War with the Newts by Karel Čapek

The novel is a satirical science fiction tale that explores the discovery of a species of intelligent giant newts. When humans realise they can exploit these creatures for economic gain, they are enslaved and used for labor and military purposes. The newts ultimately rebel, leading to a global war. The book serves as a critique of various political, economic and ideological systems, including colonialism, capitalism and fascism.

The 1537th greatest book of all time


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Total Points: 243

Since this book was first published in 1936, there is a penalty of 0%. The age adjusted score is 243.0.

This is to prevent newer books from reaching super high on the ranked list of the greatest books of all time. The greatest books should also stand the test of time.