The War of the Worlds, Plus Blood, Guts and Zombies-H.G. Wells and Eric S. Brown

The War of the Worlds, Plus Blood, Guts and Zombies
H.G. Wells and Eric S. Brown
Gallery (Pocket), Dec 14 2010, $15.00
ISBN: 9781451609752

Mars is dying, but the inhabitants see earth as their next home. Knowing they are a thousand rimes smarter and even more advanced than humans, they expect no problems conquering the third planet.

He sees an odd green light pass near his residence. He goes to look and finds a spacecraft. The inhabitants are mostly brains with tentacles using mechanical bodies for locomotion. More space ships follow as the invasion of earth has begun.

When the Martians kill a human, the latter do not stay dead; instead they return as mindless carnivores seeking live human meat. The Martians did not expect this second order effect and their scientists struggle to find a way to kill the rising reanimated dead. The observer watches much of the invasion and the zombie counter insurgency. Just when it seems the angry red planet expatriates conquered earth, bacteria attacks the Martians.

Eric S. Brown adds a relatively smooth major “Blood, Guts and Zombies” subplot to the original War of the Worlds. Though purists will ask why the Z treatment to this classic, the story line is lighthearted fun; unless you happen to be trapped between zombie and Martian fevers. The blending works for an enjoyable science fiction horror thriller though with Austen, Twain, and Lincoln fighting zombies in a sub-genre losing its freshness, who is next, Darth Vader?

Harriet Klausner