The World Set Free by HG Wells

The World set free, by HG Wells, is a prophetical novel (written in 1914) fortelling the advent of nuclear weapons. The role of energy and technological advance being seen as a detriment is a re occuring theme of HG Wells works. The book starts with "The history of mankind is the history of the attainment of external power. Man is the tool-using, fire-making animal"

The book later goes on to tell how such Bombs would work and describes the chain reactions involved and even the resulting radiation. He also describes a weapon of enormous destructive power, used from the air that would wipe out everything for miles, and actually used the term "atomic bombs" There are even some ideas in here that may yet come to pass including a one-world government referred to as The World Republic, that will attempt to end all wars.