H.G. Wells' War of the Worlds is one of the most widely-read and influential science fiction novels in the English Language. The story, which describes a Martian invasion of turn-of-the-century England, touches on interplanetary travel, evolutionary theory, British imperialism, and the fears and prejudices of Victorian times. The Martians, in need of resources, are shot from Mars via a huge space gun and land in Southern England where they quickly overwhelm its inhabitants. First serialized in 1897, it has been adapted many times, most famously by Orson Welles and company, in the form of a prank news alert in 1938 that caused panic among listeners

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