That ending talking about how Science Fiction allows us to talk about contemporary issues from a hypothetical perspective really hits home. So many people think sci fi is just about laser guns and FTL travel, but it's so much more. It really gives a writer freedom to explore ideas without stepping on toes, but still allows its viewers to think about how it applies to them. Great video as always, wish I had more to add but you seemed to nail it.
There is a series of novels by Mick Farren that are set in the same universe (ish). In one novel, it ends with the aliens coming to humanity and dominating them through a mind control weapon. The main character's last act of defiance as a thinking being is picturing a monkey smashing something. The next novel in the sequence is set a long time into the future where humans are raised on worlds at kept at a stone age level of technology so they can be harvested as soldiers for their alien masters' war.
I forgot about 'Alien Nation'. Saw that in my teens and thought: 'Pinto Bean bald caps in LA...a bit on-the-nose.' I'd love to see your take on the various authoritarian dystopia stories with an eye to which most closely resembles our current 'situation'. I'm of the opinion we're closer to a combination of 'Harrison Bergeron' crossed with 'Idiocracy' than we are to '1984'. So much attention on avoiding 'Big Brother' let 'Big Mother' sneak right up on us.
Colony being unable to finish its run was truly tragic. It was one of the best alien invasion sci-fi shows I've ever seen. However, it wasn't just about resources. Like "Falling Skies", Earth was just a battlefront between two alien empires and the mechanical invaders were both harvesting our resources and "toughening us up" so humans can fight for their masters.
WRT the use of tanks in the war of the world's scenario, I think turtledove did a fairly good job in his Worldwar series. At least in the first couple of books. He made very good points on how war economies work and how a force coming across the stars does not have unlimited resources to throw into the fight when the home team isn't completely devoid of technology. He also brought in the perspective of the invaders as individuals rather than a monolithic block all with everyone holding the same opinion.
Yes, Worldwar was great. Not only with the Lizards having to adapt 1940s tech to manufacture their own munitions but our own nations rapidly adapting their tech down to our own level. I still feel a little bad for Ussmak. Little scaly dude couldn't catch a break.
@@feralhistorian I tried comparing him to willie from V or Albert from Alienation but I somehow find less pity for Ussmak. Somehow the other two aliens are more personable than Ussmak
I'm just glad it was the first Turtledove althistory WWII story I read, because there's finding a niche and then doing what Turtledove did. WWI and II where the Confederacy had won the Civil War had a few interesting thoughts (even if American!Hitler is a played out trope,) but it turns out replacing technology with magical artifacts on a one-to-one basis doesn't add much, even with gratuitous race swapping.
Right at the end there you got me thinking about the "Men in Black" franchise. The day-to-day job of an MIB agent would actually be some combination of witness protection, ICE, and a protective service for foreign dignitaties. During the opening scene of MIB2 we even see agent J taking a new Rookie on a welfare check which goes badly and ends in a police shooting. And we laugh because it's happening to resident aliens and not real people.
Man, I have to say that I am incredibly lucky to have been gifted your channel via the algorithm. I haven't encountered a video yet that was less than 'good' and I don't expected to. You given me numerous thought experiments and potential discussions to have with my family.
The 'musical' is really a live performance of what many consider a seminal adaption of the novel: Jeff Wayne's Musical Version of The War of the Worlds. This was a double album released in 1978, with many different mainstream musical artists of the time contributing their talents to the production. Notable is the narration throughout being done by the velvet baritone of Richard Burton, and some incredible album art illustrating the major story beats of the novel, such as the cylinder, the Thunderchild and the Red Weed. It may be somewhat dated when you compare it to modern musical productions, but making it required many advancements in musical recording technology, almost all of which have survived to the present day. There is a SACD version that is remixed into 5.1 surround which is absolutely worth listening to, as having Jeff Wayne's orchestral-pop main theme crash out with the strong strings is quite the experience, especially for a first-time listener. It was one of the first times I was exposed to the surge of 1970s concept albums (ELO's Out of the Blue being another stand-out, with the vinyl double-album coming with a press-out cardboard model of the ELO saucer-station), and I've been a fan of the genre ever since (Another sci-fi one is Mitchell/Coe Mysteries: Exiled. Steve Coe is not, as far as I know, any relation to myself, but my dad bought it solely for that reason). Anyway, another excellent video from you, FH! Definitely spot-on about the varying allegories that are almost continuously discussed in science fiction. If only people would learn to listen to them…
I had completely forgotten about that album until I ran across it while hunting for more obscure War of the Worlds spinoff clips. I need to track down a good quality copy of the live performance, I've only watched parts of it on a sketchy youtube dub of someone's VHS copy.
