H. G. Wells (1866 – 1946), together with Hugo Gernsback (1884-1967) and Jules Verne (1828-1905) is seen as a father of science fiction.
In The War of the Worlds (1898) he describes an invasion of late Victorian England by Martians using Tripod fighting machines with advanced weapons (armi) . The novel is narrated in first person by an anonymous journalist, who meanwhile (nel frattempo) tries to join (unirsi) his wife and daughter in the midst (nel mezzo) of the battles. After advancing towards London and destroying all, the Martians succumb to terrestrial pathogenic bacteria (batteri patogeni), to which they have no immunity. So, people return home and life returns to normal.
Forty years after its publication, on the night of Halloween 1938, Orson Welles’ Mercury Theatre on-air radio broadcast (trasmise) of the novel caused panic in New York City.
This book inspired numerous movie adaptations and print sequels (libri che proseguono la storia).