On Two Planets by Kurd Lasswitz (or Laßwitz) may be the first science fiction novel to imagine an alien invasion. Published in 1897, it’s about Martians travelling to Earth aboard sophisticated spaceships to study humanity. They have superior technology and a more enlightened culture than Earth, but even so, they eventually decide to colonize our planet, becoming increasingly repressive as time goes by. Humanity fights for its independence, and in the end gets it back.
The novel was written at a time when most major European nations, including Lasswitz’ Germany, had overseas colonies. While colonialism is considered exploitative and many other different kinds of wrong today, I had assumed that it had near-universal support when the novel was published during its peak. On Two Planets suggests otherwise. It’s critical even of well-meaning “civilization” efforts and their consequences. The novel is also unexpectedly modern in other respects. There’s even a scene depicting a menage-a-trois, likely pushing the limits of what was publishable in the 1890s.
Nehaveigur 