| To solve this puzzle requires stripping away different layers of information. 1. First task is to find what place is situated at the location indicated by the map co-ordinates. Many will realize it is somewhere in England without doing any searches. A good atlas or, better still, Google Earth pinpoints the locale as Woking, England - specifically the town-center of Woking. 2. Using Google Earth, to zoom in on this area, reveals several photo boxes. Clicking on these, results in exposure to photos of a replica of a “seven-metre-tall silver Martian striding down a street in Woking”. This was created by British artist Michael Condron and the sculpture has been designed following the descriptions of Martians in H.G. Wells' novel, “The War of the Worlds”, which tells the story of an alien invasion at or near Woking. 3. A web search for “Michael Condron Woking Martian” leads to Condron’s web site - http://www.mcondron.co.uk/. Here there are pictures of the sidewalk/square around the sculpture. One link is of the figure in the photo quiz. It depicts one form of bacteria that were destructive to Martians, in the novel. In total, there are eleven different slabs, with inlaid metal designs, embedded in the pavement. All illustrate bacteria. 4. What does this have to do with Hallowe’en? I searched “War of the Worlds Woking Hallowe’en” and found the answer. On October 30, 1938, the CBS radio network series, Mercury Theatre on the Air, did a special Hallowe’en episode. Directed and narrated by Orson Welles, the story was an adaptation of H. G. Wells' novel “The War of the Worlds”. It was quite frightening to many listeners because the opening section was narrated like an actual newscast and was not interrupted by commercials. People panicked, believing this actually was a report of a Martian invasion. This was an excellent example of the power of radio, before television. The combination of sound effects or music, plus effective voice inflection could really stir the listener’s imagination and emotions. Don Draper |
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| If you have a picture you'd like us to feature a picture in a future quiz, please email it to us at CFitzp@aol.com. If we use it, you will receive a free analysis of your picture. You will also receive a free Forensic Genealogy CD or a 10% discount towards the purchase of the Forensic Genealogy book. |
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| The coordinates are those of the War of the Worlds Monument in Woking, England, the birthplace of H. G. Wells. The picture of the bacterium that ultimately defeated the Martian's attempts to take over the earth, is carved on a stone as part of the monument. H. G. Wells' classic War of the Worlds was performed on the radio on Halloween Eve, October 30, 1938 The broadcast created a major panic when people tuning in late believed they were listening to a real news report of a Martian invasion. |
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| If you enjoy our quizzes, don't forget to order our books! Click here. |
| Quiz #231 Results |
| The Martian Tripod upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia... |
neighbors, family or friends to calm their fears. Of
course, the real story was not as fantastic as the
radio drama: all that had occurred was that the
Superior Portland cement company's sub-station
suffered a short-circuit with a flash of brilliant light,
and the town's lights went dark. The more
conservative radio-listeners in Concrete (who had
been listening to Edgar Bergen's program on another
station) calmed neighbors by assuring that they
hadn't heard about any "disaster". Reporters heard
soon after of the coincidental blackout of Concrete
and sent the story over the newswire and soon the
town of Concrete was known worldwide.
Edgar Bergen and Don Ameche, who were
continuing their Chase and Sanborn Hour broadcast
course, the real story was not as fantastic as the
radio drama: all that had occurred was that the
Superior Portland cement company's sub-station
suffered a short-circuit with a flash of brilliant light,
and the town's lights went dark. The more
conservative radio-listeners in Concrete (who had
been listening to Edgar Bergen's program on another
station) calmed neighbors by assuring that they
hadn't heard about any "disaster". Reporters heard
soon after of the coincidental blackout of Concrete
and sent the story over the newswire and soon the
town of Concrete was known worldwide.
Edgar Bergen and Don Ameche, who were
continuing their Chase and Sanborn Hour broadcast
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| Michael Condron's War of the Worlds Sculpture myweb.tiscali.co.uk/mcondron/martian/martian_pod.htm |
| How Don Solved the Puzzle |
| War of the Worlds Plaque www.wokingsurrey.com/gallery/2.html |
(and subsequent interruption) of the music as being 'inside' the narrative.
Seattle CBS affiliate stations KIRO and KVI broadcast Orson Welles' radio drama.
