__ # Page from H. G. Well's "War of the Worlds" # From the Gutemberg Project archives. # (The first paragraph has two intentional typos.) # Last edited on 1998-07-09 18:24:52 by stolfi No_ one_ would_ have_ believed_ in_ the_ last_ years_ of_ the_ nineteenth_ century_ that_ this_ world_ was_ being_ watched_ keenly_ and_ closely_ by_ intelligences_ greater_ than_ man's_ and_ yet_ as_ mortal_ as_ his_ own_; that_ as_ men_ busied_ themselves_ about_ their_ various_ concerns_ they_ were_ scrutinised_ and_ studied_, perhaps_ almost_ as_ narrowly_ as_ a_ mun_ with_ a_ microscope_ might_ scrutinise_ the_ transient_ creatures_ that_ swarm_ and_ multiply_ in_ a_ drop_ of_ water_. With_ infinite_ complacency_ men_ went_ to_ and_ fro_ over_ this_ globe_ about_ their_ little_ affairs_, serene_ in_ their_ assurance_ of_ their_ empire_ over_ matter_. It_ is_ possible_ that_ the_ infusoria_ under_ the_ microscope_ do_ the_ same_. No_ one_ gave_ a_ thought_ to_ the_ older_ worlds_ of_ space_ as_ sources_ of_ human_ danger_, or_ thought_ of_ them_ only_ to_ dismiss_ the_ idea_ of_ life_ upon_ them_ as_ impossible_ or_ improbable_. It_ is_ curious_ to_ recall_ some_ of_ the_ mental_ habyts_ of_ those_ departed_ days_. At_ most_ terrestrial_ men_ fancied_ there_ might_ be_ other_ men_ upon_ Mars_, perhaps_ inferior_ to_ themselves_ and_ ready_ to_ welcome_ a_ missionary_ enterprise_. Yet_ across_ the_ gulf_ of_ space_, minds_ that_ are_ to_ our_ minds_ as_ ours_ are_ to_ those_ of_ the_ beasts_ that_ perish_, intellects_ vast_ and_ cool_ and_ unsympathetic_, regarded_ this_ earth_ with_ envious_ eyes_, and_ slowly_ and_ surely_ drew_ their_ plans_ against_ us_. And_ early_ in_ the_ twentieth_ century_ came_ the_ great_ disillusionment__. The_ planet_ Mars_, I_ scarcely_ need_ remind_ the_ reader_, revolves_ about_ the_ sun_ at_ a_ mean_ distance_ of_ 140,000,000 miles_, and_ the_ light_ and_ heat_ it_ receives_ from_ the_ sun_ is_ barely_ half_ of_ that_ received_ by_ this_ world_. It_ must_ be_, if_ the_ nebular_ hypothesis_ has_ any_ truth_, older_ than_ our_ world_; and_ long_ before_ this_ earth_ ceased_ to_ be_ molten_, life_ upon_ its_ surface_ must_ have_ begun_ its_ course_. The_ fact_ that_ it_ is_ scarcely_ one_ seventh_ of_ the_ volume_ of_ the_ earth_ must_ have_ accelerated_ its_ cooling_ to_ the_ temperature_ at_ which_ life_ could_ begin_. It_ has_ air_ and_ water_ and_ all_ that_ is_ necessary_ for_ the_ support_ of_ animated_ existence__. Yet_ so_ vain_ is_ man_, and_ so_ blinded_ by_ his_ vanity_, that_ no_ writer_, up_ to_ the_ very_ end_ of_ the_ nineteenth_ century_, expressed_ any_ idea_ that_ intelligent_ life_ might_ have_ developed_ there_ far_, or_ indeed_ at_ all_, beyond_ its_ earthly_ level_. Nor_ was_ it_ generally_ understood_ that_ since_ Mars_ is_ older_ than_ our_ earth_, with_ scarcely_ a_ quarter_ of_ the_ superficial_ area_ and_ remoter_ from_ the_ sun_, it_ necessarily_ follows_ that_ it_ is_ not_ only_ more_ distant_ from_ time's_ beginning_ but_ nearer_ its_ end__. The_ secular_ cooling_ that_ must_ someday_ overtake_ our_ planet_ has_ already_ gone_ far_ indeed_ with_ our_ neighbour_. Its_ physical_ condition_ is_ still_ largely_ a_ mystery_, but_ we_ know_ now_ that_ even_ in_ its_ equatorial_ region_ the_ midday_ temperature_ barely_ approaches_ that_ of_ our_ coldest_ winter_. Its_ air_ is_ much_ more_ attenuated_ than_ ours_, its_ oceans_ have_ shrunk_ until_ they_ cover_ but_ a_ third_ of_ its_ surface_, and_ as_ its_ slow_ seasons_ change_ huge_ snowcaps_ gather_ and_ melt_ about_ either_ pole_ and_ periodically_ inundate_ its_ temperate_ zones_. That_ last_ stage_ of_ exhaustion_, which_ to_ us_ is_ still_ incredibly_ remote_, has_ become_ a_ presentday_ problem_ for_ the_ inhabitants_ of_ Mars_. The_ immediate_ pressure_ of_ necessity_ has_ brightened_ their_ intellects_, enlarged_ their_ powers_, and_ hardened_ their_ hearts_. And_ looking_ across_ space_ with_ instruments_, and_ intelligences_ such_ as_ we_ have_ scarcely_ dreamed_ of_, they_ see_, at_ its_ nearest_ distance_ only_ 35,000,000 of_ miles_ sunward_ of_ them_, a_ morning_ star_ of_ hope_, our_ own_ warmer_ planet_, green_ with_ vegetation_ and_ grey_ with_ water_, with_ a_ cloudy_ atmosphere_ eloquent_ of_ fertility_, with_ glimpses_ through_ its_ drifting_ cloud_ wisps_ of_ broad_ stretches_ of_ populous_ country_ and_ narrow_, navy-crowded_ seas__. # Color key: # # 8.500 or more bits # 7.500 to 8.499 bits # 6.500 to 7.499 bits # 5.500 to 6.499 bits # 4.500 to 5.499 bits # 3.500 to 4.499 bits # 2.500 to 3.499 bits # 1.500 to 2.499 bits # 0.500 to 1.499 bits # 0.000 to 0.499 bits # full text: 56302 characters (including fillers) # context: left = 1 right = 1 (order = 3) # alphabet size: actual = 29 # mean conditional entropy h_3: 2.304 bits/character