Harper Collins is proud to present its incredible range of best-loved essential classics For a time I believed that mankind had been swept out of existence & that I stood there alone the last man left alive When a strange meteor-like object lands in the heart of England the inhabitants of Earth find themselves victims of a terrible attack A ruthless race of Martians armed with heat rays & poisonous smoke is intent on destroying everything that stands in its way As the unnamed hero struggles to find his way across decimated wastelands the fate of the planet hangs in the balance H G Wells was a pioneer of modern science fiction First serialised in the UK in 1897 The War of the Worlds is one of the earliest stories to depict conflict with an extraterrestrial race & has influenced countless adaptations & sequels