War of the Worlds / Minority Report
347255
Brand new in a clear plastic, factory sealed. A good double feature. War of the Worlds remake is good. I have not seen Minority Report yet. I heard it's also good. With the use of high tech gadgets and stuff.
1572378
As with most other HG Wells novels, THE WAR OF THE WORLDS contains poignant social commentary veiled behind a simple adventure/sci-fi story.  Wells' critical views of British imperialism and industrialisation come through here clearly.  The treatment of indigenous peoples and ecosystems by real-world conquering powers directly reflects the ruthless treatment the aliens from Mars show the people of London.  His always sharp and cynical views of the masses' attitudes and behaviour is again reflected in the many panicky and ridiculous-acting background characters here, while the unnamed protagonist/narrator lives up to the heroic image of what a Real Man should be.  Keeping a cool head, acting kindly towards others, and fighting to stay alive, this book's narrator seems remarkably similar to many of the leading roles in other Wells novels.

This is also a very descriptive novel, unlike some of Wells' other works.  From the Martians themselves to the various scenes of total destruction, and from the ravenous dogs searching for food to the panicking crowds fleeing the Black Smoke, Wells brings this story to life with detailed and dramatic descriptions. While the technology and nitty details of the Martians' assault on Earth seem dated and far-fetched today, this novel actually reflected current thinking of the time (1898).  And while there have arguably been better alien-invasion novels written since, THE WAR OF THE WORLDS founded the genre, and has had a huge influence on popular culture since its publication.  Also, while its not saying much, this book is much better than either of the movie adaptations.  Appropriate for all reading levels and should be enjoyed by almost anyone.  Highly recommended.
1274120
*Book source ~ A review copy was provided in exchange for an honest review.

In Fractured Earth, the Actuator split the world into different realities. A few people are trying to get the Keys that the Machine Monks created when they activated the Actuator. They need the Keys in order to restore the world to the original reality. The task seems insurmountable, but they have to try.

Borderlands gives a peek at some of the other realities and the people who inhabit them. 16 short stories tell of whats going on in various parts of the world since the accident that changed everything.

Remembering Emily by Sara Wolf ~ Love really is a powerful emotion.

Stolen Orchid by Matthew Cox ~ Very Sci-Fi.

The Blackbirds Tale by Dan Willis ~ Not a big fan of noir, but this is pretty good.

The Dream Journal by Nathan Yocum ~ I couldn't make sense of this one.

The Austenation by Mara Valderran ~ A mixing of the literary world. Not bad.

Escape by Patrick Burdine ~ Creepy andcreepy. But good.

The Ritual by Whitney Trang ~ Another horror realm.

The Gatekeepers of Change by James Pratt ~ This reminds me of the show Supernatural and one of my favorite guest stars. Im not saying who though.

The Ringer by Craig Nybo ~ I like detective stories especially when mixed with paranormal. Clever.

Anna and Lena by Jason Purdy ~ Wow. This is grim. And sad.

Once Upon a Frozen North by Jason Persson ~ Who doesnt like Vikings?

Halfway by Jay Wilburn ~ Eeeep! Horror fans need to read this one.

The Search for Punarnav by Juhi ~ Hindu mythology made real. I love mythology but having it real is a bit too scary an image for me.

15 Seconds of Fame by Jason A. Anderson ~ Another detective story. I mentioned I like those, right?

Forever Young by Wilbert Stanton ~ Interesting concept.

Cult of the Actuation by James Wymore ~ Ah! The aftermath of book 1 with Red and Dragon Star. Likey likey!
4797137
Earthlings stolen away by aliens and taken to an alien planet...where the aliens talk just like us.  The development of the world was weak.  The series needs a lot of work to be competitive in the U.S. market.  Spelling errors abounded.
1668887
Now that Gamera vs Viras (The alternate title for this movie) has been released, and with an english voice track, I see very little reason get this version. Unless of course the commentary track is your prime concern. If this winds up in the `new and used` at a much lower price I may consider buying it. Afterall I do have Retromedia's Other Gamera movie Return Of The Giant Monsters (Gamera vs Gyaos)  Like I said this is only an opinion and will probably be deleted in a few weeks or months.
3123366
Superman is vacationing on New Genesis.  Darkseid captures a spacecraft that passes too close to Apokalips.  While Superman enjoys not having to rescue anyone, Darkseid discovers the aliens and hatches a plan against New Genesis.