There was an old DVD of it released in 2006 that still features Richard Burton's narration from the album. Its rendered on a terrible giant talking head, but afterwards they replaced Burton with Liam Neeson and its just not the same. From what I can tell the later versions are sold under the "New Generation" label, and they have different instruments and sometimes melodies. Honestly, the original album from the 70s is the best, but the 2006 DVD is the closest live performance you'll get to that version. The videogame is also good if you can track down a copy. It crashes randomly on modern hardware though, so if you have an old Windows 7 kicking around play it on that.@@feralhistorian
@@feralhistorian And since you've proven you can survive the singing of Justin Hayward, you could watch the BBC series 'Star Cops'. Come to think of it, it was so long ago and obscure, I'm not entirely sure if it existed. But the Justin Hayward theme music is still burnt into my memory.
@@PhaedrusAK Yep, BBC. Late 1980's (87/88?) A very short lived series, I seem to remember the BBC was always having strikes around that time which hobbled many shows.
EARTH: FINAL CONFLICT Would have been worthy of mention. Created by Gene Roddenberry (Star Trek) and made after his death. The series was about a resistance movement fighting against Aliens who have come Earth peacefully but for some ulterior motive. The show was '90s syndicated, produced in Canada, Cheese at it's best!
By the way, check out the 1998 BBC short-lived TV series Invasion:Earth. a masterclass in the pointlessness of defending against an overwhelming attacker unless you are prepared to sacrifice everything and then gaining a pyrrhic victory at best . Bleak but well worth watching
I remember it at the time. I second this. I have the soundtrack somewhere. The main American actor (who was also a producer) wanted to make a second season showing the continuing 'war' but the BBC had a habit of only funding short lived series, a sort of 'one and done'.
"There was even a musical." Dude, I don't know whether it's down to exposure or differing cultural perspectives (UK versus US), but hearing Jeff Wayne's Musical Version of The War Of the Worlds referred to as an 'also-ran' hurt. I felt instantly indignant! :D
Guns, Germs, & Steel (Diamond, non-fiction) ruined several parts of War of the Worlds to me. Basically it just emphasized how ridiculous it is to think that the foreigners would die to our diseases, instead of (predominantly) the other way around. And also it's ridiculous to think we'd have a hope of defeating foreigners from "across the ocean", since the very act of sailing that ocean proves dramatically superior technology, to a degree unlikely to be overcome by determination alone. _Metaphorically_ it's fine, and I just have to suspend disbelief enough to enjoy otherwise fun romps like Independence Day without getting hung up on the impossibility of it all. Also, this vid was a staggeringly deep and fascinating analysis of way more content than I expected it to be (which is probably just my error, since I've seen quite a few FH videos at this point; I knew what to expect going in). Well done!
Another sci-fi book series that explores some of these themes is, oddly, the “Doom” series. Yes, it is a series of books based off the Doom first person shooter video games of the 90s, and they’re far better than they had any right to be.
America's alien invasion movies from the fifties, especially WotW and Earth vs. the Flying Saucers, struck me as having a real Pearl Harbor mentality to them. The attacks were unexpected and massively devastating. They also played out like fears of a Soviet nuclear strike by again being unexpected and massively devasting plus centered on highly strategic targets like Los Angeles and Washington D.C. Steven Spielberg's WotW was a little different. There was greater focus on the people trying to escape the invasion. It was almost like Spielberg was trying to put you in the shoes of people in Poland trying to escape the Nazis. Just the sort of thing I would expect from someone who directed Schindler's List. If you've never seen it before, I recommend the 1970s British series UFO. It plays out more like the Battle of Britain. You have interceptor pilots stationed on the moon battling repeated aerial assaults on the Earth. Just goes to show you how each country's experience of WW2 shaped the way it envisioned an alien invasion.
Great points. I vaguely remember watching UFO a few times when I was a kid. I'll have to give it another look as I slowly work my back through to some British sci-fi.
Fascinating video (as usual). On the concept of alien civilizations using Earth for resources: are you familiar with the video game "Prey" (Xbox1/Playstation 2 era, I believe). Very good game (IMHO) with an interesting take on the topic (again, IMHO). Also, an aliens with inscrutable motivations: Lovecraft? I look forward to every new video
I never got around to playing Prey. One of these days I really should. I suspect Lovecraft is going to come up sooner or later. Got a couple things in mind.
@@feralhistorian Just don't confuse it with the more recent game of the same name (trademark squatting, IIUC.) Lots to think about with that one, too, but it's a very different sort of alien invasion.
That said, a video talking about the game's story as a whole (early access as it is) and thoughts on the goals of the various human factions (the one word summary of their motives: Resist, Submit, Exploit, Escape, Cooperate, Destroy, and Appease) would be right up this channel's alley.
Yes. What he said. I don't really have anything else to add to the topic of the video. The video was great, and I can't really think of anything to add right now. Instead, I will mention a layer of the readaptation of stories. And why I so dislike the Tom Cruise version of War of the Worlds. The book is quite wholesome, as it follows a man moving through England during the Martian invasion in the attempt to get to his wife. And then, the book has a happy ending, being reunited with her. I love stories that get really dark but then have a happy ending. Been years since I read it. And now I want to read it again. In the Tom Cruise of the Worlds on the other hand, not only has the story shifted to the United States. The life situation of the main character is completely transformed. In the book, we have a loving marriage. In the movie, we have a divorced man, broken home, his two kids are sent back and forth with their mandated dual custody, and both his kids hate him. While his ex-wife that he still has feelings for, well she is with another man. So really, they did a great job adapting the movie to our modern way of living. I haven't seen any other versions of the story. But now finding out that there is a musical... now that... now that is something. Absolutely most definitely... something. Something for sure. Sure is something that is.
