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War of the Worlds: Global Dispatches
In the spirit of H.G. Wells's classic tale of Martian invasion comes this anthology of some of today's leading authors' own renditions of the Martian invasion as it might have been seen through the eyes of such notables as Jack London, H.P. Lovecraft, Teddy Roosevelt and Pablo Picasso. A new edition of the 1996 Spectra classic anthology published by Titan Books. The original edition was "highly recommended" by Library Journal. Authors included are: Mike Resnick, Walter Jon Williams, Daniel Marcus, Robert Silverberg, Janet Berliner, Howard Waldrop, Doug Beason, Barbara Hambly, George Alec Effinger, Allen Steele, Mark W. Tiedemann, Gregory Benford and David Brin, Don Webb, Daniel Keys Moran and Jodi Moran, M. Shayne Bell, Dave Wolverton and Connie Willis.
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First published May 1, 1996
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About the author
Kevin J. Anderson
957 books3,043 followersYes, I have a lot of books, and if this is your first visit to my amazon author page, it can be a little overwhelming. If you are new to my work, let me recommend a few titles as good places to start. I love my Dan Shamble, Zombie P.I. series, humorous horror/mysteries, which begin with DEATH WARMED OVER. My steampunk fantasy adventures, CLOCKWORK ANGELS and CLOCKWORK LIVES, written with Neil Peart, legendary drummer from Rush, are two of my very favorite novels ever. And my magnum opus, the science fiction epic The Saga of Seven Suns, begins with HIDDEN EMPIRE. After you've tried those, I hope you'll check out some of my other series.
I have written spin-off novels for Star Wars, StarCraft, Titan A.E., and The X-Files, and I'm the co-author of the Dune prequels. My original works include the Saga of Seven Suns series and the Nebula Award-nominated Assemblers of Infinity. I have also written several comic books including the Dark Horse Star Wars collection Tales of the Jedi written in collaboration with Tom Veitch, Predator titles (also for Dark Horse), and X-Files titles for Topps.
I serve as a judge in the Writers of the Future contest.
My wife is author Rebecca Moesta. We currently reside near Monument, Colorado.
I have written spin-off novels for Star Wars, StarCraft, Titan A.E., and The X-Files, and I'm the co-author of the Dune prequels. My original works include the Saga of Seven Suns series and the Nebula Award-nominated Assemblers of Infinity. I have also written several comic books including the Dark Horse Star Wars collection Tales of the Jedi written in collaboration with Tom Veitch, Predator titles (also for Dark Horse), and X-Files titles for Topps.
I serve as a judge in the Writers of the Future contest.
My wife is author Rebecca Moesta. We currently reside near Monument, Colorado.
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 69 reviews
May 14, 2022
This is a very good theme anthology with several outstanding stories. The idea was for then-contemporary science fiction authors to report on the Martian invasion that Wells and Welles popularized, but to do so in the voice of a famous person from that turn-of-the-century time. The authors included George Alec Effinger, Connie Willis, Walter Jon Williams, Robert Silverberg, Allen Steele, Mike Resnick, Howard Waldrop, Gregory Benford with David Brin, etc. The viewpoint narrators they chose included Edgar Rice Burroughs, Emily Dickinson, Albert Einstein, Rudyard Kipling, Jack London, H.P. Lovecraft, Pablo Picasso, Joseph Pulitzer, Theodore Roosevelt, Leo Tolstoy, Mark Twain, Jules Verne, etc. It's a great pick for history buffs as well as science fiction fans. I particularly liked the stories by Allen Steele (as Pulitzer), Mike Resnick (Roosevelt, of course), and Connie Willis (Dickinson), but my favorite was the now-classic Night of the Cooters by Howard Waldrop.
February 5, 2011
War of the Worlds: Global Dispatches is an entertaining collection of short stories that are purportedly by historical figures who would have been alive to witness the landing of the Martians as described in Wells's The War of the Worlds. The stories are, of course, ghostwritten by current SF authors.
The historical figures included Rudyard Kipling, Joseph Conrad, Theodore Roosevelt, Edgar Rice Burroughs, H.P. Lovecraft, Percival Lowell, Mark Twain, Jack London, and even Emily Dickinson. The latter was the subject of my favorite, the absolute funniest entry, entitled "The Soul Selects her own Society: Invasion and Repulsion: A Chronological Reinterpretation of Two of Emily Dickinson's Poems: A Wellsian Perspective." The story, by Connie Willis, was a satire on literary criticism mixed with some gentle mockery of Dickinson, and had me howling in laughter throughout. It won a Hugo in 1997.
My second favorite was the story "by" Edgar Rice Burroughs ("as told to" George Alec Effinger), who recounted another visit from his uncle, John Carter. Effinger captured the atmosphere of the sublimely ridiculous Barsoom books so well that I wished he had extended his story further; it was only about 15 pages.
Several of the stories are award-winning, and almost all are intensely creative. I highly recommend this book to science fiction fans.
The historical figures included Rudyard Kipling, Joseph Conrad, Theodore Roosevelt, Edgar Rice Burroughs, H.P. Lovecraft, Percival Lowell, Mark Twain, Jack London, and even Emily Dickinson. The latter was the subject of my favorite, the absolute funniest entry, entitled "The Soul Selects her own Society: Invasion and Repulsion: A Chronological Reinterpretation of Two of Emily Dickinson's Poems: A Wellsian Perspective." The story, by Connie Willis, was a satire on literary criticism mixed with some gentle mockery of Dickinson, and had me howling in laughter throughout. It won a Hugo in 1997.
My second favorite was the story "by" Edgar Rice Burroughs ("as told to" George Alec Effinger), who recounted another visit from his uncle, John Carter. Effinger captured the atmosphere of the sublimely ridiculous Barsoom books so well that I wished he had extended his story further; it was only about 15 pages.
Several of the stories are award-winning, and almost all are intensely creative. I highly recommend this book to science fiction fans.
February 14, 2016
When I reviewed The War of the Worlds a while back I bemoaned the fact that the action was set in one small corner of England, and that there is little mention of what is happening in the rest of the world. This collection of short stories tries to rectify this by showing events from a wide variety of perspectives. The literary conceit here is that each story is written by a modern Science Fiction author in the style of someone who would have been alive at the time of the Martian invasion. On the whole its a pretty good collection, though I can't say with any certainty if the writers here manage to accurately depict the voices of the person they are writing about. The following notes are brief guides to each story, with title, persona and author in that order.
The Roosevelt Dispatches Teddy Roosevelt Mike Resnick - one of the weaker stories, it tells in letter form about Roosevelt' s encounter with Martians in the jungles of Cuba. It certainly sounded like Teddy's bombastic style, but I was rather hoping that the final letter would be "I regret to inform you..."
Canals in the Sand Percival Lowell Kevin J. Anderson - Percival Lowell is determined to welcome friendly Martians by providing them with a sign that they would be welcomed. Lowell comes across quite poorly in this one and it is something that leads to his death in the Sahara. Well written though.
