Tuesday, June 14, 2005

I was telling Patrick Huyghe about my tentative ambition to compile a website devoted to the myriad book cover paintings for Wells' "The War of the Worlds." Then he sends me this link. Evidently someone had exactly the same idea. 169 and counting!
Posted by Mac at 8:57 PM

2 comments:

W.M. Bear said...

Interestingly, Wells' original Martians did clunk around in those three-legged AT-AT walkers that some of the covers depict pretty accurately. Relative to ca 1900 technology, they were pretty devastating, although the Royal Navy (as I recall) managed to take out a couple. I think if you put them up against today's modern weaponry, they wouldn't stand much of a chance. (Oh, sure, they've got those death rays but....)

This also made me realize that "Independence Day" was a total ripoff of -- sorry, I mean homage to -- "War of the Worlds" complete with tentacled aliens (a Wells invention, I think, and definitely a good bet for non-humanoid ETs.) And what a clever idea to have a COMPUTER virus instead of a real one destroy them!

5:02 PM
Mac said...

They wanted to use tripods in the 1950s movie but the special effects weren't up to it, so instead they settled with those lame flying things. In Spielberg's take, the 'pods are back!

10:47 PM