H. G. Wells 
The War of the Worlds 

One day, an unknown flying object crashes to the ground in England. It is the harbinger of inconceivable events, in the course of which people have to recognize painfully that they are not alone in the universe. And it quickly becomes clear that the others do not come in peace. The Earth is attacked by a technically far superior civilization from Mars. The downfall of humanity seems to be sealed.

The ‘War of the Worlds’ (1898) is the science fiction classic par excellence and founded the world fame of H. G. Wells as the author of fantastic literature. In 1938 the work gained even more popularity through an adaptation in the form of a fictional report by Orson Welles. This report was broadcasted by the public radio network CBS and caused irritation among many listeners in the US because they thought the described attack from space to be real.

The book was also adapted for cinema several times, most recently in 2005 by Steven Spielberg. And Roland Emmerich’s blockbuster ‘Independence Day’ has also been inspired by this literary masterpiece.