Soon New Genesis is under attack from Parademons.  As Superman and the New Gods fight them off, they are astounded when the attackers suddenly stop and aliens burst out of their chests.  Superman goes into a rage while the New Gods try to stop the flood of aliens.  Then Superman and Orion take the fight to Darkseid and the Alien queen.

I have never been a fan of the Darkseid or New Gods stories (they should have been wiped out in the Crisis) and this one is not much better.  Since this is not an Elseworlds tale, there is not a lot of room for maneuvering in the plot.  Needless to say it is a minor skirmish in the great war between the two worlds (as they all are).  I was surprised at Superman's vacation attitude.  It is not explained why he is there but he seems completely unconcerned about anything that mike be happening in his absence.  There was also the gratuitous "Big Barda strolling in her Bikini" scene that was followed by Orion posing in his briefs.

I felt the Aliens were not handled well either.  There is no menace, only one scene of stalking, and the resolution was unresolved.  Barda got away from the aliens on New Genesis but were they stopped?  No one bothered to check.  Darkseid seemed very careless about breeding face-huggers and chest-bursters.  There are scenes on Apokalips that shown many aliens have burst forth but the story does not account for any of them.  All in all this was a disappointment.
2065202
I thought "Other Worlds" was a really interesting book.  I believe it would make a great movie -- especially for 'tweens!'  It would be a lot of fun for the special effects people.
2830252
I remember well when I was just 7 years old and this movie 'War of the Worlds' came out and my mother took me to see this movie while my dad was away in the Korean War. It was a most amazing and made an indelible impression on me to this very day. I even used this movie to develope a futuristic concept about the next possible generation of tanks  [...] which incorporates the attributes of the movie's alien machines that seem to be impervious to water obstacles, land mines & barriers and a protective buble shield against other enemy fire regardless of the caliber even from air attack. Just five of these highly mobile craft could take out any enemy or any current country's military including China & Russia. Imagine That? This movie is excellent if you play it on 3D equipment and both films in this double feature transfer's very well and brings a new dimension to like looking at the movie all over again For The First time.  I highly recommends both features.
3706487
I watched this amazing film at the movie theater. Looks like if we HUMANS do not unite, this may be the ending of Earth. Who Killed the world? A timely story and fantastic cast, director, art direction, editing A must-see film. Have a LOVELY Day!
3765697
First published as The Silver Locusts, this is a collection of short stories about a fleet of locust-like spaceships leaving Earth to settle Mars.

