Flying-machine
Encyclopedia
A flying-machine is a fictional aircraft constructed by the Martians
in the H. G. Wells
novel The War of the Worlds.
It is one of the many machines the Martians bring with them when they invade Earth, along with fighting-machines
, handling-machine
s, and digging machines.
The appearance of the craft in the novel is very limited. The main character, an unnamed narrator, does not himself actually see the machines in action. He only sees it once in London, lifeless as the other machines, believing the Martians were simply experimenting to try to get it to work before their deaths. Despite this and testimony from an artilleryman, he is skeptical that they had discovered the "Secret of Flying" until he reads it in a post-invasion issue of the Daily Mail
.
There has been issue over the flying-machine's purpose. Though it is often cited to be used to dispense the black smoke
, there is nothing definite in the novel to back this up. However, in the original serialized version, which differs noticeably in parts from the version later published as a novel, Wells gave a little more information on the flying-machines:
It is not known whether this version from Pearson's Magazine is considered canon
.
, where it makes an appearance after the battle with the HMS Thunder Child
, which is later recounted from the perspective of the artilleryman.
However, it appeared briefly in the live adaptation of Jeff Wayne's Musical Version of The War of the Worlds
http://www.waroftheworldsonline.com/movies/clip2.htm, though the album itself does not make any reference to the flying-machine.
There are some who perceive the boomerang-shaped machines of the 1953 film
, which bear little resemblance to the tripods of the novel, as reference to the flying-machines although the look of these machines actually simply derive from the complication of making convincing tripod effects, and were given "invisible legs" to give the machines support and lift from the ground. In the pilot episode of the War of the Worlds
TV series, a sequel to the film, these same machines are seen but the "legs" are not present and are given more of a look of taking flight, but still possess the speed and movement of their film counterparts.
The flying-machines are also featured in both the computer game and PlayStation game The War of the Worlds
. In the games, the flying-machines are equipped with one Heat-Ray
and light armor, but in turn, are highly maneuverable and extremely fast. A common tactic in the PC game involves the mass production of these units in order to rush an entrenched human sector.
In Sherlock Holmes's War of the Worlds, the Martians only have a single flying-machine with them, and it is described as being shaped like a traditional flying saucer
. In the postscript, when the Martians invade Venus
, the flying-machine is shown to have been unable to handle the thicker atmosphere and crashed onto the surface.
In Superman: War of the Worlds
, the flying-machine is not a separate machine; instead it is actually a part of the tripods as in the climax of the story, Superman tries to bring down a fighting-machine by pulling its legs, only to find that the hood of the machine has detached itself and is floating in the air, as the Martians have had time to adjust to Earth's gravity. He destroys the machine by throwing another tripod under it, canceling its negation of gravity.
Scarlet Traces
is a sequel based on Great Britain having benefited from the remains of the Martian technology. While spider-like machines have dominated the means of land travel, the Martians' flying-machines have greatly influenced air travel, with aircraft by 1908 looking close to modern era planes.
Flying Machines appear in The Asylum
's film War of the Worlds 2: The Next Wave
, the sequel to H.G. Wells' War of the Worlds
. The "squid-walkers" are a living race of Tripods controlled by a single entity inside the mothership. They each carry a kind of Heat Ray and need human blood
to survive, so they transport living humans to the mothership and drain their blood. Their weapons are powerful enough to destroy buildings as well as humans; one scene shows a fleet of squid-walkers completely destroying London
and Paris
.
Martian (War of the Worlds)
The Martians, also known as the Invaders, are the fictional race of extraterrestrials from the H.G. Wells novel The War of the Worlds. They are the antagonists of the novel, and their efforts to exterminate the populace of Earth and claim the planet for themselves drive the plot and present...
in the H. G. Wells
H. G. Wells
Herbert George Wells was an English author, now best known for his work in the science fiction genre. He was also a prolific writer in many other genres, including contemporary novels, history, politics and social commentary, even writing text books and rules for war games...
novel The War of the Worlds.
It is one of the many machines the Martians bring with them when they invade Earth, along with fighting-machines
Tripod (The War of the Worlds)
Tripods or fighting-machines are a type of fictional three-legged walker from the H. G. Wells' classic science fiction novel The War of the Worlds, used by Martians to invade Earth.-Novel:...