Foreign Devils Guangxu Emperor and Empress Dowager Cixi Walter Jon Williams - one of the best of the stories, combining political intrigue in the court of the Chinese Emperor, with the Martian Invasion seen by the Emperor as a means to rid them of another foreign devil in the form of the Western powers. Powerfully written.
Blue Period Pablo Picasso Daniel Marcus - Picasso is a fish out of water here as he unfortunately was in Paris at the time of the Martian invasion rather than in his native Spain. Bit of a dull story as he uses his experience to paint something different from hos usual style, and that's all he does.
The Martian Invasion Journals of Henry James Henry James Robert Silverberg - rather a departure in that this story actually has H.G.Wells in it, and ends up with Henry James rather than Wells writing War of the Worlds.
The True Tale of the Final Battle of Umslopogaas the Zulu Winston Churchill and H. Rider Haggard
Janet Berliner - rather an odd little story which tries to combine the mysticism of Haggard's African stories with the more realistic tone of Winston Churchill, and doesn't quite succeed.
Night of the Cooters The Texas Rangers Howard Waldrop - the Martians land in Texas. The Texans shoot them. The end.
Determinism and the Martian War, with Relativistic Corrections Edwin Hubble and Albert Einstein
Doug Beason - Albert Einstein becomes a superhero and single handedly downs a Martian fighting machine with a rope, in a play copied from The Empire Strikes Back. It's a pity that this story misses the point that Wells was making, in that humanity is helpless against the Martians, and that humble bacteria saves us instead of our own might. Otherwise this is an entertaining story.
Soldier of the Queen Rudyard Kipling and Mohandas K. Gandhi Barbara Hambly - Kipling and Gandhi make a rather odd couple as they try and keep India safe from the Martians by using guerilla warfare. Another story that uses the invasion as a background for social change, and does it rather well.
Mars: The Home Front Edgar Rice Burroughs Kevin J. Anderson - possibly the only failure in the whole book, this story tries unsuccessfully to marry the conflicting stories of Wells Martians with the Barsoom of Burroughs. It's entertainingly written and the style is accurate, but it just didn't work for me.
A Letter from St. Louis Joseph Pulitzer Allen Steele - the story of the Martian invasion as it might have been told by a reporter at the time. The story is not really about Pulitzer though, and his fate is well deserved.
Resurrection Leo Tolstoy and Joseph Stalin Mark W. Tiedemann- this one rather amusingly consigns Stalin to anonymity whilst painting Tolstoy as the hero of the hour, as he struggles to save as many peasants as possible from both Martians and starvation.
Paris Conquers All Jules Verne Gregory Benford and David Brin - this one suffers from being the second story set in Paris, especially given here that the Martians don't destroy the Eiffel Tower, they which rather lessens the impact of the story. Jules Verne really doesn't play much of a role her, which is a pity.
To Mars and Providence H. P. Lovecraft Don Webb - does well to imitate the style of Lovecraft, who is still a child here, but ultimately a silly story that strays too far from the original.
Roughing it During the Martian Invasion Mark Twain Kevin J. Anderson and Jodi Moran - a bathetic story of an elderly Mark Twain trying to capture living Martians in a dead New Orleans.
To See the World End Joseph Conrad M. Shayne Bell - a third story about a conquered people using the invasion to throw off the shackles of their fellow men, this is a profound story and one of the best in the book.
After a Lean Winter Jack London Kevin J. Anderson - good use is made of the cold of the far north in this story. The fight between the sled dogs and a Martian is nasty and just what probably would have happened.
The Soul Selects her own Society: Invasion and Repulsion: A Chronological Reinterpretation of Two of Emily Dickinson's Poems: A Wellsian Perspective Emily Dickinson Connie Willis - sorry but this one did nothing for me, no matter how well written it was. Rather an odd way to end the book.
This edition rather oddly misses a story about Nikola Tesla, which I would have liked to read. Otherwise this was a good collection.
The Roosevelt Dispatches Teddy Roosevelt Mike Resnick - one of the weaker stories, it tells in letter form about Roosevelt' s encounter with Martians in the jungles of Cuba. It certainly sounded like Teddy's bombastic style, but I was rather hoping that the final letter would be "I regret to inform you..."
Canals in the Sand Percival Lowell Kevin J. Anderson - Percival Lowell is determined to welcome friendly Martians by providing them with a sign that they would be welcomed. Lowell comes across quite poorly in this one and it is something that leads to his death in the Sahara. Well written though.
Foreign Devils Guangxu Emperor and Empress Dowager Cixi Walter Jon Williams - one of the best of the stories, combining political intrigue in the court of the Chinese Emperor, with the Martian Invasion seen by the Emperor as a means to rid them of another foreign devil in the form of the Western powers. Powerfully written.
Blue Period Pablo Picasso Daniel Marcus - Picasso is a fish out of water here as he unfortunately was in Paris at the time of the Martian invasion rather than in his native Spain. Bit of a dull story as he uses his experience to paint something different from hos usual style, and that's all he does.
The Martian Invasion Journals of Henry James Henry James Robert Silverberg - rather a departure in that this story actually has H.G.Wells in it, and ends up with Henry James rather than Wells writing War of the Worlds.
The True Tale of the Final Battle of Umslopogaas the Zulu Winston Churchill and H. Rider Haggard
Janet Berliner - rather an odd little story which tries to combine the mysticism of Haggard's African stories with the more realistic tone of Winston Churchill, and doesn't quite succeed.
Night of the Cooters The Texas Rangers Howard Waldrop - the Martians land in Texas. The Texans shoot them. The end.
Determinism and the Martian War, with Relativistic Corrections Edwin Hubble and Albert Einstein
Doug Beason - Albert Einstein becomes a superhero and single handedly downs a Martian fighting machine with a rope, in a play copied from The Empire Strikes Back. It's a pity that this story misses the point that Wells was making, in that humanity is helpless against the Martians, and that humble bacteria saves us instead of our own might. Otherwise this is an entertaining story.
Soldier of the Queen Rudyard Kipling and Mohandas K. Gandhi Barbara Hambly - Kipling and Gandhi make a rather odd couple as they try and keep India safe from the Martians by using guerilla warfare. Another story that uses the invasion as a background for social change, and does it rather well.
Mars: The Home Front Edgar Rice Burroughs Kevin J. Anderson - possibly the only failure in the whole book, this story tries unsuccessfully to marry the conflicting stories of Wells Martians with the Barsoom of Burroughs. It's entertainingly written and the style is accurate, but it just didn't work for me.
A Letter from St. Louis Joseph Pulitzer Allen Steele - the story of the Martian invasion as it might have been told by a reporter at the time. The story is not really about Pulitzer though, and his fate is well deserved.
Resurrection Leo Tolstoy and Joseph Stalin Mark W. Tiedemann- this one rather amusingly consigns Stalin to anonymity whilst painting Tolstoy as the hero of the hour, as he struggles to save as many peasants as possible from both Martians and starvation.
Paris Conquers All Jules Verne Gregory Benford and David Brin - this one suffers from being the second story set in Paris, especially given here that the Martians don't destroy the Eiffel Tower, they which rather lessens the impact of the story. Jules Verne really doesn't play much of a role her, which is a pity.
