▁the ▁various ▁characters . ▁The ▁two - dis c ▁album ▁remains ▁a ▁best s eller , ▁having ▁sold ▁ 1 5 ▁million ▁copies ▁world wide . ▁In ▁ 2 0 1 8 , ▁it ▁was ▁named ▁the ▁ 3 2 nd ▁best - s elling ▁studio ▁album ▁of ▁all ▁time ▁in ▁the ▁UK . ▁It ▁has ▁spawn ed ▁multiple ▁versions ▁including ▁video ▁games , ▁DVD s , ▁and ▁live ▁t ours . ▁ ▁Plot ▁summary ▁The ▁album ▁consists ▁of ▁two ▁disc s , ▁which ▁correspond ▁roughly ▁to ▁the ▁two ▁" books " ▁of ▁Well s ' ▁novel . ▁ ▁Part ▁ 1 : ▁The ▁Com ing ▁of ▁the ▁Mart ians ▁In ▁a ▁pro log ue , ▁the ▁Journal ist ▁notes ▁that ▁in ▁the ▁late ▁ 1 9 th ▁century ▁few ▁people ▁had ▁even ▁considered ▁the ▁possible ▁existence ▁of ▁extr ater rest rial ▁life , ▁yet ▁planet ▁Earth ▁had ▁in ▁fact ▁long ▁been ▁en viously ▁observed ▁by ▁advanced ▁be ings . ▁ ▁The ▁Journal ist ' s ▁account ▁begins ▁with ▁the ▁sight ing ▁of ▁several ▁burst s ▁of ▁green ▁gas ▁which , ▁for ▁ten ▁consecutive ▁night s , ▁er upt ▁from ▁the ▁surface ▁of ▁Mars ▁and ▁appear ▁to ▁approach ▁Earth . ▁Og il vy , ▁an ▁astronom er ▁convinced ▁that ▁no ▁life ▁could ▁exist ▁on ▁Mars , ▁ass ures ▁the ▁Journal ist ▁there ▁is ▁no ▁danger . ▁Event ually ▁something ▁crashes ▁onto ▁H ors ell ▁Common , ▁and ▁in ▁the ▁resulting ▁cr ater ▁Og il vy ▁disco vers ▁a ▁g low ing ▁cyl inder