@@feralhistorian Also, sort of connecting to Colony. The dad of one of my neighbors was in the Norwegian resistance movement, fighting the Germans wherever he could. In many parts of the country they could only move at night, because of the large number of German sympathizers, especially in rural areas of many smallholders. Our pre-war Labor government wanted to join into the USSR. Not just become a friend or ally with the Soviet Union, but to actually become a Soviet Republic under Moscow. And then, many had been radicalized by the Soviet invasion of Finland, where a great deal of Norwegians from east in the country went to fight as foreign volunteers. Creating these solid pro-German areas in various places. Creating this sharp divide in Norwegian society. Then, another almost neighbor, he joined "Hirden" as a teenager. He did this to preserve law and order. He struggled a lot later in life. Not because of anything he may have done, but because everyone hated him. Previous friends, family, neighbors, they all hated him. Thankfully, our post-war purges were mild compared to Denmark, Holland, and France. So, at least he survived. Then a third almost neighbor (dead now but I know his grandson). His farm was constantly robbed by fellow Norwegians during the war. Constantly. But he turned the other cheek. The German presence in the region was pretty high, being only 8 miles away from Stavanger Airport. So, if he had reported it, there could have been a crackdown. Which would have made him a collaborator according to pretty much everybody. But, being a devout Protestant, he turned the other cheek, and allowed both animals and produce to be stolen. He was so devout in fact, that when the post-war Labor Government seized 4/5ths of his extensive property, he did not take them to court. Which was a good thing for me, because my grandfather would buy one of these land-cleared farms they made from his property 30 years later, which is why I have this farm today. On the other side of the little mountain almost bordering my farm, around 2 miles away. The man living here was a well-known ideological National Socialist during the war. We're talking having a massive swastika on the wall, picture of the Fuhrer, the whole shebang. But any and all signs of his ideology evaporated as soon as the war ended. In all haste, he had made sure to burn it all to avoid the post-war purge. Which worked. The local school had a teacher who became very well-known in the area for being a bit part of the "Teacher's rebellion" or "Teacher's Protest" in 1942. Where the teachers refused to implement the Nazi oriented education demanded by Quisling. I forget details about him, but I am pretty sure he survived the war and continued to teach afterwards. Sadly that school building was demolished before I was even born. The Stavanger Airport was basically built to become the international airport that it is today by the Germans. Where it served as a vital base to bomb the English. And a lot of the industry and the large industrial concerns of the region were either started or were expanded to become what they are today because of the occupation. Like one, although I forget his name now, started his business making steel wheelbarrows for the Germans during the war. --------------------- I wish we could get more stories about what happens after the occupation. But then again, every European country that was occupied by the Germans wants to forget what they themselves did after the war.
Re. your almost-neighbor joining Hirden; I see how someone gets there. Naturally we tend to slap the wartime black and white filter on it even decades later, but the reality is always very grey. It’s one of the things I think Colony did well, at least in the first two seasons, particularly with the resistance bombing a line of recruits for the redhat police force, recruits who were there because they needed to feed their families. It gets hard to pin down the definitive good guys and bad guys in that kind of situation. Thanks for posting this, I appreciate the different perspective. As an American I can intellectually understand what happened, but culturally WWII is something that happened “over there” for us. Everyone’s grandfather fought, everyone’s grandma worked in a shipyard or a factory, but actually being invaded and occupied was always a fairly distant prospect.
I spoke with someone who worked on the that film (Let's call him M. As far as I know he still works in Hollywood), He had previously worked with the director who had been pushing to have it made. Sadly he died and Stephen Spielberg got the gig. M said every time he met with Stephen and the studio during initial stages and pre production, the original vision would shift slightly. When asked if he was proud of the film as made, he said, at first he was, then each time he saw it, the less he liked it. It was not what was originally intended.
I implore anyone who wants to check out the musical to start with the original 1970s album first. The updated versions aren't bad, but they're not as good as the original and you just can't replace Richard Burton as the narrator.
I was lucky enough to see the revival tour before they replaced Richard Burton's voice over and most/all of the cast with younger versions. To me, there was a definite decline in quality with the younger ones.
Thank you very much for this interesting video essay. I mention that I am planning an audio adaptation of WAR OF THE WORLDS for next year, and really wanted to focus on something deeply individual in terms of theme. Not survival per se, nor colonialism in any form nor any analog for Muslims or Foreigners or even corporations. Rather the question of "what will we refuse to do to survive?" Much more BEYOND THUNDERDOME or THE LAST OF US rather than INDEPENDENCE DAY or V:THE SERIES. So in a way a return to the novel's roots--the Martians are a mirror of us, of what we can choose to become. Again, thank you.