To Mars and Providence H. P. Lovecraft Don Webb - does well to imitate the style of Lovecraft, who is still a child here, but ultimately a silly story that strays too far from the original.
Roughing it During the Martian Invasion Mark Twain Kevin J. Anderson and Jodi Moran - a bathetic story of an elderly Mark Twain trying to capture living Martians in a dead New Orleans.
To See the World End Joseph Conrad M. Shayne Bell - a third story about a conquered people using the invasion to throw off the shackles of their fellow men, this is a profound story and one of the best in the book.
After a Lean Winter Jack London Kevin J. Anderson - good use is made of the cold of the far north in this story. The fight between the sled dogs and a Martian is nasty and just what probably would have happened.
The Soul Selects her own Society: Invasion and Repulsion: A Chronological Reinterpretation of Two of Emily Dickinson's Poems: A Wellsian Perspective Emily Dickinson Connie Willis - sorry but this one did nothing for me, no matter how well written it was. Rather an odd way to end the book.
This edition rather oddly misses a story about Nikola Tesla, which I would have liked to read. Otherwise this was a good collection.
March 20, 2022
Anderson takes the topic of Martian invasion of Earth, and set out with other authors to write the stories as Albert Einstein, Mark Twain, Winston Churchill, Jules Verne and many others would have imagined it. Teddy Roosevelt goes big-game hunting for Martians in Cuba. Albert Einstein gets captured and discovers relativity while grappling with the Martians’ advanced technology. The Texas Rangers give ’em a wild West “what-for” with some very big guns and a whole lot of dynamite. The writers here — including David Brin, Gregory Benford, Connie Willis and Robert Silverberg — really did their homework on Wells, as well as the time period and of course, the actual persons involved. Another fave - Connie Willis' spoof of literary criticism (with a title featuring no less than 3 colons) which purports to show that not only Emily Dickinson, who died in 1886, had a prescient knowledge of the Martian invasion but that her bad rhymes drove the Martians off. Fantastic fun, and great writing!
April 25, 2017
An excellent idea for a collections of stories. I loved every one of them. "War of the Worlds" not simply England vs Mars or in films, America vs Mars in the 50's or with Tom Cruise with Hummers and high tech weapons and such. This is China, Kongo, Russia, France, the Amerian south, and even literary icons dealing with this invasion during a time when the world was on the brink of a major technological leap forward (sound familiar) at the dawn of the 20th century.
High lights? You be the judge.
Forward -- H. G. Wells (Kevin J. Anderson)
The Roosevelt Dispatches -- Teddy Roosevelt (Mike Resnick)
Canals in the Sand -- Percival Lowell (Kevin J. Anderson)
Foreign Devils -- Guangxu Emperor and Empress Dowager Cixi (Walter Jon Williams)
Blue Period -- Pablo Picasso (Daniel Marcus)
The Martian Invasion Journals of Henry James -- Henry James (Robert Silverberg)
The True Tale of the Final Battle of Umslopogaas the Zulu -- Winston Churchill and H. Rider Haggard (Janet Berliner)
Night of the Cooters -- The Texas Rangers (Howard Waldrop)
Determinism and the Martian War, with Relativistic Corrections -- Albert Einstein (Doug Beason)
Soldier of the Queen -- Rudyard Kipling and Mohandas K. Gandhi (Barbara Hambly)
Mars: The Home Front -- Edgar Rice Burroughs (George Alec Effinger)
A Letter from St. Louis -- Joseph Pulitzer (Allen Steele)
Resurrection -- Leo Tolstoy and Joseph Stalin (Mark W. Tiedemann)
Paris Conquers All -- Jules Verne (Gregory Benford and David Brin)
To Mars and Providence -- H. P. Lovecraft (Don Webb)
Roughing it During the Martian Invasion -- Mark Twain (Daniel Keys Moran and Jodi Moran)
To See the World End -- Joseph Conrad (M. Shayne Bell)
After a Lean Winter -- Jack London (Dave Wolverton)
The Soul Selects her own Society: Invasion and Repulsion: A Chronological Reinterpretation of Two of Emily Dickinson's Poems: A Wellsian Perspective -- Emily Dickinson (Connie Willis)
Afterward: Retrospective -- Jules Verne (Gregory Benford and David Brin)
This was all good. Loved it all. So glad I came across this. Thank you so much Mr. K. J. Anderson.
High lights? You be the judge.
Forward -- H. G. Wells (Kevin J. Anderson)
The Roosevelt Dispatches -- Teddy Roosevelt (Mike Resnick)
Canals in the Sand -- Percival Lowell (Kevin J. Anderson)
Foreign Devils -- Guangxu Emperor and Empress Dowager Cixi (Walter Jon Williams)
Blue Period -- Pablo Picasso (Daniel Marcus)
The Martian Invasion Journals of Henry James -- Henry James (Robert Silverberg)
The True Tale of the Final Battle of Umslopogaas the Zulu -- Winston Churchill and H. Rider Haggard (Janet Berliner)
Night of the Cooters -- The Texas Rangers (Howard Waldrop)
Determinism and the Martian War, with Relativistic Corrections -- Albert Einstein (Doug Beason)
Soldier of the Queen -- Rudyard Kipling and Mohandas K. Gandhi (Barbara Hambly)
Mars: The Home Front -- Edgar Rice Burroughs (George Alec Effinger)
A Letter from St. Louis -- Joseph Pulitzer (Allen Steele)
Resurrection -- Leo Tolstoy and Joseph Stalin (Mark W. Tiedemann)
Paris Conquers All -- Jules Verne (Gregory Benford and David Brin)
To Mars and Providence -- H. P. Lovecraft (Don Webb)
Roughing it During the Martian Invasion -- Mark Twain (Daniel Keys Moran and Jodi Moran)
To See the World End -- Joseph Conrad (M. Shayne Bell)
After a Lean Winter -- Jack London (Dave Wolverton)
The Soul Selects her own Society: Invasion and Repulsion: A Chronological Reinterpretation of Two of Emily Dickinson's Poems: A Wellsian Perspective -- Emily Dickinson (Connie Willis)
Afterward: Retrospective -- Jules Verne (Gregory Benford and David Brin)
This was all good. Loved it all. So glad I came across this. Thank you so much Mr. K. J. Anderson.
December 4, 2019
This is an intriguing book to say the least. I was on my travels and yes there may have been a book shop involved and well I discovered this book which caught my eye. H G Wells Wars of the worlds was one of the first books I chose to read in class - and it amazed me. I guess this was the start of my love of science fiction.
Anyway on to this book - a modern anthology of stories written by various famous authors in the genre who in turn told stories from around the world of the Martian invasion - the twist being is that they told those stories from the eyes of famous people - some fictitious others real.
And this is where I would say my unease starts to grow. Yes its wonderful that you get the invasion from other perspectives and its fun to see other modern authors explore this world - but really do we need to name drop famous people in to the narratives. Could we not have the USA tell their story or African continent give up its tales, no we have to have famous historical characters litter the landscape as if they are there to give a level of credibility.
I guess the use of famous historical characters never really sits well with - yes fictional ones are fine, its always fun to be allowed to explore someone elses sandbox but to use historical characters almost feels like its a cheap way of setting the scene. Why provide detail when you can mention Einstein or Verne since such names instantly give a frame of reference.
