"...skilled men might do something with bacteria against the Martians." (II, p. 21)
In Wells' The War Of The Worlds, Terrestrial bacteria themselves do more than a little something against the Martians so this passage, like the title, is probably a tribute by Anderson to Wells.
Several other authors have written not just tributes but direct sequels to The War Of The Worlds. In Alan Moore's The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, Volume II, Verne's Nautilus fights a Martian tripod in the Thames - this is drawn, not described - and the bacteria that kill the Martians are in fact a bacteriological weapon secretly unleashed against the invaders by the British government.
Here there is a convergence of thought by Wells, Anderson and Moore. We get a broader picture from diverse authors and media. Remember also Orson Welles' radio dramatization of Wells' novel.
4 comments:
"Verne's Nautilus fights a Martian tripod in the Thames"
Almost certainly a tribute to the 'HMS Thunderchild'.
Kaor, Paul!
Dang! I completely overlooked or forgot that bit you quoted from Chapter II of THE WAR OF TWO WORLDS. I agree, Anderson meant that as a tribute to Wells' story.
Ad astra! Sean
Though I doubt bacteria (and still less viruses) from one evolutionary history could infect animals from another.
Allergic reactions would be possible, perhaps, but not infection. Terrestrial life is all -related-. We're descended from single-cell organisms, and a virus takes advantage of DNA.
Kaor, Mr. Stirling!
Then biowarfare between different intelligent races might take the form of trying to weaponize reactions that would be lethal or crippling to another species.
Ad astra! Sean
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