, handling-machine
Handling-machine
In H. G. Wells' science fiction classic The War of the Worlds, the Martian Invaders used two primary machines, the fighting-machine and the handling-machine....
s, and digging machines.
The appearance of the craft in the novel is very limited. The main character, an unnamed narrator, does not himself actually see the machines in action. He only sees it once in London, lifeless as the other machines, believing the Martians were simply experimenting to try to get it to work before their deaths. Despite this and testimony from an artilleryman, he is skeptical that they had discovered the "Secret of Flying" until he reads it in a post-invasion issue of the Daily Mail
Daily Mail
The Daily Mail is a British daily middle-market tabloid newspaper owned by the Daily Mail and General Trust. First published in 1896 by Lord Northcliffe, it is the United Kingdom's second biggest-selling daily newspaper after The Sun. Its sister paper The Mail on Sunday was launched in 1982...
.
There has been issue over the flying-machine's purpose. Though it is often cited to be used to dispense the black smoke
Black smoke
The black smoke, or black powder is a fictional poisonous gas in H. G. Wells' science fiction novel The War of the Worlds, used by the Martians to eliminate groups of humans remotely, especially artillery crews, before they could fire. The rockets from which they explode are fired from a "black...
, there is nothing definite in the novel to back this up. However, in the original serialized version, which differs noticeably in parts from the version later published as a novel, Wells gave a little more information on the flying-machines:
- It has often been asked why the Martians did not fly immediately after their arrival. They certainly did use a flying apparatus for several days, but only for brief flights of a score or so of miles, in order to reconnoitre and spread their black powder... The fact remains that they did not fly fifty miles from London all through the war. Had they done so, then the destruction they would have caused would have been infinitely greater than it was, though it could not have averted the end, of course, even by a day.
It is not known whether this version from Pearson's Magazine is considered canon
Canon (fiction)
In the context of a work of fiction, the term canon denotes the material accepted as "official" in a fictional universe's fan base. It is often contrasted with, or used as the basis for, works of fan fiction, which are not considered canonical...
.
In other adaptations
The appearance of the machine has only so far been depicted once onscreen in the Pendragon Pictures's film, H.G. Wells' The War of the WorldsH.G. Wells' The War of the Worlds (2005 film)
H.G. Wells' The War of the Worlds is one of three film adaptations of H. G. Wells' classic novel released in 2005, about a Martian invasion of Earth...
, where it makes an appearance after the battle with the HMS Thunder Child
HMS Thunder Child
HMS Thunder Child is the name of the fictional ironclad torpedo ram of the Royal Navy that is destroyed by Martian fighting-machines in H. G. Wells' The War of the Worlds...
, which is later recounted from the perspective of the artilleryman.
However, it appeared briefly in the live adaptation of Jeff Wayne's Musical Version of The War of the Worlds
Jeff Wayne's Musical Version of The War of the Worlds
Jeff Wayne's Musical Version of The War of the Worlds is a 1978 concept album by Jeff Wayne, retelling the story of The War of the Worlds by H. G. Wells. Its format is progressive rock and string orchestra, using narration and leitmotifs to carry the story via rhyming melodic lyrics that express...
http://www.waroftheworldsonline.com/movies/clip2.htm, though the album itself does not make any reference to the flying-machine.
There are some who perceive the boomerang-shaped machines of the 1953 film
The War of the Worlds (1953 film)
The War of the Worlds is a 1953 science fiction film starring Gene Barry and Ann Robinson. It was the first on-screen loose adaptation of the H. G. Wells classic novel of the same name...
, which bear little resemblance to the tripods of the novel, as reference to the flying-machines although the look of these machines actually simply derive from the complication of making convincing tripod effects, and were given "invisible legs" to give the machines support and lift from the ground. In the pilot episode of the War of the Worlds
War of the Worlds (TV series)
War of the Worlds is a television program that ran for two seasons, from 1988 to 1990. The series is an extension of the original 1953 film The War of the Worlds, using the same War Machine, often incorporating aspects from the film, radio adaptation, and original novel into its mythology.Though...
TV series, a sequel to the film, these same machines are seen but the "legs" are not present and are given more of a look of taking flight, but still possess the speed and movement of their film counterparts.