Do not get me wrong the stories are wonderfully crafted - just would they have had the same impact if the lead characters where given a less famous name. So yes I am torn over this book and its stories there are some amazing stories I am just not sure we needed so many names dropped?
Anyway on to this book - a modern anthology of stories written by various famous authors in the genre who in turn told stories from around the world of the Martian invasion - the twist being is that they told those stories from the eyes of famous people - some fictitious others real.
And this is where I would say my unease starts to grow. Yes its wonderful that you get the invasion from other perspectives and its fun to see other modern authors explore this world - but really do we need to name drop famous people in to the narratives. Could we not have the USA tell their story or African continent give up its tales, no we have to have famous historical characters litter the landscape as if they are there to give a level of credibility.
I guess the use of famous historical characters never really sits well with - yes fictional ones are fine, its always fun to be allowed to explore someone elses sandbox but to use historical characters almost feels like its a cheap way of setting the scene. Why provide detail when you can mention Einstein or Verne since such names instantly give a frame of reference.
Do not get me wrong the stories are wonderfully crafted - just would they have had the same impact if the lead characters where given a less famous name. So yes I am torn over this book and its stories there are some amazing stories I am just not sure we needed so many names dropped?
July 30, 2014
This is a brilliant idea for a book. What if H.G. Wells's "War of the Worlds" was not a novel, but journalism about an actual Martian invasion of the earth in 1898? How would the invasion have looked to other prominent writers of the time?
Various contemporary science fiction authors were invited to write stories of Wells's Martian invasion in the style of people like Joseph Conrad (reporting from his job as riverboat captain in the Belgian Congo), Jack London (reporting from the Klondike), Jules Verne (reporting on the invasion of Paris), Theodore Roosevelt (reporting from the war in Cuba), and so on.
Some of the stories are hit out of the ballpark, others are misses, but the sum total of them is a fascinating take on one of the greatest science fiction works of all time.
Various contemporary science fiction authors were invited to write stories of Wells's Martian invasion in the style of people like Joseph Conrad (reporting from his job as riverboat captain in the Belgian Congo), Jack London (reporting from the Klondike), Jules Verne (reporting on the invasion of Paris), Theodore Roosevelt (reporting from the war in Cuba), and so on.
Some of the stories are hit out of the ballpark, others are misses, but the sum total of them is a fascinating take on one of the greatest science fiction works of all time.
September 2, 2012
One of the few books in my collection that I cannot help but read every couple of years. And after recently reading about Twain, Teddy, and a few other historical personalities, this week seems to be a perfect time for it.
May 30, 2023
5 star concept, but ultimately only a 3+ execution, so an overall 4 and change.
The book is subtitled "the Martian Invasion of Earth as if witnessed by…," and as such sounded like a World War Z-type oral history expanding on H.G. Wells' original, as reported by various contemporary real-life writers and reporters around the world.
So sounds cool, right? And for a good while it was…but then the stories starting getting repetitive, and - since they were written separately by different authors and apparently without much coordination - sometimes contradictory, (for example, a young Picasso's experience of the Martians invading Paris is totally incompatible with an aged Jules Verne's version of the same attack). Also, by trying to write in (what I assume) are the original characters style, the overall writing of the book tends to lean towards a generic "old timey" tone rather than truly unique voices as in Brooks' WWZ masterpiece, (with a few exceptions, as noted below).
But in general these are minor complaints. I've always loved those timelines that show what was happening in China during Europe's Middle Ages, or what the Mayans were up to during the time of Christ. So in itself it was great fun to see just who was active where during these few weeks (or months, depending on the story) in 1900: Teddy Roosevelt in Cuba, Winston Churchill in South Africa. China's Dowager Empress staving off rival warlords, Tolstoy in Russia, etc., etc.
Despite the unavoidable repetition over time - Martians land in A, B, or C and either triumph or are defeated - there are some clever (occasionally too clever) touches in some of the stories: Jack London's extended war in the Yukon, where the Martians thrive in the cold and lack of bacteria; a young Einstein glimpsing the relativity of time when inadvertently trapped in a Martian fighting machine; Kipling fighting alongside real-life Kim and Mowgli. And there are several standout stories that are both particularly entertaining and accurately (as far as I can tell) capture the original authors' styles - Mark Twain trying to wrangle Martians on the Mississippi; a mystical Joseph Conrad in "the Kongo;" a suitably bizarro H.P. Lovecraft astrally travelling to the home planet via the Martian's extrasensory "color out of space" (which later became the title of both a Lovecraft short story and more recent Nic Cage movie), to discover Mars' own version of "the Elder Ones."
The book also ends on two nice, short pieces - a humorous, faux-scholarly paper on some "recently discovered" Dickinson poems describing the invasion, troubled only by the fact that Emily was 14 years dead at the time; and a short conclusion by Verne in which he paints a 1928 world surprisingly improved by the Martian attack, as despite the destruction it united Earth into a more humane and humanitarian place, free of at least one world war and seeking to perhaps even work with the surviving Martians to develop interplanetary peace and understanding.
In fact, the only story that really feels out of place is an Edgar Rice Burroughs tale set on Mars itself, where John Carter has to rescue his princess bride from the "bad" (i.e, Wells') Martians. But placing human - and human-like - races together on Mars just pulls you out of the overall tone and message of the greater and truly "alien" invasion, and so at least IMHO, the book would have really been better without it.
I picked this up at our local library's first post-COVID book sale - so $2 well spent, and a fun anthology for any fans of the original, as well as thematic sci-fi anthologies.
"Ulla!!"
The book is subtitled "the Martian Invasion of Earth as if witnessed by…," and as such sounded like a World War Z-type oral history expanding on H.G. Wells' original, as reported by various contemporary real-life writers and reporters around the world.
So sounds cool, right? And for a good while it was…but then the stories starting getting repetitive, and - since they were written separately by different authors and apparently without much coordination - sometimes contradictory, (for example, a young Picasso's experience of the Martians invading Paris is totally incompatible with an aged Jules Verne's version of the same attack). Also, by trying to write in (what I assume) are the original characters style, the overall writing of the book tends to lean towards a generic "old timey" tone rather than truly unique voices as in Brooks' WWZ masterpiece, (with a few exceptions, as noted below).
But in general these are minor complaints. I've always loved those timelines that show what was happening in China during Europe's Middle Ages, or what the Mayans were up to during the time of Christ. So in itself it was great fun to see just who was active where during these few weeks (or months, depending on the story) in 1900: Teddy Roosevelt in Cuba, Winston Churchill in South Africa. China's Dowager Empress staving off rival warlords, Tolstoy in Russia, etc., etc.