In this world the Martian air is just about breathable but thin, and the first astronauts find abandoned city after city with water rippling through canals. They start to see ghosts and gradually we find that there are some living Martians, though perhaps they live only as memories.
But Earth is too crowded and people come to settle, bringing juke joints, small homes and beauty parlours - recreating small town America which was Bradbury's home. In one story, the war on Earth escalates and strangely most Mars settlers think they should return - not a great idea when war means nuclear war. A young man left alone decides to find a young woman if one is left, and rings every beauty parlour until he finds one. (This female would have been out securing food.) But his idea doesn't seem so great after a while and he leaves her, stumbling onto a couple of females who are actually androids built by a nutty professor, not that he knows that.
Other stories such as Billion Year Picnic at the end tell of a family exploring Mars looking for a city to settle in, knowing that now there is no going back to a devastated Earth and they have become the Martians for real.
One or two of Bradbury's stories were omitted from the collection, such as the tale of the ship full of coloured people who left homes in America for a better future, but most of them are more social comment than hard science, a warning that the future of humanity may depend on our ability to leave this planet and a query as to what we will bring and build.
Because this was never hard SF it has not dated, so read it as a fantasy or allegory and enjoy.
3314918
Operation Breakout (Merkiaari Wars, Book 4)
This book is a continuation of the war of the world against the Meekiaari (an alien species that actually use labs to grow their fighters). They do procreate but those are known as the "Bloods". At this juncture, the Merk's are fixated on the humans and their purge. Their plan to take war to the human worlds outer borders in secret, then once gaining their attention, to be gone from there when the human fleet converged. The Merk's then will take the fight directly to the human world who will now be minus their fleet. Not good for the humans.
While this occurs our Viper friends are busy: attempting to a lot: secure an AI, locating Kate's long lost brother, and finally a new planet bearing more than just a new race of aliens.
To me, it seemed as if the book didn't advance much in the storyline, but I think this isn't exactly true. I think that the story goes in several different directions and we follow those: Earth Council business-humans and the newest council member, Tei'Varyk (Shan alien race and his mate Tarjei), Viper planet training & more, Vipers-Kate, Stone & Gina missions, & Walder's ships missions. So, there's a lot of content and, like I said, the story progresses to the hopeful downfall of the Merkiaari. The story itself has a ton of content with lots of action and adventure. The story literally begins with action packed battle and ends with another battle.
The author did a better job with editing in this book, less errors. The cover for the book is a bit perplexing. This cover would have been better suited for book 3 as the cover insinuates the Shan in battle along with Vipers against the Merk's. This scene does not occur in this book. In fact, the Shan are a small blip in the storyline as compared to previously. A rendition of the new alien race the Parkae (pah-k-eye) and the red planet would have been a more appropriate cover. This cover looks great, I like the visual of the Shan-Shima, I'm guessing. It's always nice to have an actual visual or rendition of import in a story.
"A picture paints a thousand words" kind of thing. :) So true!! Alot less blood and gore and violence in this book, so probably readable by age 13+, but the series as a whole is older because of the violence of battle. The author has book 5 cover options up for a vote on his blog and says, "the book to follow soon". I think unless you're a beta reader it's near impossible to designate a book cover for an unknown storyline or its content. Just my opinion. ;)
I just heard from the author, he says, " early 2016, or maybe December, 2015" for book 5 book release. Says that he's terrible with deadlines, so don't hold him to those dates.;) lol But it's good for us readers to have some idea. Right? :)

Sent from my iPhone
2125253
I was spellbound reading another perspective of the classic war of the worlds. It brings a different view from characters not mentioned in the original storytelling.
3100812
Last year, the works of H.G. Wells slipped out of copyright protection in most of the world, including his home country of England. Any manner of Wells-related material can make its way to shelves now, and likely will, but a little support can go a long way to legitimizing an effort. Stephen Baxter has dropped THE MASSACRE OF MANKIND into our laps, and it is worth noting that it has the endorsement of the H.G. Wells Estate.

So what is it? It is a sequel to Wells' classic THE WAR OF THE WORLDS, and once you begin reading, you will be overjoyed to be holding a sequel in your hands that you never knew you wanted.

It's been 14 years since the Martians and their horrific Tripod offensive were undone by mere microbes. England has been rebuilding but is forever scarred, and is existing under the control of a near-fascist dictator. While England repaired, the Martians plotted their revenge, furiously unleashing a second assault upon Earth. Once again, the Tripods arrive to inflict horrors upon the land in their efforts to wipe out humanity. And forget microbes. They learned from that mistake.

It won't be just England facing the brunt of the attack. Baxter spends a good deal of time showing the havoc laid upon the whole of the Earth, even giving us glimpses of historical figures attempting to cope with invasion, from Corporal Hitler in Germany to Thomas Edison in America.

In a brilliant move, Baxter brings back many of the characters Wells gave us. The unnamed narrator from THE WAR OF THE WORLDS is now identified as Walter Jenkins. Needless to say, Jenkins suffers from post-traumatic stress following the events of the original novel, but he's been successful with his book, "The Narrative of the Martian Wars." His brother Frank had married Miss Elphinstone, and it is mostly through her eyes that our present narrative unfolds.

So much could be specifically discussed about the second Martian invasion and the global struggle, but to do so would truly spoil a real gem of a book. You'll need to explore the war for yourself.

Baxter is no rookie when it comes to Wells. He actually has a Wells sequel under his belt already: THE TIME SHIPS, which built upon the story of THE TIME MACHINE. He's a superb writer who pays careful attention to the details Wells laid out. And rather than scrapping the classic to modernize it and slap a new coat of paint across it, he immerses us in that same world, its history altered by those grisly events.

