"This Island Earth" first appeared a magazine serialization and is now available in book form. If you are familiar with the spectacular (in the 1950s understanding of the term) older technicolor movie version you'll feel right at home until the final third of the book.
At that point the movie digressed into hollywood tomfoolery. The book remains on-task and finishes up with a bit of a story twist that is very enjoyable.

The usual story items appear, but seem freshly done (they were so at the time): pilotless aircraft, flying saucers, mysterious scientific discoveries, humanoid aliens seeking help to win a desperate war, treachery and mind control...

Great fun! Get the book.

dj