Post by Scifishocks on Jul 24, 2007 22:31:40 GMT 1
Whilst I'm trying to push 'Aftermath' on unsuspecting agents and publishers I thought you might like a teaser of the sequel that I have begun and which is titled as this thread.
The story is mapped out, in a very vague sense (I let my stories write themselves, really... it seems to work better that way), and there will be more surprise guest appearances and historical parallels.
This time, I don't think I will be posting this in serial form, I'm afraid. It's going to be a much bigger endeavour and will require loads of research (which is under way). It's going to take ages to do this one.
But, nevertheless, I thought you might like to see the prologue in it's first draft form...
The War of The Worlds: Remembrance
A History of The Great World War
By Tony Wright
Based on characters created by H.G Wells.
The Author takes full credit for Historical, and other, inaccuracies in this work.
Prologue
It has been many years now since the events I set down in my work, ‘The War of The Worlds: Aftermath’.
Much to my initial surprise, the completed manuscript was barely edited (except for a few parts which were deemed too sensitive to be made public) by the powers that be and was accepted by an eager publisher very soon afterwards. On reflection though, it became clear that events such as had occurred could hardly be swept under the carpet.
The Battle of Brighton, in which an enormous Martian machine had disgorged hundreds of glistening, deadly brown bodies desperate to seal our doom, had made the newspapers in the late editions and the tabloids and the broadsheets both had featured much speculation until the government had been forced to set matters straight.
So, the story of the mission on board the Martian submersible ‘Nautilus’ had been told and my book had been allowed to pass with little amendment.
At a press conference in London, Churchill, the Sergeant and the remainder of his troops had been paraded before the newsmen as heroes and each had been prompted to say a few words which were swallowed by an eager public over breakfast, in gentleman’s clubs and in the streets across the land the next day.
Churchill, a natural orator, had made the best of it and had stirred hearts and minds with his version of the tale. In very short time, he became quite the celebrity.
As for myself, I declined to appear.
I had resolved to leave adventure behind, my wife was now with child and I wanted no more than to be beside her throughout the whole process. After all, I felt I had seen enough hardship and misery and would release my manuscript, then have a normal life like the vast majority of my fellow citizens.
In fact, I did get my wish, for a time.
As I have intimated in my previous work, peace in Great Britain was being threatened, still, on different fronts.
The government were sure that the Martians were up to something. The Crystal Egg, which Churchill had taken with him from the wreckage of the Martian base, showed activity never before seen through the device. Convoys of tripod machines, accompanied by hopping and cavorting Martian figures, paraded threateningly across the Martian cities. The great cannon, that had sent the Cylinders to England at the turn of the century, was again, it appeared, being worked on.
Then all activity seemed to cease suddenly.
On the European continent of our world, the calls for sharing of the Martian technology that we horded grew louder, especially after the news of our mission had been made public. The Germans were especially vociferous of their condemnation of our ‘irresponsible attitude to this very important question’.
The dark thunderclouds of war, from which ever source, human or Martian, gathered slowly on the horizon.
This new work that I present, will set down how the Great War began from both my experience and the collected experiences of others. I intend this to be a ‘History of the War’, if you will.
I have interviewed many people in this endeavour and most of the information I present is a matter of public record. I have scoured sources far and wide in order to make this account as historically accurate as possible.
I hope the reader, and the human race, will take note of and learn from the mistakes that were made, mistakes that led a most horrendous loss of life. Perhaps too, the reader can take heart from it. For this new World War brought out not only the worst, but also the best in us.
The story is mapped out, in a very vague sense (I let my stories write themselves, really... it seems to work better that way), and there will be more surprise guest appearances and historical parallels.
This time, I don't think I will be posting this in serial form, I'm afraid. It's going to be a much bigger endeavour and will require loads of research (which is under way). It's going to take ages to do this one.
But, nevertheless, I thought you might like to see the prologue in it's first draft form...
The War of The Worlds: Remembrance
A History of The Great World War
By Tony Wright
Based on characters created by H.G Wells.
The Author takes full credit for Historical, and other, inaccuracies in this work.
Prologue
It has been many years now since the events I set down in my work, ‘The War of The Worlds: Aftermath’.
Much to my initial surprise, the completed manuscript was barely edited (except for a few parts which were deemed too sensitive to be made public) by the powers that be and was accepted by an eager publisher very soon afterwards. On reflection though, it became clear that events such as had occurred could hardly be swept under the carpet.
The Battle of Brighton, in which an enormous Martian machine had disgorged hundreds of glistening, deadly brown bodies desperate to seal our doom, had made the newspapers in the late editions and the tabloids and the broadsheets both had featured much speculation until the government had been forced to set matters straight.
So, the story of the mission on board the Martian submersible ‘Nautilus’ had been told and my book had been allowed to pass with little amendment.
At a press conference in London, Churchill, the Sergeant and the remainder of his troops had been paraded before the newsmen as heroes and each had been prompted to say a few words which were swallowed by an eager public over breakfast, in gentleman’s clubs and in the streets across the land the next day.
Churchill, a natural orator, had made the best of it and had stirred hearts and minds with his version of the tale. In very short time, he became quite the celebrity.
As for myself, I declined to appear.
I had resolved to leave adventure behind, my wife was now with child and I wanted no more than to be beside her throughout the whole process. After all, I felt I had seen enough hardship and misery and would release my manuscript, then have a normal life like the vast majority of my fellow citizens.
In fact, I did get my wish, for a time.
As I have intimated in my previous work, peace in Great Britain was being threatened, still, on different fronts.
The government were sure that the Martians were up to something. The Crystal Egg, which Churchill had taken with him from the wreckage of the Martian base, showed activity never before seen through the device. Convoys of tripod machines, accompanied by hopping and cavorting Martian figures, paraded threateningly across the Martian cities. The great cannon, that had sent the Cylinders to England at the turn of the century, was again, it appeared, being worked on.
Then all activity seemed to cease suddenly.
On the European continent of our world, the calls for sharing of the Martian technology that we horded grew louder, especially after the news of our mission had been made public. The Germans were especially vociferous of their condemnation of our ‘irresponsible attitude to this very important question’.
The dark thunderclouds of war, from which ever source, human or Martian, gathered slowly on the horizon.
This new work that I present, will set down how the Great War began from both my experience and the collected experiences of others. I intend this to be a ‘History of the War’, if you will.
I have interviewed many people in this endeavour and most of the information I present is a matter of public record. I have scoured sources far and wide in order to make this account as historically accurate as possible.
I hope the reader, and the human race, will take note of and learn from the mistakes that were made, mistakes that led a most horrendous loss of life. Perhaps too, the reader can take heart from it. For this new World War brought out not only the worst, but also the best in us.
Prepare For The Future