Looking at the major names in science fiction, there really isn't anyone better suited to be H.G. Wells right now. Baxter steps up to the plate here and absolutely crushes it. His chapters are short and impactful. His use of references to Wells and the previous work is seamless, and he throws in some nice winks for people who know enough Wells to crack a smile.

THE WAR OF THE WORLDS is timeless. That a sequel would ever be published wasn't exactly a major thought. Baxter surpasses all concerns with the release of THE MASSACRE OF MANKIND. It is extraordinary writing and makes revisiting that old world well worth the time.

Wells would be proud.

Reviewed by Stephen Hubbard
4163772
Do not be put off by the Grade C moviemaking quality of "Creation of the Humanoids."  Despite the sometimes wooden and cheesy dialogue, buried in this film is an imaginative and thoughtful science fiction story.  The atomic war has occurred, and it killed 91 percent of the human race.  The remnants of humanity have created a race of robots to act as a labor force, the "humanoids."  These artificial beings can out-think the human beings that they have been programmed to serve, and for that reason humans are coming to fear and dislike them.  And therein lies an excellent story of speculative fiction.  The ending will startle most viewers.  I first saw this one when it came out in the 1960s, and it was a very great pleasure to see it available on DVD.  It still packs a considerable punch.

"War Between the Planets" is not worth much of an effort.  Buy this disk for "Creation of the Humanoids."

This is a fine entertainment value and science fiction fans will enjoy "Creation of the Humanoids."  Recommended.  RJB.
1150169
I was mostly aware of the story line of this novel as the pilot two episodes of the "War of the Worlds" television show.

Clearly this book draws on an earlier plot draft, as there are some differences in the action and characters.  However, these differences are (with the exception of one small thing) are very minor.

However, for anyone who is a fan of the show, the novel gets into the heads of the characters, letting you learn about the motivations and thoughts (and inner conflicts) of each character and faction.
3496003
The Future Chronicle Series looks like shaping up to be a solid anthology series, first Robot now Alien. Standout offerings from Howey, Wells, Cawdron & Babylon. SF is alive and well, thank you.
1650156
If Orson Welles had been in the prime of his career in the early 1980's, he may very well have been the lead anchor in "Special Bulletin", an homage to Welles' classic, panic-inducing "War of the Worlds" that has been updated for the nuclear age.  The basic premise surrounds the news coverage by the fictional RBS network of a tense standoff in a harbor in Charleston, South Carolina, between authorities and domestic terrorists aboard a tugboat.  What is it the terrorists want?  Through the use of the news crew they took hostage, they insist on a forum to air their demands.  Specifically, the United States government must disarm all nuclear weapon devices in the Charleston area and bring the detonating devices to the tug boat where the terrorists will take them out to see and dispose of them.  If their demands are not met, they will EXPLODE A NUCLEAR BOMB that they have on board to boat!!  They give until 4:30 pm the day after the initial skirmish to meet their demands, or the bomb will detonate at 6 pm.  The news coverage proceeds very much like one would expect during such a crisis, complete with speculation on if the threat was real, press conferences on the government's reaction, scientific analysis of the effect of the bomb if it explodes, and biographies and psychoanalyses of the terrorists. In fact, the coverage was so authentic that local television affiliates were flooded with calls from panicky Charleston residents who wanted to know if this was really happening (in spite of constant disclaimers that this was not an actual event).  The tension truly begins to mount as the deadline draws close and there still has been no word on if the government with adhere to the demands.  Just after the first deadline passes, the government announces that they will be sending all the detonators to the tugboat.  As the terrorists cheer the approach of the trucks that supposedly carry the detonators, there video feed in the tugboat is knocked off-line to conceal the team of Special Forces commandos boarding from the other side of the ship.  A brief, but fierce, firefight ensues, leaving the terrorists either dead or captured.  With the boat now secure, it is up to the nuclear bomb squad to disarm the weapon before it detonates.  Alas, as the final deadline grows closer, they trip one of the anti-tamper devices and the bomb explodes.  It's a truly horrifying moment caught on tape that leaves one feeling as though they just witnessed a huge atrocity.  In the aftermath of 9/11, such a film is even more chilling.  "Special Bulletin" is an excellent cautionary tale of the effects of the news media, terrorism, and the nuclear threat all rolled together.