Monday 11 May 2020

Three War of the Worlds Adaptation Novels.



Victorian Britain in Chaos!
Three pastiche #WarOfTheWorlds 
#sciencefiction #readers #scifiart #scifihorror #scifi #scifibooks 😀👍

The Last Days of...
Thunder Child https://buff.ly/2NkEbbQ
the Fighting Machine https://buff.ly/2MNil1N
Purgatory https://buff.ly/2Lkls0B





1. Did you enjoy the dreadful thought of the War of the Worlds Tripod Fighting Machines from Mars?

2. What About the War of the Worlds 1953 Radio Broadcast?

3. Or the Jeff Wayne War of the Worlds Musical?

Imagine it from the cool maths game point of view. The Martians did not make an allowance for a world of warships. Therefore, war and thunder spitting from the ironclad's guns would take the complacent Martians, in their fighting machines, by surprise.

Science Fiction Lovers Indulge This Thought.

Imagine, if you will, how it would have been to be a Victorian sailor from retro British times of 1898. You are on board HMS Thunder Child and the ship is picking up strange semaphore messages from the shore stations. Invaders from Mars are striding about and destroying the entire fabric of our nation. Would you believe such outrages things? The entire ship would be alive with speculation and disbelief. These sailors were destined to see three Martian fighting machines and confront the colossal edifices in battle.

As an impressionable young lad, I always found myself pondering such things.

I would walk about in my dream thinking, “If I was in that story, I would do this or that.” I found myself wishing for all sorts of adventures.

When I read H.G. Wells' War of the Worlds, I remember getting a tremendous lift out of the short excerpt when an ironclad called H.M.S. Thunder Child attacked three Martian tripods in the River Blackwater to save a paddle steamer full of refugees. 




It was not more than half a page and the uplifting and brave event was short-lived. Yet it achieved great admiration from me as a young and impressionable avid reader. Anyone who has read War of the Worlds or listened to Jeff Wayne's musical adaptation will know. 

In my mind's eye, I wanted to know more about the crew and the bold ironclad. I found myself reinventing a small section of the story from a whole new perspective. I wondered what it would have been like to be on such a ship that cruised into legend, blazing away at the Martian abominations in defense of mankind.




(Science Fiction Fan's Pastiche Story.)



Have you ever enjoyed H.G. Wells War of the Worlds, an all-time classic Science Fiction story written in 1898? It tells of a Martian invasion that begins in Britain in the County of Surrey just South West of London. Close to a town called Woking. In fact, if you ever visit the town there is a statue of a Martian tripod in the shopping center. If you have read this story, you will know of the ironclad H.M.S. Thunder Child that is forced to defend the paddle steamer full of refugees. Do you wonder what it would be like to join the crew a few days before the event? You could follow the brave men on their terrible journey around the coastline and up the River Blackwater to Maldon and the final confrontation with three Martian tripods?



From Mars, the meteorites shot through space-bound for Earth and conquest over all life forms that live there. The Martians were unfeeling towards mankind as humans are to sheep or other lesser creatures.



The meteorites land in fields and woodland. After a time, there emerges the terror of mankind. Colossal tripods, before which, humanity flees as the onslaught of the fighting machines begins. People are destroyed by heat rays and black toxic gas. Those that survive are forced to flee the pursuing devastation.



Aboard H.M.S. Thunder Child, the crew is blissfully unaware of the savage terror. Only the new Captain knows and only upon the journey, at sea, do the crew begin to learn the unbelievable news from semaphore stations.



Fear grips the population and hordes of refugees make for the coastline to flee the country. Their world is gone and only death and destruction follow. Ships of all nations and sizes must aid the mass evacuation...




Amid all of this, the mighty little ironclad, H.M.S. Thunder Child must play her role to the full and rely on the bravery of a small crew.


War of the Worlds pastiche
Britain in 1898.

The Martians really came and this is the alternative history of that dreadful event. Join the crew of HMS Thunder Child as she prepares to embark upon her doomed voyage, before her demise and courageous battle with three Martian tripod fighting machines at the River Blackwater in the county of Essex, England, UK.

Captain McIntosh and his brave crew can hardly believe the semaphore messages sent from the shore stations. The news is so uncanny and fantastic that none can accept the stories of Martians falling from space. All hands of HMS Thunder Child must keep a dreadful appointment with destiny as they cruise towards the dire outcome awaiting them.

The War of the Worlds first terrified audiences in book form in 1898, as the first-person narrator tells us the adventures of an unnamed protagonist and his brother as Martians invade Earth. But there were other characters with stories to tell.


C. A. Powell delves into H. G. Wells’ War of the Worlds and offers fans of the original novel a brand new perspective on the invasion of Earth. In The Last Days of Thunder Child, we see this classic through the eyes of the Royal Navy crew members of HMS Thunder Child and the land-based Ministry of Defence. With this pastiche novel, you will have an even greater understanding and appreciation of the original classic. 


Find out what happens and read: The Last Days of Thunder Child By C.A. Powell































Wednesday 6 May 2020

Richard III Still Wants a Horse.

