'An anthology based on the Martian invasion of earth imagined by H.G. Wells.
'With stories set in Australia of the past, present and future, this riveting and inventive collection features 16 of Australia's best science fiction, crime and speculative fiction authors: Kerry Greenwood, Carmel Bird, Jack Dann, Janeen Webb, Sean Williams, Angela Meyer, Lindy Cameron, Jenny Valentish, Narrelle M Harris, Lucy Sussex, Rick Kennett, Jason Franks, Dmetri Kakmi, Bill Congreve, Jason Fischer, and Kaaron Warren.'
Source: Publisher's blurb.
'Conceived and edited by Horror Australis – the collective moniker for Steve Proposch, Christopher Sequeira and Bryce Stevens – the book has an intro by movie director Alex Proyas (The Crow, I Robot, Gods of Egypt) and illustrations by Jan Scherpenhuizen and Sholto Turner.'
Source: Publisher's note.
In The Saltwater Battle, 'war machines attack and it's 'Proto-Suffragettes vests the Martians!' in an amusing re-framing of Wells as a kind of girl's-own adventure; with some appropriately scandalous post-modern romance for good measure. Are the martians ridding the Earth of 'toxic masculinity' or merely being pragmatic with future plans for sustainable industrial food production?'
Source: Foreword.
In Apostles of Mercy, 'suspense is created by crosscutting between deluded religious zealots and a group o arrogant colonialists, who both encounter an injured Martian and deal with in their own foolish ways. Will the colonialists get a taste of their own medicine by this new superseding invading force? Or will the zealots be fooled by a new god to worship?'
Source: Foreword.
'At the height of the invasion, cities lie in ruins in Banjo's War. The bush is the only safe haven; the co-operation of black fella and white fella the last bastion of hope. This story captures the palpable desperation of the novel, depicting a near too fantastic wish-fulfilment, of an Australia and its many diverse peoples brought together to fight a common, non-human enemy. An alternate reality we'd all like to believe was somehow possible.'
Source: Foreword.
'Residents of a hill-top guesthouse observe the first battle of the Martian invasion and the war machines, which easily dispatch the soldiers sent to battle them. But the tripods are unprepared for the dangers of The Australian bush.'
Source: Foreword.
'A proverbial Aussie larrikin encounters the unknown, and his primitive struggles to comprehend the superior Martin intellect.'
Source: Foreword.
'A couple of unwitting EPA workers on a routine assignment in the middle of nowhere encounter the noxious Martian weed, a Martian war machine, and a country town politician who doesn't understand that 'alien invasion' is not part of an EPA officer's job description.'
Source: Foreword.
Speed Bonnie Boat, 'brings us fast-forward to "The Present" to describe the history of the failed alien invasion at the turn of the last century, and juxtaposes it with the very real British Invasion and genocide in Tasmania, narrated by a descendant of the original Palawa peoples. This is as much a commentary on Wells' work as seen through the political lens of 2019, as it is a story of the origins of a new threat to humanity.'
Source: Foreword.
'A disturbing tale of how a second invasion might manifest itself with a new breed of Martian. An enemy, defeated and demoralised, prepares to make a comeback in a most unexpected way.'
Source: Foreword.
Nothing Missed 'is a poignant story of loss and grief, and a yearning to not feel pain; where a dead Martian serves as the numbing stand-in for our 'connected' modern world. Or is the desire to join with the 'other' a metaphor for racial harmony' Either way this postmodern tale, though it has ephemeral ties with Wells, is thought-provoking and touching.'
Source: Foreword.
Cat and Mouse 'is alien abduction with a twist. Inspired by Ivan Denisovich, a man stuck in his very own Martian gulag hatches a crazy escape plan. Th tale comes complete with a visceral image of a hot-rod driving, bad-furniture-building, 'Big Daddy' Roth-like alien, last survivor of the original invasion, abducting folks in the Blue Mountains of New South Wales.'
Source: Foreword.
'In Even Less Than Zero by Jenny Valentish the satirical integration of the Martian conquest it seems is complete as we meet a third generation Martian-Australian named Kali [making] a living by starring in adult movies. Tentacle erotica is all the rage and Kali has embraced the hedonistic lifestyle of the LA porn industry because... well, that's what humans like watching Martians do.'
Source: Foreword.
'The Sixth Falling Star by Kaaron Warren continues the themes of displaced people, with Jena who commands a barge for ferrying the dead along the canals; a grim journey towards some unknown sacrifice; a brokered peace with the invaders but at such great a cost. A new ecosystem functions so much better than the destructive, old human ways, but the purpose for it all is terrifying.'
Source: Foreword.
'A man tracks down the last surviving Martian in the wastes of Antarctica, hidden away since the original invasion, far from the bacteria which doomed its kind. The purpose of his quest is to understand the mystery - the 'why' of the Martian invasion - and to learn the identity of the true invaders. A satisfying conclusion to this collection, which builds upon and adds to Wells' great novel, as all good sequels should.'
Source: Foreword.