@@feralhistorian yeah it has kinda disappeared, what I liked about it was that the Aliens continued to try to conquer Earth but wasn’t overt w it. It really took on more of an Invasion of the body snatchers feel. Great video! Thanks!
The final season of War of the Worlds was a complete deviation from the beginning. It seemed like the new showrunner simply took some concepts he wanted to use in a series and ran with them, ignoring the original premise. He wasn't shy about eliminating characters from the original cast, either, killing off Ironhorse and Drake (ostensibly because he "didn't know what to do with a character in a wheelchair"). Might as well have cancelled the show outright, as the changes killed it, anyway. ='[.]'=
One little note about ALIEN NATION: Matt Sykes decides on calling Samuel Francisco- his partner- George, the name that the character retains throughout the television series. The reason for that is an inside joke because the original scripted name of Samuel Francisco was George Jetson...but Hanna-Barbera wouldn't give 20th Century Fox the rights to use the name.
I use AI in the workflow. Usually start with a quick sketch or a Photoshop mashup, run through Stable Diffusion a few times, then more Photoshop. AI isn't much good for final output, but it's a huge timesaver for things like thumbnails.
Your description of "colony" is so awfully similar to our own current society that im convinced that humanity currently actually is occupied by some other group. Some group that may be a close subspecies of human or even just fully human, but certainly doesnt consider itself as mainline human. Certainly the current society is only possible if our elites are deeply convinced that they are some kind of special favored community, while everyone else is just cattle to be managed or exterminated.
What I’d really like to know is why no one can actually film a proper accurate interpretation of WOTW by HG Wells? It comes to something when the closest version is the musical, you consider whimsy.
It must be said though, all the stories about aliens conquering Earth for resources, base of operations etc. are ludicrous to be honest. Landing down in a gravity well for a base of operations, yeah... might not be the best idea. And when it comes to resources... well, let's just say that the only resource on the planet worth considering diving into a gravity well for might the edible kind...
I see aliens taking us over due to religious/cultural imperative reasons. They simply enjoy dominating others, either to "parent" us, or just practice massive sadism. Otherwise, they might exterminate us in case over a few thousand years we become a threat to them, even if only in a small way. And they might be extremely xenophobic by nature.
And even that is ludicrous. If an alien can eat a human it's very likely able to eat a cow or any other animal. It'd be far easier to swoop down and grab those animals and set up your own farms instead of fighting and conquering humans. When you have questions you simply watch what humans would do in that situation. Be hilarious if we got into space and stumbled on to a giant alien spaceship and find it's basically a farm with cows, chickens, sheep, and pigs on it. Along with crops that are grown to feed the animals. Would the aliens shoot at us with rock-salt or laser-salt? 😆
Ah, the academically infamous "other". Less Zinn and Derrida please; post-colonial historicism and narrow literary philosophies are what's killing our humanities departments; are what already killed our classics colleges.
"At least colonialists built infrastructure" "They were there for more than just to strip valuables from the ground and leave a pit ".....Uh, you sure about that chief?
Actual colonies absolutely built infrastructure, often entire cities. North America and Southern Africa being notable examples. Even India, which was never really colonized so much as long-term managed, still uses railroads and bridges built during the Raj. But since then the language has been mangled a bit and "colonial" and similar words have been broadened to mean almost any exploitive foreign presence whether or not there's any attempt to colonize.
@@feralhistorian All to do what? Better exploit local resources human, mineral, or agricultural. You don't really get good boy points due to roads still being in use if the reason they were created was to strip the proverbial copper out of the walls. There's a big difference between that an actually enriching the local area for mutual benefit with the locals. Which, let's face, was never done.
What I never understood (besides the propaganda) is why the aliens can be defeat by a less technologicaly advanced civilization and why is always the US 😂
Well, Viet Nam. Afgahnistan, the wars of decolonization....less tech wins. As for it being the US, well, the movies are American made for the most part...
@@mitchellsmith4690 I read a sf short story that really chilled my blood. Alien "construction workers" who stand hundreds of feet high, show up and ignore humanity as they build a massive complex in Europe. The aliens leave with their equipment strewn everywhere and the structure half built, but humans realize they will soon return, and that the creatures must learn to respect us no matter the cost. An alien "screwdriver" is found that is a multitasking tool which can essentially do anything you want in terms of matter rearrangement, but the makers have a security feature where if you don't input the correct commands, you die screaming! And so thousands of humans are chosen for a lottery, and each one takes their turn at the giant tool, pushing buttons in sequences that are carefully recorded by engineers and scientists. The person dies horribly, but not before more is learned about operating the device. After around ten thousand deaths, the alien machine's operation is fully understood, though at an incredible price in human lives. When the huge aliens return and realize what humanity has done, they develop a grudging respect for us, and initiate communication.
