When did you become interested in WOTW?

[Andy120290]

Here is a chance for you to tell you're story of how you became interested in The War of the Worlds. Here's mine:
I was in High School, December '05, the day before Christmas break. For a treat, my teacher brought in War of the Worlds (Speilberg's version) to show the class. At first, I wasn't that interested. But the more I watched, the more I was drawn in. I thought the movie was pretty cool and the ending was genius. Within a few days I learned of the 1953 movie, the book, and the radio broadcast. And within a few weeks, I saw the '53 movie and I have been interested ever since.

[nervouspete]

Hurrah! A wonderful 'origin' story mate, and I'm really happy you found it through the Spielberg story, shows that other people will too. And I like your teacher's style. Glad you liked the '53 movie too, that still has a lot of charm for me and I think the design and SFX still holds up to some extent.

For me it was hiding from the BBC series John Christopher's 'The Tripods Trilogy' as a three year old, but retaining enough of a fascination for the three legged alien machine to buy Christopher's 'Tripod's Trilogy' (nowt to do with TWOTW if you don't know about 'em, but very good and imaginative kid's sci-fi in themselves) as my first book purchase when I was about eight.

Then I saw another book with a tripod on it and thought, "Hurrah! Tripods!".

And my mind was blown. I had recurring nightmares after reading it, but I loved it dearly. Then I saw the '53 film and that gave me equally lurid nightmares when I was ten.

And when the Spielberg film was announced I started visiting here. Through all this time I've still held a firm adoration for the original book as basically kick starting the entire sci-fi thang.

Still, though I would have read it eventually, I still thank John Christopher for introducing me to the world!

[Lensman]

I'm not sure what age I was when I first read WotW. Probably 11 or 12. I'm pretty sure I had read it before I discovered "Doc" Smith at age 13, and I already considered myself a science fiction fan at that time.

Naturally I saw the George Pal film growing up-- it was one of the very best science fiction films in the pre-Star Wars era. It's not on my list of all-time favorite films, but I do think it's a classic and I enjoy it a lot.

I can't say I was especially interested in WotW for many years. I'm more a "Space Opera" fan, so I enjoy stories more in the Jules Verne tradition of adventure than in the Wells tradition of social commentary.

However, the monthly book discussion at a local bookstore had a "War of the Worlds" theme one month, featuring Wells' classic and War of the Worlds: Global Dispatches. I was impressed at how well the original novel has stood up to the passage of time. I was surprised that some in the group complained about the Victorian writing style as excessively wordy or florid. Since I fell in love with Sherlock Holmes at an early age, the Victorian era and Victorian writing styles are like mother's milk to me. But each to his own, I suppose.

I participate in a few e-mail lists of science fiction fans. I also run my own videophile/ home theatre enthusiast/ film buff group, called the "Laser Rangers". We meet once a month on a Saturday evening to watch a couple of movies and have dinner.

Anyway, in our discussions of films, whether on e-lists or at Laser Rangers, whenever the subject of "What movie would you most like to see remade" or "What book would you most like to see made into a movie" came up, some of us-- including myself-- would put WotW as #1 on the list, because an authentic period production had never been made. So I was quite pleased to read rumors that popped up in my e-lists about an authentic period production. After hearing such rumors a few times over the space of some months, but never any details, I finally went looking on the Internet for more information. I stumbled across Rob's website. "Hey! There's people on a forum here and they're actually talking about this movie!" And the rest, as they say, is history.

So if I'm not really that big a Wells fan, why do I spend so much time here? Because unlike most Internet forums, most members here seem to be well read and well informed, they want to talk about interesting things, and the moderators keep the flamewars to a minimum. So a big "Thanks!" to Rob for setting up this forum. And thanks also to Nerfy, Bayne, H.C., Poyks, Richard, and anyone else who has been a moderator here, for putting up with us!

I see from my forum profile that I registered on 29 Jan 2005. That seems incredible-- has it *really* only been a year and a half since I joined this forum? But it *can't* be-- it's been *ages*!

[beecus]

I think I must have been 12 - 13 also, I had fallen badly whilst playing with my younger sister and ended up in bed with a neck brace for weeks.
I was home alone mostly, bed bound and my dad comes upstairs with a cassette.
''Listen to this'' he says and left for work.

It was Jeff Wayne's War of the Worlds.

All I remember is being terrified, lying flat on my back, unable to move, unable to swich it off, all alone in the house......

[EvilNerfherder]

I was a Jeff Wayne Fan. Then I found this place.
Life has not been the same since.

[mctoddridesagain]

Read the novel first. I was a wee nipper at my grandparents' (on the regular family visit) and grandad had a copy from the library - I'm pretty sure it was large print. I was quite touched to see the cover on Dr Zeus' site:



So, there not being much to do on such days, and intrigued by the cover, I sat and read it in one sitting (it was a long visit!). I was already a Jules Verne fan so I took to it like a duck to water. Echoing Lensman here, but I find it amusing that some of his peers were put off by the Victorian writing style. Wells' style is quite tight in comparison with many of his contemporaries (and a lot smoother than Verne's).

After that I heard Jeff Wayne's album and liked it, but for me it's always been the book.

[Stuuullaaa]

At approximately the age of 8 or 9, I remember seeing the JW version on the back of my Nan's Freeman's catalogue (Britannia Music Club), I remember being very intrigued by the Fighting Machine Heat-Raying the Thunder Child!! Probably 6 or so months later, my family and I were at a Friends house for a meal, and she happened to have the album in her collection. I remember opening the booklet and being crossed between terrified out of my wits & totally absorbed by the the paintings, and listening to the album itself just fueled the fear and excitement!

Next was the film, of which my Father had hired on Betamax(!) video! I remember loving the film but for one thing - the Martians weren't walking - they were hovering (didn't realise they had invisible legs).

Then I borrowed the book from the main library. Not only did I need my bedroom light on (until I went to sleep), but I also needed the Oxford dictionary next to me to interpret some of the words that H.G. had used!!

Thats pretty much it really, apart from the S.S. film last year & Jeff's live tour.

[Luperis]

I was first introduced to WotW when I was about 6 or 7. My parents had a casette tape of Sci-fi songs that they played in the car, and one of them was 'The Eve of the War' from Jeff Wayne's musical. When I heard it, I was instantly hooked - and often insisted on hearing it... over and over... so my parents decided to introduce me to the full musical. I absolutely loved it, and it quickly became my favourate music... and still is.

My love of the musical version later led me to the book (a fantastic piece of literature!) .... and to other incarnations like the radio broadcast and '53 movie... then to this site. ;D

[theredweed]

I was actually s**t scared of JWs version when I was younger, then my sister read the book to me and I hated it (scared again) then when I got into secondary school I started to like it and it just grew from there