While this broadcast was heard around the country, it made a deep impact in Concrete,
Washington. At the point where the Martian invaders were invading towns and the
countryside with flashes of light and poison gases and the lights were going down,
there was a loud explosion and a power failure plunged almost the entire town of 1,000
into darkness. Some listeners fainted while others grabbed their families to head into the
mountains. Others headed for the hills to guard their moonshine stills. One was said to
have jumped up out of his chair and, in bare feet, run two miles to the center of town.
Some men grabbed their guns, and one Catholic businessman got his wife into the car,
drove to the nearest service station and demanded gasoline. Without paying the
attendant, he rushed to Bellingham, Washington (50 miles away) to see his priest for a
last-minute absolution of sins. He reportedly told the gas-station attendant that paying
for the gas "[wouldn't] make any difference, everyone is going to die!"
Because phone lines as well as electricity were out, residents were unable to call
Seattle CBS affiliate stations KIRO and KVI broadcast Orson Welles' radio drama.
While this broadcast was heard around the country, it made a deep impact in Concrete,
Washington. At the point where the Martian invaders were invading towns and the
countryside with flashes of light and poison gases and the lights were going down,
there was a loud explosion and a power failure plunged almost the entire town of 1,000
into darkness. Some listeners fainted while others grabbed their families to head into the
mountains. Others headed for the hills to guard their moonshine stills. One was said to
have jumped up out of his chair and, in bare feet, run two miles to the center of town.
Some men grabbed their guns, and one Catholic businessman got his wife into the car,
drove to the nearest service station and demanded gasoline. Without paying the
attendant, he rushed to Bellingham, Washington (50 miles away) to see his priest for a
last-minute absolution of sins. He reportedly told the gas-station attendant that paying
for the gas "[wouldn't] make any difference, everyone is going to die!"
Because phone lines as well as electricity were out, residents were unable to call
| New York Times Headlines October 31, 1938 upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/4/4a/WOTW-NYT-headline.jpg |
| Typing the GPS coordinates into Google Maps gives you the location of the Woking, England town center. |
You told me that a few Quizmasters have asked for more challenging puzzles. I think
you have one with Condron's stainless steel and concrete slab of a Shigella bacterium
at the Woking site of the Martian Walking Engine.
This microbe and other microorganisms destroyed the Martians in H. G. Wells novel. I
have worked with this pathogen in the laboratory and know that it causes really
"scary" infections. Maybe this fits with Halloween scares. Here are a couple of websites
you may find of interest.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kiyoshi_Shiga
www.cdc.gov/nczved/dfbmd/disease_listing/shigellosis_gi.html
Stan Read
you have one with Condron's stainless steel and concrete slab of a Shigella bacterium
at the Woking site of the Martian Walking Engine.
This microbe and other microorganisms destroyed the Martians in H. G. Wells novel. I
have worked with this pathogen in the laboratory and know that it causes really
"scary" infections. Maybe this fits with Halloween scares. Here are a couple of websites
you may find of interest.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kiyoshi_Shiga
www.cdc.gov/nczved/dfbmd/disease_listing/shigellosis_gi.html
Stan Read
| Detail of Walking Machine myweb.tiscali.co.uk/mcondron/martian/... |
| Monument at Martian Landing Site Grover's Mill, NJ upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons... |
panic, as Hand writes, as "evidence of the decadence and corrupt condition of
democracy."
Many listeners were apparently confused. It must be noted that the confusion cannot be
credited entirely to naïveté. Though many of the actors' voices should have been
recognizable from other radio shows, nothing like The War of the Worlds broadcast
had been attempted in the United States, so listeners were accustomed to accepting
newsflashes as reliable.
The problem is that the working script had only three statements concerning the
fictional nature of the program: at the beginning, at 40 minutes, and at the end. In fact,
the warning at the 40-minute mark is the only one after the actors start speaking in
character, and before Welles breaks character at the end. This structure is similar to
earlier Mercury Theatre broadcasts: due to the lack of sponsorship (which often
included a commercial message at the 30-minute mark during an hour-long show),
Welles and company were able to schedule breaks at will, depending on the pacing of a
democracy."