Despite the unavoidable repetition over time - Martians land in A, B, or C and either triumph or are defeated - there are some clever (occasionally too clever) touches in some of the stories: Jack London's extended war in the Yukon, where the Martians thrive in the cold and lack of bacteria; a young Einstein glimpsing the relativity of time when inadvertently trapped in a Martian fighting machine; Kipling fighting alongside real-life Kim and Mowgli. And there are several standout stories that are both particularly entertaining and accurately (as far as I can tell) capture the original authors' styles - Mark Twain trying to wrangle Martians on the Mississippi; a mystical Joseph Conrad in "the Kongo;" a suitably bizarro H.P. Lovecraft astrally travelling to the home planet via the Martian's extrasensory "color out of space" (which later became the title of both a Lovecraft short story and more recent Nic Cage movie), to discover Mars' own version of "the Elder Ones."
The book also ends on two nice, short pieces - a humorous, faux-scholarly paper on some "recently discovered" Dickinson poems describing the invasion, troubled only by the fact that Emily was 14 years dead at the time; and a short conclusion by Verne in which he paints a 1928 world surprisingly improved by the Martian attack, as despite the destruction it united Earth into a more humane and humanitarian place, free of at least one world war and seeking to perhaps even work with the surviving Martians to develop interplanetary peace and understanding.
In fact, the only story that really feels out of place is an Edgar Rice Burroughs tale set on Mars itself, where John Carter has to rescue his princess bride from the "bad" (i.e, Wells') Martians. But placing human - and human-like - races together on Mars just pulls you out of the overall tone and message of the greater and truly "alien" invasion, and so at least IMHO, the book would have really been better without it.
I picked this up at our local library's first post-COVID book sale - so $2 well spent, and a fun anthology for any fans of the original, as well as thematic sci-fi anthologies.
"Ulla!!"
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June 26, 2014You can understand the thinking: HG Wells told us what happened in Britain, but there is certainly an interest in imagining how the Martian invasion might also have affected less important parts of the planet. Not that the contributors are obliged to maintain total consistency with each other's accounts, or even Wells' (which in one of the better stories ends up not even being by Wells) - but for the idea to maintain any coherence, they have to retain some, and there the problems begin. Because in every story, either the heroic forces do better against the Martians than the British military (cheesy), or they don't and the Martians eventually die of a sniffle (predictable). Add to that the further constraint that all the stories* are told as if by notables of the era, an act of ventriloquism which proves way beyond many of these writers (the lowest of several resulting low points comes when Einstein discovers relativity in a Newton's apple moment occasioned by Martians stopping his train). Some writers, scattering seeds which would grow much truer in The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen's second volume, also intersect other fictional characters with the invasion. Ultimately, the stories which worked best for me were two of the oddities - Walter Jon Williams' viewpoint character is the Dragon Empress, whose words do not survive in the same falsifying volume as the other avatars', and his take on her is massively revisionist, but also makes for a good tale. And then Connie Willis takes the piss out of the whole project, and academia, by facing the invaders with a resurrected Emily Dickinson.
*Except Howard Waldrop's; as I understand it, he often tends to veer off the brief in anthologies, and is allowed because generally he's that good. Sadly, his contribution here isn't.
*Except Howard Waldrop's; as I understand it, he often tends to veer off the brief in anthologies, and is allowed because generally he's that good. Sadly, his contribution here isn't.
October 1, 2015
Using the premise that HG Wells' Martian invasion happened not simply in England but around the world, this is an original and entertaining anthology. The events are seen through the eyes and words of Emily Dickinson (who had pre-deceased the event so her version is no mean feat), as well as Jules Verne, Albert Einstein, Pablo Picasso, Mark Twain, HP Lovecraft, and others who lived during that time and might've been involved in one of the invasions. Writing in their styles, Robert Silverberg, editor Kevin J. Anderson, et al., have created a unique set of stories. Some are better than others. A few, such as the Edgar Rice Burroughs offering seem almost non-relatable to the premise, that story referring to events which seem to happen in another John Carter story. Mark Twain's version has that sarcastic tilt the writer used in Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn. Some of the stories draw on characters created by that specific narrator as well as his own novels, such as Joseph Conrad working on Heart of Darkness and struggling to save his manuscript during the invasions.
Well-written, innovative, and thoroughly enjoyable, each story give a different view of the invasion as well as the Martians themselves, most while keeping within the Wellsian premise of their eventual defeat.
Well-written, innovative, and thoroughly enjoyable, each story give a different view of the invasion as well as the Martians themselves, most while keeping within the Wellsian premise of their eventual defeat.
May 17, 2018
The best short stories from excellent authors based on a classic literary work.
July 18, 2017
I'm writing a short review of each story as I go, just to ensure I treat them fairly. I'll write a summary review of the collection at the end.
The Roosevelt Dispatches, by Mike Resnick
I liked this, especially for its careful details regarding Roosevelt's connections to the AMNH and people there. The author clearly did his homework in getting the right people mentioned in the right contexts, and in believable situations (aside from the alien invasion side of things).
Canals in the Sand, by Kevin J. Anderson
What an enjoyable story! It definitely has a bit of the worrisome hubris of Lovecraftian tales.
Foreign Devils, by Walter Jon Williams
Great story, could be an epic movie. The best part is the limited point of view of the ruling people, you can get a sense for how such an invasion would really play out in Chinese culture in the early 20th C
Blue Period, by Daniel Marcus
From the point of view of Pablo Picasso, it seems historically accurate and a fun way to imagine the invasion in Paris. But otherwise not amazing.
The Martian Invasion Journals of Henry James, by Robert Silverberg
An interesting story about James suffering the invasion with H. G. Wells. The references to connections among authors of the time is fun.
The True Tale of the Final Battle of Umslopogaas the Zulu, by Janet Berliner
The point of view of Winston Churchill was interesting, but not the most thrilling of the bunch. The story about Umslopogaas seems almost mystical.
Night of the Cooters, by Howard Waldrop
Maybe my favorite story, mainly for the character development of the Texas Ranger narrating.
Determinism and the Martian War, with Relativistic Corrections, by Doug Beason
What a terrific story! The way that Einstein's thoughts on relativity develop due to the invasion are brilliant, and the novel idea of the way in which the aliens wait for help when in distress is one of the most creative ideas I've read in a while. Wow!!
Soldier of the Queen, by Barbara Hambly
This story may be my least favorite, if only because of the difficulty in following the storyline.
Mars: The Home Front, by George Alec Effinger
A nice surprise of an Edgar Rice Burroughs story of John Carter fighting martians on Mars! Very cool!!
A Letter from St. Louis, by Allen Steele
A bit of a boring tale of the invasion in St. Louis. The involvement of Pulitzer is not as interesting as it sounds like it should be.
Resurrection, by Mark W. Tiedemann
The Tolstoy story wasn't my favorite, but they did manage to capture some of the very Russian aspects of what I'd expect.
Paris Conquers All, by Gregory Benford and David Brin
The Jules Verne story was fun, especially his commentary about Wells.
To Mars and Providence, by Don Webb
What a fantastic job of making a story about young Lovecraft's connection to the Martian invasion! The parts of WotW that are already eerily similar to Lovecraft's cosmic mythos are enhanced here.
Roughing it During the Martian Invasion, by Daniel Keys Moran and Jodi Moran
Perhaps I spoke too soon about earlier ones being my favorites. I love Twain, and the feeling captured in this story is terrific.
To See the World End, by M. Shayne Bell
Less about the WotW, and more about Joseph Conrad, but still fascinating.
