Difference between revisions of "The War of the Worlds"

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Being the first well-known story to involve invaders from space, ''The War of the Worlds'' is commonly referenced thematically or storywise in fiction relating to alien invasions. As it is well known, ''The War of the Worlds'' is the subject of the occasional [[versus]] or [[RAR!]] scenario on [[SD.net]]'s forums. The Martians from War of the Worlds ranks rather low in this regard. Their spacecraft are not only limited to in system use, but are simple ballistic projectiles. While a small number of Martians managed to devastate Victorian England, the human forces never the less managed to destroy several of their Fighting Machines using late 19th century artillery. Those forces found in film adaptations are more formidable, having to face human resistance with superior weapons, possessing shields.
Being the first well-known story to involve invaders from space, ''The War of the Worlds'' is commonly referenced thematically or storywise in fiction relating to alien invasions. As it is well known, ''The War of the Worlds'' is the subject of the occasional [[versus]] or [[RAR!]] scenario on [[SD.net]]'s forums. The Martians from War of the Worlds ranks rather low in this regard. Their spacecraft are not only limited to in system use, but are simple ballistic projectiles. While a small number of Martians managed to devastate Victorian England, the human forces never the less managed to destroy several of their Fighting Machines using late 19th century artillery. Those forces found in film adaptations are more formidable, having to face human resistance with superior weapons, possessing shields.
== Radio Adaptations ==
Orson Welles famously produced a radio play based on the story in 1938 on Halloween.  He modified the setting to the invasion beginning in Grover's Mill, New Jersey.  The play is famous for causing a slight panic for listeners that happened to tune in mid broadcast thinking that the play was actual new reports.


== Film Adaptations ==
== Film Adaptations ==

Revision as of 23:47, 10 September 2014

"...and slowly and surely they drew their plans against us..."

The War of the Worlds is an early science fiction novel first published in 1898 by HG Wells. It was notable for being the first story about an alien invasion, involving a species of large brain-like creatures from Mars invading Victorian England using massive tripedal fighting machines armed with heat rays and chemical weapons. The invading Martians, while able to quickly defeat the British military's attempt to repel them, eventually succumbed to Earth's diseases. The story itself focuses on an unnamed survivor of the invasion who observes the destruction and effects on the English countryside wrought by the invading Martians. The story of The War of the Worlds is primarily a criticism of 19th-century Imperialism and was inspired by 19th century "invasion literature".

Being the first well-known story to involve invaders from space, The War of the Worlds is commonly referenced thematically or storywise in fiction relating to alien invasions. As it is well known, The War of the Worlds is the subject of the occasional versus or RAR! scenario on SD.net's forums. The Martians from War of the Worlds ranks rather low in this regard. Their spacecraft are not only limited to in system use, but are simple ballistic projectiles. While a small number of Martians managed to devastate Victorian England, the human forces never the less managed to destroy several of their Fighting Machines using late 19th century artillery. Those forces found in film adaptations are more formidable, having to face human resistance with superior weapons, possessing shields.


Radio Adaptations

Orson Welles famously produced a radio play based on the story in 1938 on Halloween. He modified the setting to the invasion beginning in Grover's Mill, New Jersey. The play is famous for causing a slight panic for listeners that happened to tune in mid broadcast thinking that the play was actual new reports.

Film Adaptations

  • The War of the Worlds (1953, Byron Haskin)
  • The War of the Worlds (2005, Stephen Speilberg)

External links