That ending talking about how Science Fiction allows us to talk about contemporary issues from a hypothetical perspective really hits home. So many people think sci fi is just about laser guns and FTL travel, but it's so much more. It really gives a writer freedom to explore ideas without stepping on toes, but still allows its viewers to think about how it applies to them. Great video as always, wish I had more to add but you seemed to nail it.
Such an interesting analysis. Humanity being just in the way of some other peoples' wars is something that is, in a way, terrifyingly realistic
It's unfortunate that Colony didn't get to finish its story. It was taking that on directly, though taking its time about it.
I really enjoyed Colony. God I hate it when they just up and cancel a show without a send off.
There is a series of novels by Mick Farren that are set in the same universe (ish). In one novel, it ends with the aliens coming to humanity and dominating them through a mind control weapon. The main character's last act of defiance as a thinking being is picturing a monkey smashing something. The next novel in the sequence is set a long time into the future where humans are raised on worlds at kept at a stone age level of technology so they can be harvested as soldiers for their alien masters' war.
@@ptonpc Is it worth a read?
I loved the setting of Colony. Really enjoyed "Captive State" too, which is kind of the same premise.
I'm surprise you didn't bring up District 9. But awesome video!
I'm a little surprised I didn't even think about District 9.
@@feralhistorian _District 9's_ setting is basically _Alien Nation_ with more elaborate alien costumes.
@@feralhistorian no one does, its trash
@@DaytonaRoadster at least it didnt have degenerate "artists" like chappie
I forgot about 'Alien Nation'. Saw that in my teens and thought: 'Pinto Bean bald caps in LA...a bit on-the-nose.'
I'd love to see your take on the various authoritarian dystopia stories with an eye to which most closely resembles our current 'situation'. I'm of the opinion we're closer to a combination of 'Harrison Bergeron' crossed with 'Idiocracy' than we are to '1984'. So much attention on avoiding 'Big Brother' let 'Big Mother' sneak right up on us.
I've been making a lot of Harrison Bergeron references these past few years. There's quite a few aspiring Handicappers General out there.
Colony being unable to finish its run was truly tragic. It was one of the best alien invasion sci-fi shows I've ever seen. However, it wasn't just about resources. Like "Falling Skies", Earth was just a battlefront between two alien empires and the mechanical invaders were both harvesting our resources and "toughening us up" so humans can fight for their masters.
WRT the use of tanks in the war of the world's scenario, I think turtledove did a fairly good job in his Worldwar series. At least in the first couple of books. He made very good points on how war economies work and how a force coming across the stars does not have unlimited resources to throw into the fight when the home team isn't completely devoid of technology.
He also brought in the perspective of the invaders as individuals rather than a monolithic block all with everyone holding the same opinion.
Yes, Worldwar was great. Not only with the Lizards having to adapt 1940s tech to manufacture their own munitions but our own nations rapidly adapting their tech down to our own level.
I still feel a little bad for Ussmak. Little scaly dude couldn't catch a break.
@@feralhistorian I tried comparing him to willie from V or Albert from Alienation but I somehow find less pity for Ussmak. Somehow the other two aliens are more personable than Ussmak
I'm just glad it was the first Turtledove althistory WWII story I read, because there's finding a niche and then doing what Turtledove did. WWI and II where the Confederacy had won the Civil War had a few interesting thoughts (even if American!Hitler is a played out trope,) but it turns out replacing technology with magical artifacts on a one-to-one basis doesn't add much, even with gratuitous race swapping.
That's usually why I don't finish Turtledove books. He does a lot of one-for-one equivalency.
But Worldwar and Guns of the South stand above.
Right at the end there you got me thinking about the "Men in Black" franchise.
The day-to-day job of an MIB agent would actually be some combination of witness protection, ICE, and a protective service for foreign dignitaties.
During the opening scene of MIB2 we even see agent J taking a new Rookie on a welfare check which goes badly and ends in a police shooting.
And we laugh because it's happening to resident aliens and not real people.
Man, I have to say that I am incredibly lucky to have been gifted your channel via the algorithm. I haven't encountered a video yet that was less than 'good' and I don't expected to. You given me numerous thought experiments and potential discussions to have with my family.
The 'musical' is really a live performance of what many consider a seminal adaption of the novel: Jeff Wayne's Musical Version of The War of the Worlds.
This was a double album released in 1978, with many different mainstream musical artists of the time contributing their talents to the production. Notable is the narration throughout being done by the velvet baritone of Richard Burton, and some incredible album art illustrating the major story beats of the novel, such as the cylinder, the Thunderchild and the Red Weed. It may be somewhat dated when you compare it to modern musical productions, but making it required many advancements in musical recording technology, almost all of which have survived to the present day.