Many listeners were apparently confused. It must be noted that the confusion cannot be
credited entirely to naïveté. Though many of the actors' voices should have been
recognizable from other radio shows, nothing like The War of the Worlds broadcast
had been attempted in the United States, so listeners were accustomed to accepting
newsflashes as reliable.
The problem is that the working script had only three statements concerning the
fictional nature of the program: at the beginning, at 40 minutes, and at the end. In fact,
the warning at the 40-minute mark is the only one after the actors start speaking in
character, and before Welles breaks character at the end. This structure is similar to
earlier Mercury Theatre broadcasts: due to the lack of sponsorship (which often
included a commercial message at the 30-minute mark during an hour-long show),
Welles and company were able to schedule breaks at will, depending on the pacing of a
You might mention in the answer about the difference between traditional longitude and
latitude and gps coordinates. Mike Dalton
*****
Very cool - would not have found this without the listed coordinates! Nicole Blank
*****
After spending quite some time doing searches for "paramecium concrete" and
exploring ONeills Woking pub (which made me hungry for fish and chip and a cold
Guiness), I realized that the H.G. Wells Centre was nearby. Ahhh, the bug that killed
the aliens! Evan Hindman
*****
Here I thought the Martians landed in Grovers Mill, New Jersey and come to find out
they landed in Woking, in the UK. Who knew?
I haven't read the original but the radio play was broadcast on Halloween in 1938. This
must be a mosaic of one of the bacteria released by the Martians when they attacked.
Imagine my surprise when I typed the latitude and longitude into Google Earth and I
ended up in England. I didn't expect that. Milene Rawlinson
*****
THANK YOU GOOGLE EARTH!!! Saw Jina last week and since I had already
answered the quiz, she said to answer this week's quiz and put her name with mine...
still the operater, that Jina! Mr. Rick and Quiz Angel Jina Yi
*****
Took some digging, but I believe that is at the HG Wells Centre in London, maybe
under the Martian statue. Orsen Welles performed his radio broadcast on Halloween of
War of the Worlds in 1938. Blair Chambers
*****
Neat! Making us work a little bit for this one, I see!! ;)
Here's something funny - if you are really into bacteria, you can own your own stuffed
toy - it's the new Beanie Baby! ;)
http://www.x-tremegeek.com/templates/SearchProducts.asp?categoryID=236&curpage=1&rows=ALL&sk=XYAHOONONB&cm_mmc=Yahoo-_-
Collectibles+-+Microbes-_-Toys-_-germ%20stuffed%20toy_advanced|-|Y287537954513&cm_guid=3-_-287537954513-_-25597005513
Yes, I love this catalog! ;) Beth Long
*****
Well, the coordinates led me to the H G Wells Centre, where I can have my Asian
wedding party or stage a prize fight, so this must be on the sidewalk out front. (One
hundred and eleven years ago, HG Wells immortalised Horsell Common in Woking,
Surrey as the setting for the first Martian landing in his classic novel The War of the
Worlds) H G Wells wrote "War of the Worlds" which was broadcast on 30 Oct 1938
by Orson Welles and it scared the bejebers out of a lot of people.
Marilyn Hamill
*****
I have part of the quiz in that I know the place is Woking, England. It is where the
Martians were have to first landed in the radio program WAR OF THE WORLDS. It is
also the home of the first crematorioum in the UK. I just have to figure out what that
piece of stone with the design has to do there. I know the first Doomsday book was
either written or started there. i did learn it was a book to compute the taxes owned to
the landowner. I have already forgot what King started the process.
Can you give me another clue regarding the stone? Sharon Martin
*****
You may have lost me on this one; the only connection I see is that this image
celebrates a story of terror and death, both looming large in the celebration of
Halloween. A bacterium, presumably something paramecium-like, from Michael
Condron's sculptural representation of H.G. Wells's "War of the Worlds," in Woking,
Surrey, England. Bacteria caused the demise of the Martians.
It was a great excuse for me to re-read the story, the first time in probably forty or
forty-five years, and even if I have missed the point of this thing, I'm grateful to you
for bringing me back to this old favorite. Peter Norton
latitude and gps coordinates. Mike Dalton
*****
Very cool - would not have found this without the listed coordinates! Nicole Blank
*****
After spending quite some time doing searches for "paramecium concrete" and
exploring ONeills Woking pub (which made me hungry for fish and chip and a cold
Guiness), I realized that the H.G. Wells Centre was nearby. Ahhh, the bug that killed
the aliens! Evan Hindman
*****
Here I thought the Martians landed in Grovers Mill, New Jersey and come to find out
they landed in Woking, in the UK. Who knew?
