The War of the Worlds (by H.G. Wells)

"The War of the Worlds" by H.G. Wells is a science fiction novel about an invasion of Earth by Martians. These technologically advanced beings arrive in massive cylinders, launching a devastating assault using powerful heat-ray weapons. The story follows an unnamed narrator's perspective as society collapses around him, highlighting human vulnerability and the chaos caused by an extraterrestrial threat. The novel explores themes of imperialism, survival, and the limits of human knowledge, ultimately emphasizing that humanity is not the most dominant life form and that encounters with superior intelligence can be destructive.