Brian Beatty's Reviews > War of the Worlds: Global Dispatches
War of the Worlds: Global Dispatches
by
by
** spoiler alert **
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.
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