The War of the Worlds

With all due respect to Orson Wells, this story is so much more than the audioplay we're familiar with would imply. From the delight of the scientific community on the first day - "They will have so much to teach us!" to the smug self-satisfaction of the military - "What can they do? We'll cut them down," to the shock and horror as it becomes plain that the Martians did not come in peace. Though the writing is ridiculously wordy and preachy, compared to what we're used to reading now, the story was absolutely compelling.