New Epilogue question

[Ashe Raven]

The players in the Epilogue seem to have a great deal of ignorance concerning the first invasion. They behave as if they aren't expecting to find anything. So the question is, why ater such a change in human history was the second invasion such a surprise?

Did we forget the Invasion happened?

[jeffwaynefan]

I asked the question to JWM about the NASA ending. Why did the announcer act suprised about the eruptions on Mars. Surely he must have remembered the 1900 invasion. My reply was "the album researchers at the time did not find anything in the U.S about the Martian invasion". . . . Erm, the invasion happened world wide didn't it?, "at a toll of a billion deaths" so the album story went.

[HTT]

I can try and justify the epilogue!

In the book, the martian targeted England as it was the Empire that was seen as the dominant force on Earth. So, all the martian forces landed in England, and none overseas.

So, The Journalist may have assumed a billion deaths, because he naturally thought it was a worldwide invasion, especially when his brother saw a flying machine and Tripods striding out to sea.

The British Empire may not have wanted any dent in its authority, so kept it quiet. The refugees may have been laughed at with their tales of Men from Mars (as the Journalist was originally), and the repressive Victorian mindset meant that people didn't talk about such things - especially as Alien Life would not be compatible with Creationism.

Also, as it was only a small area of England (Woking to London) over a short period of time, even most of the UK would have been unaware. News didn't travel very fast, and those that got papers maybe thought the reports to be Penny Dreadfuls, or works of fancy, etc.

So, by the time of the Epilogue, The area aroung Woking-London may have descendants who's ancestors thrilled them with fairy tales of Martian Invasion, but the rest of the world are unaware that such a thing really happed in a small area of Southern England. There would be worldwide records of green flashed from Mars and falling stars, but that's it.

On the other hand, it could just be a continuity error!

[Killraven]

hailthetripod said:

The area aroung Woking-London

On the other hand, it could just be a continuity error!

Somehow expect it was the latter!! (the Americans may have a knack for forgetting major world events in which they weren't involved but I think this is one incident which is far too big even for that ;D).

There is strong evidence in the book that the invasion spread to most of the south of England. Indeed, the Martians may well have done test flights over The Channel in their flying machine.

KR

[jeffwaynefan]

In the book they stayed in the UK, but were talking about the musical. The full narration that appears in the 7 disc set says "at the toll of a billion deaths" which indicates the invasion spread way past England.

[Lensman]

*Sigh* Why is it so hard for a producer to just be honest and say "Yeah, fair cop, we muddled up that bit." ? A production doesn't succeed or fail on the basis of one detail like this.

It's rather refreshing being in a monthly chat with science fiction author Larry Niven. He doesn't try to deny that mistakes happen when writing stories, nor try to use tortured "logic" to try to explain them away. He basically just shrugs and says "Yeah, that was a mistake" and then the conversation moves along.

[Ashe Raven]

I much prefer Lensmans approach to this.

Anyway, it woudl be pretty hard to cover a major distaster on such a huge scale, and in the book it clearly states that France and Germany were included in the aid that eventually woudl rebuild the captital. I'm sure they woudl have noticed a few aliens lying around, the redweed, and those new fangled three-legged streetlights;

"Should the flame on that candle be that hot?"