The flying-machines are also featured in both the computer game and PlayStation game The War of the Worlds
Jeff Wayne's The War of the Worlds
Jeff Wayne's The War of the Worlds is a title used for two 1998 video games published by GT Interactive. The first is a real-time strategy game developed by Rage Software Limited for the PC...
. In the games, the flying-machines are equipped with one Heat-Ray
Heat-Ray
The Heat-Ray is the primary offensive weapon used by the Martians in H. G. Wells' classic science fiction novel The War of the Worlds and its offshoots.- In the novel :...
and light armor, but in turn, are highly maneuverable and extremely fast. A common tactic in the PC game involves the mass production of these units in order to rush an entrenched human sector.
In Sherlock Holmes's War of the Worlds, the Martians only have a single flying-machine with them, and it is described as being shaped like a traditional flying saucer
Flying saucer
A flying saucer is a type of unidentified flying object sometimes believed to be of alien origin with a disc or saucer-shaped body, usually described as silver or metallic, occasionally reported as covered with running lights or surrounded with a glowing light, hovering or moving rapidly either...
. In the postscript, when the Martians invade Venus
Venus
Venus is the second planet from the Sun, orbiting it every 224.7 Earth days. The planet is named after Venus, the Roman goddess of love and beauty. After the Moon, it is the brightest natural object in the night sky, reaching an apparent magnitude of −4.6, bright enough to cast shadows...
, the flying-machine is shown to have been unable to handle the thicker atmosphere and crashed onto the surface.
In Superman: War of the Worlds
Superman: War of the Worlds
Superman: War of the Worlds is a DC Comics Elseworlds published in 1999. Written by Roy Thomas with Michael Lark as the artist, Willie Schubert as the letterer and Noelle Giddings as the colorist....
, the flying-machine is not a separate machine; instead it is actually a part of the tripods as in the climax of the story, Superman tries to bring down a fighting-machine by pulling its legs, only to find that the hood of the machine has detached itself and is floating in the air, as the Martians have had time to adjust to Earth's gravity. He destroys the machine by throwing another tripod under it, canceling its negation of gravity.
Scarlet Traces
Scarlet Traces
Scarlet Traces is a comic story of the Steampunk genre, written by Ian Edginton and illustrated by D'Israeli. It was original published online before being serialised in 2002. A sequel, Scarlet Traces: The Great Game, followed in 2006....
is a sequel based on Great Britain having benefited from the remains of the Martian technology. While spider-like machines have dominated the means of land travel, the Martians' flying-machines have greatly influenced air travel, with aircraft by 1908 looking close to modern era planes.
Flying Machines appear in The Asylum
The Asylum
The Asylum is an American film studio and distributor which focuses on producing low-budget, usually direct-to-video productions. The studio has produced titles that capitalize on productions by major studios; these titles have been dubbed "mockbusters" by the press.-History:The Asylum was founded...
's film War of the Worlds 2: The Next Wave
War of the Worlds 2: The Next Wave
War of the Worlds 2: The Next Wave is a 2008 direct-to-DVD science fiction film starring and directed by C. Thomas Howell....
, the sequel to H.G. Wells' War of the Worlds
H.G. Wells' War of the Worlds (2005 film)
H. G. Wells' War of the Worlds is a science fiction horror mockbuster by The Asylum. It is one of three 2005 film adaptations of H. G...
. The "squid-walkers" are a living race of Tripods controlled by a single entity inside the mothership. They each carry a kind of Heat Ray and need human blood
Blood
Blood is a specialized bodily fluid in animals that delivers necessary substances such as nutrients and oxygen to the cells and transports metabolic waste products away from those same cells....
to survive, so they transport living humans to the mothership and drain their blood. Their weapons are powerful enough to destroy buildings as well as humans; one scene shows a fleet of squid-walkers completely destroying London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
and Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
.
See also
- Tripod (The War of the Worlds)Tripod (The War of the Worlds)Tripods or fighting-machines are a type of fictional three-legged walker from the H. G. Wells' classic science fiction novel The War of the Worlds, used by Martians to invade Earth.-Novel:...
- Handling-machineHandling-machineIn H. G. Wells' science fiction classic The War of the Worlds, the Martian Invaders used two primary machines, the fighting-machine and the handling-machine....
- Martian Technology Analysis Report