I haven't read the original but the radio play was broadcast on Halloween in 1938. This
must be a mosaic of one of the bacteria released by the Martians when they attacked.
Imagine my surprise when I typed the latitude and longitude into Google Earth and I
ended up in England. I didn't expect that. Milene Rawlinson
*****
THANK YOU GOOGLE EARTH!!! Saw Jina last week and since I had already
answered the quiz, she said to answer this week's quiz and put her name with mine...
still the operater, that Jina! Mr. Rick and Quiz Angel Jina Yi
*****
Took some digging, but I believe that is at the HG Wells Centre in London, maybe
under the Martian statue. Orsen Welles performed his radio broadcast on Halloween of
War of the Worlds in 1938. Blair Chambers
*****
Neat! Making us work a little bit for this one, I see!! ;)
Here's something funny - if you are really into bacteria, you can own your own stuffed
toy - it's the new Beanie Baby! ;)
http://www.x-tremegeek.com/templates/SearchProducts.asp?categoryID=236&curpage=1&rows=ALL&sk=XYAHOONONB&cm_mmc=Yahoo-_-
Collectibles+-+Microbes-_-Toys-_-germ%20stuffed%20toy_advanced|-|Y287537954513&cm_guid=3-_-287537954513-_-25597005513
Yes, I love this catalog! ;) Beth Long
*****
Well, the coordinates led me to the H G Wells Centre, where I can have my Asian
wedding party or stage a prize fight, so this must be on the sidewalk out front. (One
hundred and eleven years ago, HG Wells immortalised Horsell Common in Woking,
Surrey as the setting for the first Martian landing in his classic novel The War of the
Worlds) H G Wells wrote "War of the Worlds" which was broadcast on 30 Oct 1938
by Orson Welles and it scared the bejebers out of a lot of people.
Marilyn Hamill
*****
I have part of the quiz in that I know the place is Woking, England. It is where the
Martians were have to first landed in the radio program WAR OF THE WORLDS. It is
also the home of the first crematorioum in the UK. I just have to figure out what that
piece of stone with the design has to do there. I know the first Doomsday book was
either written or started there. i did learn it was a book to compute the taxes owned to
the landowner. I have already forgot what King started the process.
Can you give me another clue regarding the stone? Sharon Martin
*****
You may have lost me on this one; the only connection I see is that this image
celebrates a story of terror and death, both looming large in the celebration of
Halloween. A bacterium, presumably something paramecium-like, from Michael
Condron's sculptural representation of H.G. Wells's "War of the Worlds," in Woking,
Surrey, England. Bacteria caused the demise of the Martians.
It was a great excuse for me to re-read the story, the first time in probably forty or
forty-five years, and even if I have missed the point of this thing, I'm grateful to you
for bringing me back to this old favorite. Peter Norton
| The bacteria continues up the Martian leg symbolizing the defeat of the enemy. myweb.tiscali.co.uk/mcondron/martian... |
| Bacteria Slab myweb.tiscali.co.uk/mcondron/martian/martian_slab... |
| Soil strata thrown up by the alien projectile myweb.tiscali.co.uk/mcondron/martian/martian_pod.htm |
The War of the Worlds was an episode of the American radio drama anthology series
Mercury Theatre on the Air. It was performed as a Halloween episode of the series on
October 30, 1938 and aired over the Columbia Broadcasting System radio network.
Directed and narrated by Orson Welles, the episode was an adaptation of H. G. Wells'
novel The War of the Worlds.
The first two thirds of the 60-minute broadcast was presented as a series of simulated
news bulletins, which suggested to many listeners that an actual Martian invasion was
in progress. Compounding the issue was the fact that the Mercury Theatre on the Air
was a 'sustaining show' (it ran without commercial breaks), thus adding to the dramatic
effect. Although there were sensationalist accounts in the press about a supposed panic
in response to the broadcast, the precise extent of listener response has been debated.
