These Martians are humanoid, differing from Terrestrials only in details like height, colouration and number of fingers. Contrast Wells' version. It is plausible that this particular set of Andersonian Martians would be nicknamed "Marshies." (I, p. 10) Will we ever interact with extra-terrestrials in the same sort of way as we interact with each other: liking them, hating them, giving them nicknames etc? I doubt it but am prepared to be proved wrong at any time by a spaceship arriving in the Solar System.
The War Of Two Worlds, like Anderson's Psychotechnic History and Twilight World, begins among post-war ruins: two versions of World War III and the first war between worlds. Unfortunately, we currently see such ruins on TV news. That war has just passed its first anniversary. A rich world destroys thousands of lives and immense wealth.
In Manhattan, because there is no other means of transport, Arnfeld walks past gaunt buildings, empty windows, gaping doorways and shuffling pedestrians and through a raw, whimpering wind. Of course this wind whimpers.
In Anderson's Technic History, Earth avoids World War III but suffers the Chaos now and is sacked during the Troubles and again during the Long Night. We see the ruins during the Troubles. Some scenes are common to many timelines.
1 comment:
Kaor, Paul!
I've said this before, Anderson's THE WAR OF TWO WORLDS was better than Wells' WAR OF THE WORLDS. Truth to say, contemporaries of Wells like Kipling, Haggard, Doyle, etc., were better writers.
Wars happens because, like it or not, human beings are INNATELY prone to be quarrelsome and violent. And that is not going to change.
Ad astra! Sean
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