After a Lean Winter, by Dave Wolverton
The absolute best when it comes to relating the scientific aspects of the Martian defeat by disease, and also a great way of relating to the harshness of the arctic characters in it. The gruesome battle at the end reminds me of The Thing, and only makes the story better.
The Soul Selects her own Society: Invasion and Repulsion: A Chronological Reinterpretation of Two of Emily Dickinson's Poems: A Wellsian Perspective, by Connie Willis
The footnotes are a little irritating, and generally this story as a review of poetry was not very enjoyable to me.
The Roosevelt Dispatches, by Mike Resnick
I liked this, especially for its careful details regarding Roosevelt's connections to the AMNH and people there. The author clearly did his homework in getting the right people mentioned in the right contexts, and in believable situations (aside from the alien invasion side of things).
Canals in the Sand, by Kevin J. Anderson
What an enjoyable story! It definitely has a bit of the worrisome hubris of Lovecraftian tales.
Foreign Devils, by Walter Jon Williams
Great story, could be an epic movie. The best part is the limited point of view of the ruling people, you can get a sense for how such an invasion would really play out in Chinese culture in the early 20th C
Blue Period, by Daniel Marcus
From the point of view of Pablo Picasso, it seems historically accurate and a fun way to imagine the invasion in Paris. But otherwise not amazing.
The Martian Invasion Journals of Henry James, by Robert Silverberg
An interesting story about James suffering the invasion with H. G. Wells. The references to connections among authors of the time is fun.
The True Tale of the Final Battle of Umslopogaas the Zulu, by Janet Berliner
The point of view of Winston Churchill was interesting, but not the most thrilling of the bunch. The story about Umslopogaas seems almost mystical.
Night of the Cooters, by Howard Waldrop
Maybe my favorite story, mainly for the character development of the Texas Ranger narrating.
Determinism and the Martian War, with Relativistic Corrections, by Doug Beason
What a terrific story! The way that Einstein's thoughts on relativity develop due to the invasion are brilliant, and the novel idea of the way in which the aliens wait for help when in distress is one of the most creative ideas I've read in a while. Wow!!
Soldier of the Queen, by Barbara Hambly
This story may be my least favorite, if only because of the difficulty in following the storyline.
Mars: The Home Front, by George Alec Effinger
A nice surprise of an Edgar Rice Burroughs story of John Carter fighting martians on Mars! Very cool!!
A Letter from St. Louis, by Allen Steele
A bit of a boring tale of the invasion in St. Louis. The involvement of Pulitzer is not as interesting as it sounds like it should be.
Resurrection, by Mark W. Tiedemann
The Tolstoy story wasn't my favorite, but they did manage to capture some of the very Russian aspects of what I'd expect.
Paris Conquers All, by Gregory Benford and David Brin
The Jules Verne story was fun, especially his commentary about Wells.
To Mars and Providence, by Don Webb
What a fantastic job of making a story about young Lovecraft's connection to the Martian invasion! The parts of WotW that are already eerily similar to Lovecraft's cosmic mythos are enhanced here.
Roughing it During the Martian Invasion, by Daniel Keys Moran and Jodi Moran
Perhaps I spoke too soon about earlier ones being my favorites. I love Twain, and the feeling captured in this story is terrific.
To See the World End, by M. Shayne Bell
Less about the WotW, and more about Joseph Conrad, but still fascinating.
After a Lean Winter, by Dave Wolverton
The absolute best when it comes to relating the scientific aspects of the Martian defeat by disease, and also a great way of relating to the harshness of the arctic characters in it. The gruesome battle at the end reminds me of The Thing, and only makes the story better.
The Soul Selects her own Society: Invasion and Repulsion: A Chronological Reinterpretation of Two of Emily Dickinson's Poems: A Wellsian Perspective, by Connie Willis
The footnotes are a little irritating, and generally this story as a review of poetry was not very enjoyable to me.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 1, 2017
"Echa Wojny Światów", to jedyna w swoim rodzaju publikacja, w której znany dotąd tylko z relacji H.G. Wellsa atak Marsjan na Ziemię prześledzić możemy z perspektywy innych, wybitnych umysłów epoki. Dopiero poznawszy zawarte tu teksty, będziecie w stanie ocenić ogrom strat i zasięg marsjańskiego najazdu, któremu mężnie stawiać będą czoło - walcząc bezpośrednio, bądź wykorzystując swój intelekt - takie osobistości, jak Teddy Roosevelt, Juliusz Verne, Winston Churchill, Albert Einstein i Rudyard Kipling (którego wspierał będzie wychowany w dziczy Mowgli).
Odwiedzić będzie Wam dane najodleglejsze zakamarki świata - od mroźnej Alaski, gdzie sumienie Jacka Londona zostanie wystawione na ciężką próbę, poprzez odległe Chiny, których Cesarz zmuszony będzie zrewidować znaczenie pojęcia "cudzoziemskie diabły", aż po Rosję, gdzie wraz Lwem Tołstojem i z młodym Józefem Wissarionowiczem Dżugaszwilim staniecie się świadkami przemian, niekoniecznie ustrojowych.
Oprócz tego dowiecie się o przypadkach kolaboracji z najeźdźcą, zarówno tej niezamierzonej (Percival Lowell), jak i wypływającej z sięgających prawieków predestynacji (H.P. Lovecraft). Całe szczęście, że na pomoc ludzkości gotowi byli pośpieszyć, bohater Marsa, John Carter i zmartwychwstała z grobu - na tą okoliczność - Emily Dickinson!
Znakomity zbiór opowiadań, do którego wracam już po raz trzeci i bawię przy nim przednio. Kilka opowiadań to absolutne perełki w dorobku - skądinąd znanych i lubianych - pisarzy science-fiction. "Echa Wojny Światów" to jeden z najbardziej kreatywnych sposobów, na wykorzystanie pomysłów z "Wojny Światów" Wellsa i w ogóle z jakiejkolwiek prozy, biorącej sobie za cel kontynuowanie wątków z cudzych powieści, jakie dane mi było przeczytać. Absolutna perełka wśród antologii science-fiction. Gorąco polecam!
Odwiedzić będzie Wam dane najodleglejsze zakamarki świata - od mroźnej Alaski, gdzie sumienie Jacka Londona zostanie wystawione na ciężką próbę, poprzez odległe Chiny, których Cesarz zmuszony będzie zrewidować znaczenie pojęcia "cudzoziemskie diabły", aż po Rosję, gdzie wraz Lwem Tołstojem i z młodym Józefem Wissarionowiczem Dżugaszwilim staniecie się świadkami przemian, niekoniecznie ustrojowych.
Oprócz tego dowiecie się o przypadkach kolaboracji z najeźdźcą, zarówno tej niezamierzonej (Percival Lowell), jak i wypływającej z sięgających prawieków predestynacji (H.P. Lovecraft). Całe szczęście, że na pomoc ludzkości gotowi byli pośpieszyć, bohater Marsa, John Carter i zmartwychwstała z grobu - na tą okoliczność - Emily Dickinson!
