The Martian

George Du Maurier's classic The Martian: A Novel, originally published in 1897, was one of the earlier science-fiction works. George Du Maurier, the grandfather of Daphne Du Maurier, was a celebrated novelist and illustrator whose work ran regularly in Punch. He's best recalled today for his famous novel Trilby, which introduced the evil manipulator Svengali to the world. This is a later novel, brilliantly embellished with dozens of Du Maurier's illustrations. H.G. Wells aside, this is perhaps the first work to feature a Martian, and came just before Wells enjoyed his success with the War of the Worlds (originally published in 1898).