In the days following the adaptation, however, there was widespread outrage. The
program's news-bulletin format was decried as cruelly deceptive by some newspapers
and public figures, leading to an outcry against the perpetrators of the broadcast, but
the episode launched Orson Welles to fame.
Some listeners heard only a portion of the broadcast, and in the atmosphere of tension
and anxiety leading to World War II, took it to be a news broadcast. Newspapers
reported that panic ensued, people fleeing the area, others thinking they could smell
Mercury Theatre on the Air. It was performed as a Halloween episode of the series on
October 30, 1938 and aired over the Columbia Broadcasting System radio network.
Directed and narrated by Orson Welles, the episode was an adaptation of H. G. Wells'
novel The War of the Worlds.
The first two thirds of the 60-minute broadcast was presented as a series of simulated
news bulletins, which suggested to many listeners that an actual Martian invasion was
in progress. Compounding the issue was the fact that the Mercury Theatre on the Air
was a 'sustaining show' (it ran without commercial breaks), thus adding to the dramatic
effect. Although there were sensationalist accounts in the press about a supposed panic
in response to the broadcast, the precise extent of listener response has been debated.
In the days following the adaptation, however, there was widespread outrage. The
program's news-bulletin format was decried as cruelly deceptive by some newspapers
and public figures, leading to an outcry against the perpetrators of the broadcast, but
the episode launched Orson Welles to fame.
Some listeners heard only a portion of the broadcast, and in the atmosphere of tension
and anxiety leading to World War II, took it to be a news broadcast. Newspapers
reported that panic ensued, people fleeing the area, others thinking they could smell
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| Answer to Quiz #231 November 1, 2009 |
| Comments from Our Readers |
| ********** |
In The War of the Worlds, civilization is saved from a conquering Martian invasion by
Earth's smallest creatures, to which they have no resistance. Bacteria are represented
here by eleven different slabs with inlaid metal designs, which form part of the overall
paving scheme. One slab appears to be crushed under the Martian Walking Engine's
foot.
Earth's smallest creatures, to which they have no resistance. Bacteria are represented
here by eleven different slabs with inlaid metal designs, which form part of the overall
paving scheme. One slab appears to be crushed under the Martian Walking Engine's
foot.
| The War of the Worlds Radio Broadcast October 30, 1938 |
| Congratulations to Our Winners! Mr. Rick and Quiz Angel Jina Yi - Welcome back Jina - Drop in again sometime! Margaret Paxton Dave Doucette Mike Dalton Nicole Blank Sharon Martin Barbara Battles Beth Long Mike Swierczewski Joshua Kreitzer Evan Hindman Betty Chambers Dennis Brann Karen Kay Bunting Milene Rawlinson Ben Truwe John Chulick Jim Kiser Don Draper Karen Kay Bunting JoLynn Pfeiffer Shirley Ferguson Gary Sterne Blair Chambers Judy Pfaff Gerald Vanlandingham Peter Norton Jocelyn Thayer Robert W. Steinmann, Jr. Diane Burkett Rober Edward McKenna, QPL |
| Spooky, Spooky, Yes Indeed! On Halloween in 30th of October 1938, Orson Welles and his Mercury Theater crew, Performed on radio the H.G. Wells "War of the World," Causing confusion and fear to more than a few. A Movie of the same title made much later, Portrayed unusual machines creating destruction, Each with a snake like arm ending in a menacing eye, That reeked devastation in every direction. These "eyes" of distruction seem to be, Portrayed as "The Thing on the Ground," Cast in the sidewalk at the H.G. Wells Center, Located in South East England, where it was found. Robert Edward McKenna Quiz Poet Laureate **** The Ballad of The War of the Worlds Twas a bit of a scare On Halloween night The Martians were landing And ready to fight. We rolled out the army, The navy, marines We well held our ground 'Gainst their fighting machines. Just when they'd destroyed us Mom Nature stepped in Twas not destroying machines, But germs did them in. Colleen Fitzpatrick Understudy to Robert Edward McKenna Quiz Poet Laureate |
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| Thanks to long time Quizmaster Stan Read for suggesting this quiz. |
| Woking, England 51 19' 14.23'' N, 0 33' 25.44'' W en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_War_of_the_Worlds |
| Click on "More" and check "Photos" to get pictures of the town center. |
poison gas or could see flashes of
lightning in the distance.
