A speculative, apocalyptic tale in which Martians landed on earth and almost wiped out the entire local population.
According to the nebular hypothesis, Mars was more advanced in the life cycle of the planet than Earth, and therefore the Martians were evolutionarily more advanced than humans, having a superior intelligence and no sex or digestive organs. When their planet was no longer habitable, and they were facing extinction, they invaded the earth. They overpowered humans but met their nemesis in the least evolved life form on Earth, the bacteria, due to their lack of immunity.
Science Fiction appeals to the general public, apart from the scientific content, largely because of its relevance to the human condition. It is able to create scenarios that we ordinarily might not experience in our lifetime, and thereby brings these speculative and seemingly far-fetched issues to the forefront.
In this sci-fi tale, we’re brought to face the chilling moral derived from the Darwinian theory of evolution:
We must remember what ruthless and utter destruction our own species has wrought, not only upon animals,..but upon its own inferior races… Are we such apostles of mercy as to complain if the Martians warred in the same spirit?