Soon after the explosions on the surface of Mars, a "meteor" lands in Woking, England and dislodges Martians, a monstro species "the size of a bear" having "two large dark-coloured eyes," lipless mouths and above all two "Gorgon groups of tentacles." They look evil. They are evil. That becomes obviou when they burn a friendly human delegation with a heat-ray. Later, they eliminate a military unit positioned near their bas and launch an all-out offensive against humanity, the outcom of which will determine its future on Earth.

The War of the Worlds is among the earliest science fiction writings featuring extraterrestrials. It has remained immensely popular since its first publication and has never been out of print. It has also been frequently adapted for various visual media like many other works of H. G. Wells.

About the Author

H. G. Wells (Herbert George Wells) was born in Kent, England on 21 September 1866. Often called the Father of Science Fic- tion, a distinction which he shares with Jules Verne and Hugo Gernsback, Wells was the inventor of the Plausible Impossible in science fiction, a technique of portraying incredible as cred- ible. He was a prolific writer who not only wrote sci-fi but also explored other themes in writing. His other works include social realistic fiction and books on history and politics. He authored over hundred books of which many remain extremely popular today. He died in London on 13 August 1946.