Richard J. Hand cites studies by unnamed
historians who "calculate[d] that some six
million heard the CBS broadcast; 1.7
million believed it to be true, and 1.2
million were 'genuinely frightened'". While
Welles and company were heard by a
comparatively small audience (in the same
period, NBC's audience was an estimated
30 million), the uproar was anything but
minute: within a month, there were 12,500
newspaper articles about the broadcast or
its impact, while Adolf Hitler cited the
lightning in the distance.
Richard J. Hand cites studies by unnamed
historians who "calculate[d] that some six
million heard the CBS broadcast; 1.7
million believed it to be true, and 1.2
million were 'genuinely frightened'". While
Welles and company were heard by a
comparatively small audience (in the same
period, NBC's audience was an estimated
30 million), the uproar was anything but
minute: within a month, there were 12,500
newspaper articles about the broadcast or
its impact, while Adolf Hitler cited the
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| 51 19' 14.23'' N, 0 33' 25.44'' W |
| Halloween Quiz #2 of 2. |
narrative. Furthermore, the
show's technique of jumping
between scenes and
narratives made it hard for
the audience to distinguish
between fact and fiction, so
it is understandable that they
were no more likely to
perceive the three statements
of the fictional nature of the
program as being 'outside'
the narrative, than they were
to perceive the introduction
show's technique of jumping
between scenes and
narratives made it hard for
the audience to distinguish
between fact and fiction, so
it is understandable that they
were no more likely to
perceive the three statements
of the fictional nature of the
program as being 'outside'
the narrative, than they were
to perceive the introduction
| What do these have to do with Halloween? |
| Comment from Quizmaster Stan Read Submitter of This Week's Quiz |
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| The photo is a picture of Michael Condron's Sculpture of the Martian Tripod from War of the Worlds. |
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on NBC, are often credited with "saving the world". It is said many listeners were
reassured by hearing their tones on a neighboring station.
When a meeting between H.G. Wells and Orson Welles was broadcast on Radio KTSA
San Antonio on October 28, 1940, Wells expressed a lack of understanding of the
apparent panic and that it was, perhaps, only pretense, like the American version of
Halloween, for fun. The two men and their radio interviewer joked about the matter,
though with embarrassment. KTSA, as a CBS affiliate, had carried the broadcast.
reassured by hearing their tones on a neighboring station.
When a meeting between H.G. Wells and Orson Welles was broadcast on Radio KTSA
San Antonio on October 28, 1940, Wells expressed a lack of understanding of the
apparent panic and that it was, perhaps, only pretense, like the American version of
Halloween, for fun. The two men and their radio interviewer joked about the matter,
though with embarrassment. KTSA, as a CBS affiliate, had carried the broadcast.
In 1895, H. G. Wells was an established writer and he married his second wife,
Catherine Robbins, moving with her to the town of Woking in Surrey, England. Here he
spent his mornings walking or cycling in the surrounding countryside, and his
afternoons writing. The original idea for The War of the Worlds came from his brother,
during one of these walks, pondering on what it might be like if alien beings were to
suddenly descend on the scene and start attacking its inhabitants.
Much of the The War of the Worlds takes place around Woking and nearby suburbs.
The initial landing site of the Martian invasion force, Horsell Common, was an open
area close to Wells' home. In the preface to the Atlantic edition of the novel, he wrote
of his pleasure in riding a bicycle around the area, and imagining the destruction of
cottages and houses he saw, by the Martian heat-ray or the red weed. While writing the
novel, Wells enjoyed shocking his friends by revealing details of the story, and how it
was bringing total destruction to parts of the South London landscape that were familiar
to them. The characters of the artilleryman, the curate and the medical student were
also based on acquaintances in Woking and Surrey.
In the present day, a 7 meter (23 feet) high sculpture of a tripod fighting machine,
entitled 'The Martian', based on the description in The War of the Worlds, stands in
Crown Passage, close to the local railway station, in Woking.
Catherine Robbins, moving with her to the town of Woking in Surrey, England. Here he
spent his mornings walking or cycling in the surrounding countryside, and his
afternoons writing. The original idea for The War of the Worlds came from his brother,
during one of these walks, pondering on what it might be like if alien beings were to
suddenly descend on the scene and start attacking its inhabitants.