There is a SACD version that is remixed into 5.1 surround which is absolutely worth listening to, as having Jeff Wayne's orchestral-pop main theme crash out with the strong strings is quite the experience, especially for a first-time listener. It was one of the first times I was exposed to the surge of 1970s concept albums (ELO's Out of the Blue being another stand-out, with the vinyl double-album coming with a press-out cardboard model of the ELO saucer-station), and I've been a fan of the genre ever since (Another sci-fi one is Mitchell/Coe Mysteries: Exiled. Steve Coe is not, as far as I know, any relation to myself, but my dad bought it solely for that reason).
Anyway, another excellent video from you, FH! Definitely spot-on about the varying allegories that are almost continuously discussed in science fiction.
If only people would learn to listen to them…
I had completely forgotten about that album until I ran across it while hunting for more obscure War of the Worlds spinoff clips. I need to track down a good quality copy of the live performance, I've only watched parts of it on a sketchy youtube dub of someone's VHS copy.
There was an old DVD of it released in 2006 that still features Richard Burton's narration from the album. Its rendered on a terrible giant talking head, but afterwards they replaced Burton with Liam Neeson and its just not the same. From what I can tell the later versions are sold under the "New Generation" label, and they have different instruments and sometimes melodies. Honestly, the original album from the 70s is the best, but the 2006 DVD is the closest live performance you'll get to that version.
The videogame is also good if you can track down a copy. It crashes randomly on modern hardware though, so if you have an old Windows 7 kicking around play it on that.@@feralhistorian
@@feralhistorian And since you've proven you can survive the singing of Justin Hayward, you could watch the BBC series 'Star Cops'. Come to think of it, it was so long ago and obscure, I'm not entirely sure if it existed. But the Justin Hayward theme music is still burnt into my memory.
Basically the best version of the story that is not the novel or the 1950's film.
@@PhaedrusAK Yep, BBC. Late 1980's (87/88?) A very short lived series, I seem to remember the BBC was always having strikes around that time which hobbled many shows.
The fact that this video only has 10,000 views after six months is borderline criminal.
EARTH: FINAL CONFLICT Would have been worthy of mention. Created by Gene Roddenberry (Star Trek) and made after his death. The series was about a resistance movement fighting against Aliens who have come Earth peacefully but for some ulterior motive. The show was '90s syndicated, produced in Canada, Cheese at it's best!
I have fond memories of watching random episodes of that show way back. It always felt like it fell short of its potential, from what I recall.
@@feralhistorian The final two seasons really jumped the shark. But before that, it was actually generally excellent.
Brilliant videos as always. And your references of nerdy sci fi is off the charts!
By the way, check out the 1998 BBC short-lived TV series Invasion:Earth. a masterclass in the pointlessness of defending against an overwhelming attacker unless you are prepared to sacrifice everything and then gaining a pyrrhic victory at best . Bleak but well worth watching
I'll give that a look.
I remember it at the time. I second this. I have the soundtrack somewhere. The main American actor (who was also a producer) wanted to make a second season showing the continuing 'war' but the BBC had a habit of only funding short lived series, a sort of 'one and done'.
It was a terrific series and a great deal of fun. 😊
Only found your videos yesterday, very enjoyable watch I have to say! Thank you.
This video just randomly popped up in my feed and I gotta tell ya dude this video was great! instant sub from me!
"There was even a musical."
Dude, I don't know whether it's down to exposure or differing cultural perspectives (UK versus US), but hearing Jeff Wayne's Musical Version of The War Of the Worlds referred to as an 'also-ran' hurt. I felt instantly indignant! :D
I didn't give it its due.
Excellent video - well thought out and great production as ever! Thank you
I know I'm just some random person on the internet but I really like your videos. Keep them coming!
Online, we're all randos.
Guns, Germs, & Steel (Diamond, non-fiction) ruined several parts of War of the Worlds to me. Basically it just emphasized how ridiculous it is to think that the foreigners would die to our diseases, instead of (predominantly) the other way around. And also it's ridiculous to think we'd have a hope of defeating foreigners from "across the ocean", since the very act of sailing that ocean proves dramatically superior technology, to a degree unlikely to be overcome by determination alone. _Metaphorically_ it's fine, and I just have to suspend disbelief enough to enjoy otherwise fun romps like Independence Day without getting hung up on the impossibility of it all.
Also, this vid was a staggeringly deep and fascinating analysis of way more content than I expected it to be (which is probably just my error, since I've seen quite a few FH videos at this point; I knew what to expect going in). Well done!
Thank you for your amazing analysis! I enjoy all your vids!
Another sci-fi book series that explores some of these themes is, oddly, the “Doom” series. Yes, it is a series of books based off the Doom first person shooter video games of the 90s, and they’re far better than they had any right to be.
America's alien invasion movies from the fifties, especially WotW and Earth vs. the Flying Saucers, struck me as having a real Pearl Harbor mentality to them. The attacks were unexpected and massively devastating. They also played out like fears of a Soviet nuclear strike by again being unexpected and massively devasting plus centered on highly strategic targets like Los Angeles and Washington D.C. Steven Spielberg's WotW was a little different. There was greater focus on the people trying to escape the invasion. It was almost like Spielberg was trying to put you in the shoes of people in Poland trying to escape the Nazis. Just the sort of thing I would expect from someone who directed Schindler's List. If you've never seen it before, I recommend the 1970s British series UFO. It plays out more like the Battle of Britain. You have interceptor pilots stationed on the moon battling repeated aerial assaults on the Earth. Just goes to show you how each country's experience of WW2 shaped the way it envisioned an alien invasion.
