When four Martian spaceships land on Earth, masses of people flee the cities, hoping to escape from the hostile alien creatures sweeping across the countryside. With deadly heat-rays and giant fighting machine they want to conquer Earth and keep humans as their slaves. The War of the Worlds has thrilled countless readers since it was first published in 1891. The story even caused widespread panic among a radio audience listening to a dramatization of the tale in 1938. This gripping tale by a master storyteller will thrill new generations with its exciting accounts of interplanetary travel and cosmic warfare .