Now seen as one of the fathers of the genre, HG Wells blended elements of his academic background in science and social studies in his science fiction, creating several of its most enduring and influential books, including The Time Machine, TheInvisible Man and The Island of Dr Moreau. Although outpaced by contemporary knowledge, The War of the Worlds incorporated the latest scientific thinking when it was first published in 1897, and popularised our use of the word ‘martian’.