Great points.
I vaguely remember watching UFO a few times when I was a kid. I'll have to give it another look as I slowly work my back through to some British sci-fi.
For me UFO has held up a lot better than Space 1999 even with its lavender wigs
@@stardog62 I would love to see a playful reboot of UFO. But they better include the sexy gals in their lavender wigs and mini skirts! Lol
This is a great channel.
The fact that the Richard Burton intro to The War of The Worlds wasn't used is outright criminal.
Nice choice of jacket. SG-1, you have a go!
I love what you do man. Keep it up!
Algorythm comment algorythm comment
Also Falling skies mentioned!!!! I loved that show as a kid
The musical is amazing btw
Well done Sir
Fascinating video (as usual). On the concept of alien civilizations using Earth for resources: are you familiar with the video game "Prey" (Xbox1/Playstation 2 era, I believe). Very good game (IMHO) with an interesting take on the topic (again, IMHO). Also, an aliens with inscrutable motivations: Lovecraft? I look forward to every new video
I never got around to playing Prey. One of these days I really should.
I suspect Lovecraft is going to come up sooner or later. Got a couple things in mind.
@@feralhistorian Just don't confuse it with the more recent game of the same name (trademark squatting, IIUC.) Lots to think about with that one, too, but it's a very different sort of alien invasion.
Good Video
5:54 Omg MoistCritikal vs Sneako reference
Well I'm convinced I'll have to play Terra Invicta again!
A Protectorate run-through would seem most appropriate given the video... but you might be looking for more of a cleanser than an example, I suppose.
That said, a video talking about the game's story as a whole (early access as it is) and thoughts on the goals of the various human factions (the one word summary of their motives: Resist, Submit, Exploit, Escape, Cooperate, Destroy, and Appease) would be right up this channel's alley.
Yes. What he said.
I don't really have anything else to add to the topic of the video. The video was great, and I can't really think of anything to add right now.
Instead, I will mention a layer of the readaptation of stories. And why I so dislike the Tom Cruise version of War of the Worlds.
The book is quite wholesome, as it follows a man moving through England during the Martian invasion in the attempt to get to his wife. And then, the book has a happy ending, being reunited with her. I love stories that get really dark but then have a happy ending.
Been years since I read it. And now I want to read it again.
In the Tom Cruise of the Worlds on the other hand, not only has the story shifted to the United States. The life situation of the main character is completely transformed.
In the book, we have a loving marriage.
In the movie, we have a divorced man, broken home, his two kids are sent back and forth with their mandated dual custody, and both his kids hate him. While his ex-wife that he still has feelings for, well she is with another man.
So really, they did a great job adapting the movie to our modern way of living.
I haven't seen any other versions of the story.
But now finding out that there is a musical... now that... now that is something. Absolutely most definitely... something. Something for sure. Sure is something that is.
That's a really good point about the Tom Cruise film. I hadn't considered that angle.
@@feralhistorian Also, sort of connecting to Colony.
The dad of one of my neighbors was in the Norwegian resistance movement, fighting the Germans wherever he could. In many parts of the country they could only move at night, because of the large number of German sympathizers, especially in rural areas of many smallholders.
Our pre-war Labor government wanted to join into the USSR. Not just become a friend or ally with the Soviet Union, but to actually become a Soviet Republic under Moscow.
And then, many had been radicalized by the Soviet invasion of Finland, where a great deal of Norwegians from east in the country went to fight as foreign volunteers.
Creating these solid pro-German areas in various places.
Creating this sharp divide in Norwegian society.
Then, another almost neighbor, he joined "Hirden" as a teenager.
He did this to preserve law and order.
He struggled a lot later in life. Not because of anything he may have done, but because everyone hated him. Previous friends, family, neighbors, they all hated him.
Thankfully, our post-war purges were mild compared to Denmark, Holland, and France. So, at least he survived.
Then a third almost neighbor (dead now but I know his grandson). His farm was constantly robbed by fellow Norwegians during the war. Constantly.
But he turned the other cheek.
The German presence in the region was pretty high, being only 8 miles away from Stavanger Airport.
So, if he had reported it, there could have been a crackdown. Which would have made him a collaborator according to pretty much everybody.
But, being a devout Protestant, he turned the other cheek, and allowed both animals and produce to be stolen.
He was so devout in fact, that when the post-war Labor Government seized 4/5ths of his extensive property, he did not take them to court.
Which was a good thing for me, because my grandfather would buy one of these land-cleared farms they made from his property 30 years later, which is why I have this farm today.
On the other side of the little mountain almost bordering my farm, around 2 miles away.
