▁from ▁ 1 8 8 7 ▁features ▁geometric ▁al iens ▁encountered ▁by ▁primitive ▁humans ▁living ▁a ▁thousand ▁years ▁before ▁Bab yl onian ▁times . ▁ ▁Gar rett ▁P . ▁Serv iss ' ▁Ed ison ' s ▁Con quest ▁of ▁Mars , ▁published ▁in ▁ 1 8 9 8 , ▁is ▁perhaps ▁the ▁first ▁story ▁to ▁feature ▁ancient ▁astr onaut s ▁who ▁have ▁a ▁major ▁influence ▁on ▁early ▁human ▁civil izations , ▁pred ating ▁Fort ' s ▁book ▁by ▁over ▁ 2 0 ▁years . ▁In ▁it , ▁the ▁narr ator ▁lear ns ▁that ▁the ▁Mart ians ▁from ▁The ▁War ▁of ▁the ▁World s ▁visited ▁Earth ▁around ▁ 7 5 0 0 ▁BC , ▁ens la ving ▁the ▁inhabitants ▁of ▁the ▁F ert ile ▁C res cent ▁and ▁bringing ▁them ▁to ▁Egypt ▁to ▁make ▁monuments ▁of ▁their ▁con quest , ▁including ▁the ▁G iza ▁py ram id ▁complex ▁and ▁the ▁Great ▁S ph inx ▁( which ▁is ▁actually ▁the ▁face ▁of ▁the ▁leader ▁of ▁the ▁Mart ian ▁expedition ). ▁After wards , ▁a ▁pl ague ▁caused ▁them ▁to ▁leave , ▁with ▁the ▁Mart ians ▁taking ▁a ▁number ▁of ▁their ▁human ▁slaves ▁to ▁Mars ▁to ▁serve ▁them ▁there , ▁until ▁an ▁expedition ▁led ▁by ▁Thomas ▁Ed ison ▁fre ed ▁their ▁descend ants ▁in ▁the ▁early ▁ 2 0 th ▁century . ▁ ▁H . ▁P . ▁Love craft ' s ▁" The ▁Call ▁of ▁C th ul hu " ▁( 1 9 2 6 ) ▁and ▁At ▁the ▁Mountains ▁of ▁Mad ness ▁( 1 9