Znakomity zbiór opowiadań, do którego wracam już po raz trzeci i bawię przy nim przednio. Kilka opowiadań to absolutne perełki w dorobku - skądinąd znanych i lubianych - pisarzy science-fiction. "Echa Wojny Światów" to jeden z najbardziej kreatywnych sposobów, na wykorzystanie pomysłów z "Wojny Światów" Wellsa i w ogóle z jakiejkolwiek prozy, biorącej sobie za cel kontynuowanie wątków z cudzych powieści, jakie dane mi było przeczytać. Absolutna perełka wśród antologii science-fiction. Gorąco polecam!
January 26, 2016
Not a bad collection of short stories. Some not so good others pretty good. If you are a fan of the "War of the Worlds" story by H. G. Wells then this is overall recommended.
November 2, 2024
Wells’ War of the Worlds was set in England, but here the Martian attack was launched across the globe, and now an array of science fiction authors deliver descriptions of the Attack as experienced by Teddy Roosevelt, Pablo Picasso, Mark Twain, and others. Although it suffers a bit from not having a consistent timeline/universe (the two Paris chronicles are in direct opposition, which is appropriate for the riotous French), the variety of stories and voices is fun. Imagine a western invaded by H.G. Wells, or — a version of War of the Worlds that features John Carter on Barsoom! There’s also variety to the structure of the stories: while most are straight tales, others are composites (we learn of Teddy’s adventures in Cuba via a series of letters and journal entries), and one (Emily Dickinson’s) is a literary analysis paper. Because most of the starring characters are significant figures, there’s usually some mention to their work: H.G. Wells appears as a supporting character in someone else’s story, Albert Einstein’s investigation of a Martian machine inspires him to begin thinking of relativity, and so on. There also connections to historical events, like a European martial strike against the ailing Manchu empire in China being interrupted by the machines: the Manchus are overjoyed until they realized the lords from space are there to wreck everyone’s day, not just the Foreign Devils. Often the authors will try to evoke the style of their subject: the “Barsoom” story seems reasonably close to what I’ve read from A Princess of Mars, and I was amused at the idea of trying to marry those two different versions of Mars. (No mention of Lewis’ “Malacandra”.) The authors have some fun with their historic settings: the remains of the grand exposition held in Paris (including the Eiffel tower) are utterly wrecked, and in another story Jules Verne and another character argue over its aesthetic merits. Alas! How will movie-watchers in the future know they’re in Paris without that shot of the city? And of course, there are the in-jokes, like the story featuring Tolstoy being called “Resurrection”, in which a young Stalin appears — though only the history-obsessed who know his original Russian name will recognize him. There’s a lot of fun to be had in this collection, especially for fans of Wells and Verne. Definitely worth picking up!
July 27, 2024
I first read this when it came out in 1996 or 1997, just after I returned from Japan. I enjoyed it at the time, but I didn't know half of the characters or a lot of the historical context at the time. So I was happy to pick it up from the library booksale and read it again.
It's written from the perspective of famous people who were alive in 1900, as if they had witnessed the global Martian invasion. So Picasso, Henry James, Teddy Roosevelt, Einstein, Mark Twain, H.P. Lovecraft, Jack London, Emily Dickinson (despite being dead and buried), and so on. The list of authors who contributed is also impressive-- there's the usual list of people who contribute to these theme anthologies (Kevin Anderson, Shayne Bell, Mike Resnick, Dave Wolverton), but also some really big names in SF who don't usually participate in this game: Robert Silverberg, Connie Willis, Greg Benford and David Brin.
It's fun to get glimpses, but the stories aren't long enough to really develop much. Most of them just kind of end without anything being resolved. Some of the best ones are written in the voice of the famous character.
I wish, though, that there was more of an overarching plot joining it all together. Maybe a Young Indiana Jones Chronicles sort of thing, or maybe a World War Z style documentary structure. Instead it is all individual short stories, albeit with an in-universe foreword and epilogue.
I wrote this back when I visited Grover's Mill four or five years ago: "I love War of the Worlds. Everything about it— the 1953 movie, Spielberg’s 2005 adaptation, Independence Day, the illustrations in the Belgian first edition, the contemporary unauthorized sequels, the battle with Don Quixote, all of it. The novel has the same relationship to American SF that Tolkien has to fantasy: everything that came after had to either copy it or react against it. So when I realized Grover’s Mill was only 5 miles away from Rider College (where Daniel is auditioning today) I decided to come see if I could find the crater. (In Orson Welles’ infamous radio broadcast this is where the cylinder impacted.) It turns out there’s a monument. And a pretty lake. Also I’m pretty sure Grover’s Mill was in Buckaroo Bonzai."
It's written from the perspective of famous people who were alive in 1900, as if they had witnessed the global Martian invasion. So Picasso, Henry James, Teddy Roosevelt, Einstein, Mark Twain, H.P. Lovecraft, Jack London, Emily Dickinson (despite being dead and buried), and so on. The list of authors who contributed is also impressive-- there's the usual list of people who contribute to these theme anthologies (Kevin Anderson, Shayne Bell, Mike Resnick, Dave Wolverton), but also some really big names in SF who don't usually participate in this game: Robert Silverberg, Connie Willis, Greg Benford and David Brin.
It's fun to get glimpses, but the stories aren't long enough to really develop much. Most of them just kind of end without anything being resolved. Some of the best ones are written in the voice of the famous character.
I wish, though, that there was more of an overarching plot joining it all together. Maybe a Young Indiana Jones Chronicles sort of thing, or maybe a World War Z style documentary structure. Instead it is all individual short stories, albeit with an in-universe foreword and epilogue.
I wrote this back when I visited Grover's Mill four or five years ago: "I love War of the Worlds. Everything about it— the 1953 movie, Spielberg’s 2005 adaptation, Independence Day, the illustrations in the Belgian first edition, the contemporary unauthorized sequels, the battle with Don Quixote, all of it. The novel has the same relationship to American SF that Tolkien has to fantasy: everything that came after had to either copy it or react against it. So when I realized Grover’s Mill was only 5 miles away from Rider College (where Daniel is auditioning today) I decided to come see if I could find the crater. (In Orson Welles’ infamous radio broadcast this is where the cylinder impacted.) It turns out there’s a monument. And a pretty lake. Also I’m pretty sure Grover’s Mill was in Buckaroo Bonzai."
January 20, 2024
I picked this one up at a bookfair because I thought it looked silly and gimmicky. And I have now discovered that it was exactly what I expected.
The anthology works much better without the preface and afterword, and if it embraced the inconsistencies I think it would have fared much better, because as it is, it just seems like a really shoddy editing job (or that the brief to the authors wasn't clear enough). Silverberg's story is the only one that grappled with the main issue I had but in the process contradicted every other story and the preface. If these authors had witnessed the Martian invasion as described by H. G. Wells, Wells would never have written his book. Documenting actual history through a first person narrator is just not H. G. Wells and would have surely been thought of by him as fundamentally boring. This anthology doesn't have anything to add to Wells' original story and actually takes away a lot of its magic (or should I say science...?). If you take the book as a bunch of stories set in unrelated worlds all paying homage to Wells and other famous authors, the book fares a lot better. However, a lot of the stories are just filled with name-dropping and event-dropping wrapped in unoriginal, contrived scenarios.
