Monday 8 June 2015

Poul Anderson's Martians: The Makeshift Rocket And Captive Of The Centaurianess

One Martian:

gray hairless head-body cupola as high as an Earthman's waist;
four walking tentacles;
two writhing arm tentacles;
flat nose;
large brow;
wide mouth;
no lips;
bulging eyes.
(See Poul Anderson, The Makeshift Rocket (New York, 1962), p. 15.)

Another Martian:

gray body cupola, 120 centimeters tall;
four strong walking tentacles;
two thin, boneless, three-fingered arms;
wide mouth between the arms;
no lips;
elephantine ears;
flat nose;
horn-rimmed glasses.
(See Poul Anderson, "Captive of the Centaurianess" IN Anderson, The Gods Laughed (New York, 1982), pp.149-232 AT pp. 155-156.)

Yes, I think that these are the same Martian race - and another that is not to be taken seriously.

4 comments:

Sean M. Brooks said...

Kaor, Paul!

What I thought, from what I believe was meant to be humorous descriptions given in "The Makeshift Rocket" and "Captive of the Centaurianess," was how they reminded me of H.G. Wells description of his Martians in THE WAR OF THE WORLDS. Or even of the "Bug Eyed Monsters" (BEMs) of 1920's pulp SF.

Sean

Paul Shackley said...

Sean,
A bit like the Wellsian Martians although the latter could not walk.
Paul.

Sean M. Brooks said...

Kaor, Paul!

Hmmm, true! Altho I would need to reread Wells description of his Martians. He shows the invading Martians moving around England via artificial means.

Sean

Jim Baerg said...

It is a long time since I read "War of the Worlds" & I don't recall if the Martians needed artificial means for moving around, solely because of Earth's higher gravity, or if the narrator had any reason to think they also needed such means for moving around Mars.