Richard III Still Wants a Horse.

Tonight, I shall watch Ian McKellen’s adaptation and portrayal of Richard III. This is an alternative Richard III that takes place 450 years after the actual event.
It is set in an alternative England of the late 1930s. The Lancastrians and the Yorkists are at each other’s throats again. Obviously, there is no United Kingdom because King James the VI of Scotland has not become King James I of England yet. Not for about another 120 years. It’ll happen in about 2058. lol 
I’ve seen and enjoyed the old Laurence Olivier movie, but I’m especially looking forward to this rendition because it has the retro art deco and almost steampunk feel to it.
Instead of Knights in shining armour we have soldiers that look like they are from a 1930s fascist movement. The mounts are replaced by tanks, jeeps, and airplanes.

Monday 4 May 2020

Counter Measures - Series 3. Big Finish (A Great set of Audio stories)


A very well presented Audible. This is the third series I have listened to while at work. I particularly liked the last story. Some splendid ideas for uncanny mystery and scientific manipulation in dangerous areas. All set in Britain of 1965. Everything seems to work well within the confined limits of that time and place. Very entertaining and well worth listening to. It is also very atmospheric too. I will listen to all the other Counter Measures on Big Finish. I'm a fan all the way.

HARDWARE - 1990 science fiction film.




Richard Stanley wrote and directed the script for the British science fiction movie called Hardware. There were some noted cameo roles from Rock Stars of the time. Three of them being Iggy Pop as the radio presenter and the strange desert traveler who finds the robot parts played by Carl McCoy of Fields of the Nephilim rock band. Then there was Lemmy of Motörhead and Hawkwind fame.

The two main stars were Dylan McDermott and Stacey Travis. American actors who gave the movie a broader range of audience appeal.

The desert wanderer has unknowingly found parts for a self-repairing robot. It is some form of military hardware and once it repairs its self after being sold to an out of work creative artist, the diabolical machine goes on a killing spree. The original version had a number of grisly murders in it. However, it was edited before release and many of the more gruesome scenes were omitted.

It has since become a cult movie but it did cause a great deal of controversy when the British comic group 2000 AD saw the film. There was a court case of plagiarism issued and by Fleetway comics because it was from a short story called SHOCK! It was in the 1981 Judge Dredd Annual. The case was successful and certain monies had to be paid and on-screen credits to the story of SHOK! are included in screening, etc.

The film is set in a post-apocalyptic future and was made on a budget of £950,000 and grossed in excess of 5.2 million at the box office. Some of the close camera work and lighting gave the film some good authenticity.

Saturday 2 May 2020

Mr Jago meets Oscar Wild and also meets his wordy match. (Jago and Litefoot -season 4)




Jago and Litefoot go Season Fourth.

I can't help loving a bit of pretentious flowery dialogue. In these Jago and Litefoot stories, we have it in abundance. Especially from the Victorian theatre manager, Mister Jago. Professor Litefoot does not do bad either with his pretentious wit. Now we have the Doctor Who character of Leela thrown into the mix with her Sevatean warrior straight talk.

It all makes for splendid dark humour and a wonderful uncanny season 4 jaunt. This series had two fine stories out of the four. I must confess to being not to keen on the first tale set in Brighton. But the second and third just blew me away with fiendish cleverness on the part of whoever wrote the scripts. The fourth was hijacked and I felt our friends went backstage for long periods.

One of the stories, I liked, involves Oscar Wilde. The creepy tale is very clever and an absolute peach of a listen. A diabolical conundrum that is splendidly thought out. I know I am always raving about the wonderful dialogue between Jago and Litefoot but I honestly can't express how much I love it all.

In one part of the tale, Jago heaps colourful and pretentious praise upon Oscar Wild. The arrogant writer casually bats back a culinary machine gun of pretentious words that leaves Jago dumbfounded and gulping. For once the theatre manager is at a loss for words. Furthermore, he has been raked by several words that he has never heard before. It was excellent humour.

Then, to top it all, the actual story was fabulously dark and ghastly. Science fiction - horror and Gothic shivers at its sublime best. Whoever sat down and thought out this plot was very good indeed.

Then the fourth seemed to bomb a little. Jago and Litefoot are the stars and in this story, they seemed to be pushed in the background. Therefore despite having one of the most enjoyable of the stories so far, it also had one that was not so good. I might have given it three stars out of five, but I did enjoy the Oscar Wild story. That got a six out of five - lol. The overall performance earns the entire series 4 a four-star in all.

Friday 1 May 2020

Counter Measures - Series 2 (Doctor Who - spin-off)

Counter-Measures: Series 2 Box SetCounter-Measures: Series 2 Box Set by Matt Fitton
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A very well presented Audible. This is the second series I have listened to while at work. I particularly liked the last story. Some splendid ideas for uncanny mystery and scientific manipulation in dangerous areas. All set in Britain of 1963. Everything seems to work well within the confined limits of that time and place. Very entertaining and well worth listening to.


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