The Poison Belt vs The War of the Worlds: Which Should You Read?

Both live on shelves: English Science fiction, Classic Literature, Science Fiction, Fiction

Cover of The Poison Belt

The Poison Belt Arthur Conan Doyle · 1913 ★★★★☆ 3.9 83 pages · ≈ 1 h 32 m · Challenging Find on Amazon

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Cover of The War of the Worlds

The War of the Worlds H. G. Wells ★★★★☆ 3.8 239 pages · ≈ 4 h 26 m · Moderate Find on Amazon

The verdict

Ratings are close: 3.9 vs 3.8 — either is a safe pick by score.
The Poison Belt is the quicker read — about 1 hours vs 4 for The War of the Worlds.
The War of the Worlds is the easier read (Moderate), The Poison Belt more demanding (Challenging).

Side by side