I understand the idea here and it is obviously intended to be a light-hearted anthology, but that doesn't excuse trying to set up an alternative world and then having every story break your world through inconsistencies. I did enjoy Willis' satire in the last story, definitely the most enjoyable part of the book.
The anthology works much better without the preface and afterword, and if it embraced the inconsistencies I think it would have fared much better, because as it is, it just seems like a really shoddy editing job (or that the brief to the authors wasn't clear enough). Silverberg's story is the only one that grappled with the main issue I had but in the process contradicted every other story and the preface. If these authors had witnessed the Martian invasion as described by H. G. Wells, Wells would never have written his book. Documenting actual history through a first person narrator is just not H. G. Wells and would have surely been thought of by him as fundamentally boring. This anthology doesn't have anything to add to Wells' original story and actually takes away a lot of its magic (or should I say science...?). If you take the book as a bunch of stories set in unrelated worlds all paying homage to Wells and other famous authors, the book fares a lot better. However, a lot of the stories are just filled with name-dropping and event-dropping wrapped in unoriginal, contrived scenarios.
I understand the idea here and it is obviously intended to be a light-hearted anthology, but that doesn't excuse trying to set up an alternative world and then having every story break your world through inconsistencies. I did enjoy Willis' satire in the last story, definitely the most enjoyable part of the book.
December 25, 2024
The idea behind this volume is so wonderful and seemingly obvious, it's a wonder it didn't happen earlier. The stories here offer fresh takes on H. G. Wells novel without merely rehashing the story. Some give us perspective and we see just how differently certain historic figures around the world might have reacted to the Martian Invasion. Others, like the accounts from Jules Verne and Lovecraft, could be seen as straying from Wells' text; but I prefer to see them as further exploring the nature of the Martians' existence and their technology. Connie Willis' Emily Dickinson tale is seeming spoof of windbag "scholarly" writings that are obsessed with footnotes and jumping to conclusions of questionable logic. It's a nice relief after so man dark tales.
Ultimately, while some of the stories fit comfortably within the continuity of The War of the Worlds, some are more tangentially connected. What really connects them all is the sheer enthusiasm of the writers. Everyone involved clearly had fun writing in this world from the perspective of famous people. And this reader found it easy to partake of that fun.
Ultimately, while some of the stories fit comfortably within the continuity of The War of the Worlds, some are more tangentially connected. What really connects them all is the sheer enthusiasm of the writers. Everyone involved clearly had fun writing in this world from the perspective of famous people. And this reader found it easy to partake of that fun.
December 1, 2017
Worth reading, and worth commissioning.
The stories aren't great, perhaps because we know the outcome (well, in most cases ...)
I really enjoyed rediscovering Howard Waldrop's wonderfully colorful style. Who else would start with "Sheriff Lindley was asleep on the toilet ..."? Who writes "the town was as still as a rusty shovel" or "it was as hot as under an upside-down washpot on a tin shed roof"?
Connie Willis, as always, writes a wry and amusing piece, but spoils it by firing off all the fireworks at once. A story that would be great with 20 jokes in it has about 60. Clever, but it's more "look how clever I am" than "ya wanna know what happened then?" And yes, as always, she did great buckets of research, and made sure it ALL made it into the story. Just not my taste.
Others varied, in creativity and in faithfulness to the style of the targeted author.
But all in all, it was worth reading.
The stories aren't great, perhaps because we know the outcome (well, in most cases ...)
I really enjoyed rediscovering Howard Waldrop's wonderfully colorful style. Who else would start with "Sheriff Lindley was asleep on the toilet ..."? Who writes "the town was as still as a rusty shovel" or "it was as hot as under an upside-down washpot on a tin shed roof"?
Connie Willis, as always, writes a wry and amusing piece, but spoils it by firing off all the fireworks at once. A story that would be great with 20 jokes in it has about 60. Clever, but it's more "look how clever I am" than "ya wanna know what happened then?" And yes, as always, she did great buckets of research, and made sure it ALL made it into the story. Just not my taste.
Others varied, in creativity and in faithfulness to the style of the targeted author.
But all in all, it was worth reading.
January 2, 2019
I’m not the greatest fan of the original H. G. Wells story, it’s not aged well and the story is very dry in the telling. I had hoped that these different authors could inject some life into it. Unfortunately, for the most part, they chose to stick to Wells’s narrative style without bringing any new material to the theme. This became really repetitive and I only kept going in the dwindling hope that the next story would be better. The one stand-out was told from John Carpenter’s point of view as he thwarted the Martian’s efforts on their home turf (which was why they sent such a small army). If you enjoyed the original, this may be for you, but otherwise give it a miss.
November 27, 2023
Like a lot of genre anthologies its got it hits and misses, but the central concept tying all the stories together, HG Well's "war of the worlds" actually happened at the turn of the century and is seen through historical figures/author's of the times point of view, is a very unique one and more then makes up for the stories that are just OK in this anthology!
A very fun companion piece to Well's classic science fiction story!
P.S if nothing else read the story titled "Mars: The Home Front" by George Alec Effinger in this anthology! A really fun John Carter of Mars vs HG Well's Martians story!
A very fun companion piece to Well's classic science fiction story!
P.S if nothing else read the story titled "Mars: The Home Front" by George Alec Effinger in this anthology! A really fun John Carter of Mars vs HG Well's Martians story!
March 28, 2021
I would have appreciated this more if it had slightly fewer stories. But overall I enjoyed the concept. I most enjoyed the pieces that took a humorous slant. The opening Teddy Roosevelt story was a highlight, and the later piece featuring Henry James bantering with H.G. Wells.
I most enjoyed the closing story by Connie Willis featuring the questionable take of a supposed literary academic on Emily Dickinson, complete with "footnotes" name-dropping Mel Gibson, Post-It Notes, and "Itsy-Bitsy Spider."
I most enjoyed the closing story by Connie Willis featuring the questionable take of a supposed literary academic on Emily Dickinson, complete with "footnotes" name-dropping Mel Gibson, Post-It Notes, and "Itsy-Bitsy Spider."
November 1, 2023
An excellent idea for an anthology.
I admit to not knowing most of the authors who offered up a tale, and in fact I’d not heard of a couple of the literary protagonists – Emily, Who? The reclusive poetess isn’t such an icon round these parts.
There are tales here that are thought provoking and make you think ‘ooh I’d not considered that’.
Good stuff.
June 1, 2017
Assuming H.G. Wells' War of the Worlds happened, several famous people of that day have their stories told by some of the top names in today's science fiction. All are at least pretty good; some are great!
June 16, 2017
Enjoyed this romp through the classical sci-fi world of HG. Fresh and original stories from the time of the Martian invasion.
June 28, 2018
like most collections I liked some and not others.
September 19, 2018
Great!
An awesome collection of short stories from the Martian invasion. Lots of variety and plenty of black humour make this a fascinating read.
An awesome collection of short stories from the Martian invasion. Lots of variety and plenty of black humour make this a fascinating read.
April 20, 2019
Great fun.
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