Orson Welles' 1938 radio adaptation of The War of the Worlds has done much to obscure the original work. Written at the turn of the 19th century, before "science fiction" existed as a genre, H.G. Wells' creation was a new departure in literature. The author's deep devotion to social reform led him to use the idea of an extraterrestrial invasion to theorize about a possible violent upheaval in society - instead of "Martians" think "Bolsheviks." Wells' book is a social prophecy, and doubtless that humanistic concern contributed to it becoming one of the seminal classics of science fiction.