The War of the Worlds

The War of the Worlds is a science fiction novel by English author H. G. Wells first serialised in 1897 by Pearson s Magazine in the UK and by Cosmopolitan magazine in the US. The novel s first appearance in hardcover was in 1898 from publisher William Heinemann of London. Written between 1895 and 1897 it is one of the earliest stories to detail a conflict between mankind and an extraterrestrial race. The novel is the first-person narrative of both an unnamed protagonist in Surrey and of his younger brother in London as southern England is invaded by Martians. The War of the Worlds has been both popular (having never been out of print) and influential spawning half a dozen feature films radio dramas a record album various comic book adaptations a number of television series and sequels or parallel stories by other authors. The novel has even influenced the work of scientists notably Robert H. Goddard who inspired by the book invented both the liquid fuelled rocket and multistage rocket which resulted in the Apollo 11 Moon landing 71 years later.