The book is based on the prediction of nuclear weapons more destructive and uncontrolled than the world has ever seen. It first appeared in serialized form with a different ending, as "The Prophetic Trilogy", consisting of three books: "The Trap to Catch the Sun", "The Last War in the World" and "The Released World". A common theme of Wells' work, as in his Book of Foreboding, 1901. Foreboding is the story of man's mastery of power and energy through technological advances, seen as a determining factor in human progress. The novel begins: "The history of mankind is the story of the attainment of external power. Man is a tool, an animal engaged in fire ... Always write about the extension, except for preservation in order to return again and again" he does more. The novel is about "The Interpretation of Frederick Soddy's Radium," a volume published in 1909. Scientists at the time were well aware that the slow radioactive decay of elements such as radium had been going on for thousands of years, and that the rate of energy release was negligible, the total amount released. Wells used this as the basis for his story.
