers about a variety of H. G. Wells's literary works to entertain readers with details from The War of the Worlds to inform readers about methods for writing science fiction novels to persuade readers of the literary merit of The War of the Worlds