Much of the The War of the Worlds takes place around Woking and nearby suburbs.
The initial landing site of the Martian invasion force, Horsell Common, was an open
area close to Wells' home. In the preface to the Atlantic edition of the novel, he wrote
of his pleasure in riding a bicycle around the area, and imagining the destruction of
cottages and houses he saw, by the Martian heat-ray or the red weed. While writing the
novel, Wells enjoyed shocking his friends by revealing details of the story, and how it
was bringing total destruction to parts of the South London landscape that were familiar
to them. The characters of the artilleryman, the curate and the medical student were
also based on acquaintances in Woking and Surrey.
In the present day, a 7 meter (23 feet) high sculpture of a tripod fighting machine,
entitled 'The Martian', based on the description in The War of the Worlds, stands in
Crown Passage, close to the local railway station, in Woking.
| ********** |
| Orson Welles' Obit New York Times October 11, 1985 |
| Time Magazine Articles www.time.com/time/archive/collections/0,21428... |
| Twenty-five years ago Herbert George Wells was a youngster of 42. His name stood for exuberant modernity, trailblazing science and a freely roving intelligence always starting up some new species of Utopian hare. But most of all it stood for exciting tales—plausible narrations of improbable happenings. From Young Wells Jun. 18, 1934 ***** The cause of this amazing, nationwide panic last Sunday night was a broadcast by Orson Welles's CBS Mercury Theatre of the Air of The War of the Worlds by H. G. Wells (no relative). Author Wells's classic pseudo-scientific thriller about how the men from Mars invade earth in a flying cylinder (at first thought to be a meteorite) was first published in 1898. From "Boo!" Nov. 7, 1938 ***** To most of 1,200,000 U. S. radio listeners who ran for the exits, peered down the pike for Martian invaders or otherwise conducted themselves oddly on the night before Halloween 1938, the Orson Welles broadcast based on H. G. Wells's The War of the Worlds remains a booful, baleful memory. From Anatomy of a Panic Apr. 15, 1940 ***** Wells was the last of the high-level saturation prophets. His success as a futurist was based on a supreme confidence in man's worst instincts. For Wells, an atheist, theological good and evil did not exist. Original sin resided in the pinkish gray folds of the brain and expressed itself through brutish linkage, which operated the prehensile thumb. Given tools enough and time, Homo sapiens would turn the most charming toy, the most fetching theory, into a weapon. From The Days of the Prophet By R.Z. Sheppard Aug. 20, 1973 ***** In 1938, he [Orson Wells] elevated radio drama by bringing the Mercury Theatre to the air and, on October 30th, offered a Mischief Night adaptation of 'The War of the Worlds' -- a sensation when thousands of listeners took fright, and flight, from the story of a Martian colonization of America. From That Old Feeling: Mercury, God of Radio By Richard Corliss Aug. 27, 2001 ***** Out of the rubble rise giant alien ships that walk on three spindly legs and whose deadly heat rays not only destroy civilization as we know it but also threaten to split up Tom Cruise's latest movie family. The new film is a toss-up with George Pal's very watchable 1953 version: the special effects are even better here, the drama even lamer. From Running from the Rays By Richard Corliss Jul. 03, 2005 ***** None of [the best picture nominees] had special effects and this was an exceptional year in that sense. But it was also a year that brought us the last Star Wars, one of the best Batman ever made; it brought us Narnia, the great King Kong, and I got a chance to squeeze War of the Worlds in there, where I worked very hard not to allow the special effects to upstage the characters in the movie. From Spielberg at the Revolution By Desa Philadelphia Mar. 14, 2006 ***** And it was all fiction, the culmination of two years of secret planning by television journalist Philippe Dutilleul and his colleagues at the French-language public broadcaster. The ensuing panic didn't quite approach that created by Orson Welles' War of the Worlds [EM] acknowledged as the model for the Belgian prank [EM] but more than 30,000 phone calls flooded the broadcaster's switchboard, and the channel's website crashed as concerned viewers sought confirmation. From Belgium's "War of the Worlds" By James Graff Dec. 15, 2006 |