A new War of the Worlds book - The Massacre of Mankind
Jan 12, 2019 14:14:02 GMT
slave2gaming likes this
Post by boxholder on Jan 12, 2019 14:14:02 GMT
I just discovered a new book that extends the Wellsian War of the Worlds. It is titled The Massacre of Mankind and is written by Stephen Baxter. The cover information says that it is published with the approval of the H.G. Wells estate. It ties back to some surviving characters from the original and adds new ones in this sequel.
The starting hypothesis for this one is that the first "invasion'" was really a recon/scouting mission and that the Martians possess telepathic ability. This permitted them to report what happened to them. Their medics have worked on resistance to germs and their Black Smoke has improved lethality and persistence. The heat rays apparently needed no improvement. Telepathic comm also permits better control of their forces (like they need it).
Ten years have passed and the Martians are back. England is still Ground Zero for the initial wave. The Martians have apparently built a number of guns since the first attack and are now arriving in a wave of 50 cylinders. And this time, they brought their "A-Game," including a preliminary bombardment before the landing. They have sped up the process for the attackers exiting the cylinders and getting down to business. Their destruction is more focused on defense, industry, and government. They are still hungry--unfortunately for the humans.
Only about 1/3 of the way through the story so far, but it is not looking good for the humans.
Now a bit further along and the story is developing a darker tone and the Martians are more calculating. Not so much burn everything, but more selective. The timescale also shifts. Part 2 of the story is set about 2 years after the initial landing this time. Interesting twists as the plot unfolds. Mass landings at cities all around the globe mark major uptick in the violent attack on the humans. However, intervention from an unexpected quarter causes the Martians to switch to a slower, more insidious method to massacre humanity.
This ending leaves a lot of room for another sequel(s)...
The starting hypothesis for this one is that the first "invasion'" was really a recon/scouting mission and that the Martians possess telepathic ability. This permitted them to report what happened to them. Their medics have worked on resistance to germs and their Black Smoke has improved lethality and persistence. The heat rays apparently needed no improvement. Telepathic comm also permits better control of their forces (like they need it).
Ten years have passed and the Martians are back. England is still Ground Zero for the initial wave. The Martians have apparently built a number of guns since the first attack and are now arriving in a wave of 50 cylinders. And this time, they brought their "A-Game," including a preliminary bombardment before the landing. They have sped up the process for the attackers exiting the cylinders and getting down to business. Their destruction is more focused on defense, industry, and government. They are still hungry--unfortunately for the humans.
Only about 1/3 of the way through the story so far, but it is not looking good for the humans.
Now a bit further along and the story is developing a darker tone and the Martians are more calculating. Not so much burn everything, but more selective. The timescale also shifts. Part 2 of the story is set about 2 years after the initial landing this time. Interesting twists as the plot unfolds. Mass landings at cities all around the globe mark major uptick in the violent attack on the humans. However, intervention from an unexpected quarter causes the Martians to switch to a slower, more insidious method to massacre humanity.
This ending leaves a lot of room for another sequel(s)...