The man living here was a well-known ideological National Socialist during the war. We're talking having a massive swastika on the wall, picture of the Fuhrer, the whole shebang.
But any and all signs of his ideology evaporated as soon as the war ended. In all haste, he had made sure to burn it all to avoid the post-war purge.
Which worked.
The local school had a teacher who became very well-known in the area for being a bit part of the "Teacher's rebellion" or "Teacher's Protest" in 1942.
Where the teachers refused to implement the Nazi oriented education demanded by Quisling.
I forget details about him, but I am pretty sure he survived the war and continued to teach afterwards.
Sadly that school building was demolished before I was even born.
The Stavanger Airport was basically built to become the international airport that it is today by the Germans. Where it served as a vital base to bomb the English.
And a lot of the industry and the large industrial concerns of the region were either started or were expanded to become what they are today because of the occupation.
Like one, although I forget his name now, started his business making steel wheelbarrows for the Germans during the war.
---------------------
I wish we could get more stories about what happens after the occupation.
But then again, every European country that was occupied by the Germans wants to forget what they themselves did after the war.
Re. your almost-neighbor joining Hirden; I see how someone gets there. Naturally we tend to slap the wartime black and white filter on it even decades later, but the reality is always very grey. It’s one of the things I think Colony did well, at least in the first two seasons, particularly with the resistance bombing a line of recruits for the redhat police force, recruits who were there because they needed to feed their families. It gets hard to pin down the definitive good guys and bad guys in that kind of situation.
Thanks for posting this, I appreciate the different perspective. As an American I can intellectually understand what happened, but culturally WWII is something that happened “over there” for us. Everyone’s grandfather fought, everyone’s grandma worked in a shipyard or a factory, but actually being invaded and occupied was always a fairly distant prospect.
I spoke with someone who worked on the that film (Let's call him M. As far as I know he still works in Hollywood), He had previously worked with the director who had been pushing to have it made. Sadly he died and Stephen Spielberg got the gig. M said every time he met with Stephen and the studio during initial stages and pre production, the original vision would shift slightly. When asked if he was proud of the film as made, he said, at first he was, then each time he saw it, the less he liked it. It was not what was originally intended.
I implore anyone who wants to check out the musical to start with the original 1970s album first. The updated versions aren't bad, but they're not as good as the original and you just can't replace Richard Burton as the narrator.
I was lucky enough to see the revival tour before they replaced Richard Burton's voice over and most/all of the cast with younger versions. To me, there was a definite decline in quality with the younger ones.
Thank you very much for this interesting video essay.
I mention that I am planning an audio adaptation of WAR OF THE WORLDS for next year, and really wanted to focus on something deeply individual in terms of theme. Not survival per se, nor colonialism in any form nor any analog for Muslims or Foreigners or even corporations. Rather the question of "what will we refuse to do to survive?" Much more BEYOND THUNDERDOME or THE LAST OF US rather than INDEPENDENCE DAY or V:THE SERIES. So in a way a return to the novel's roots--the Martians are a mirror of us, of what we can choose to become.
Again, thank you.
The War or the Worlds tv show at the end of the 80’s was pretty good too.
I remember liking that one too. I was intending to reference it here but it seems to have largely disappeared, save for worse-than-usual VHS rips.
@@feralhistorian yeah it has kinda disappeared, what I liked about it was that the Aliens continued to try to conquer Earth but wasn’t overt w it. It really took on more of an Invasion of the body snatchers feel. Great video! Thanks!
The final season of War of the Worlds was a complete deviation from the beginning. It seemed like the new showrunner simply took some concepts he wanted to use in a series and ran with them, ignoring the original premise. He wasn't shy about eliminating characters from the original cast, either, killing off Ironhorse and Drake (ostensibly because he "didn't know what to do with a character in a wheelchair"). Might as well have cancelled the show outright, as the changes killed it, anyway. ='[.]'=
🤔 I just *knew* you would follow up that line with “but malaria can…”
Maybe I’m psychic or something?
( 😏! )
This is a fantastic video you’ve earned my subscription!
What about District 9. or is that not really an invasion as they sort of broke down
Are you telling me that this show Colony, is basically Half Life 2?! I gotta see this
One little note about ALIEN NATION: Matt Sykes decides on calling Samuel Francisco- his partner- George, the name that the character retains throughout the television series. The reason for that is an inside joke because the original scripted name of Samuel Francisco was George Jetson...but Hanna-Barbera wouldn't give 20th Century Fox the rights to use the name.
Id be very interested what your thoughts are on the show Severance
I looks forward to the next War of the Worlds adaption where the over confident aliens get bogged down in trench warfare
Whoever wants peace among nations must seek to limit the algorithm and its influence most strictly.
I'm hanging in there.
are you using AI to generate the thumbnails for your videos?
I use AI in the workflow. Usually start with a quick sketch or a Photoshop mashup, run through Stable Diffusion a few times, then more Photoshop. AI isn't much good for final output, but it's a huge timesaver for things like thumbnails.
You forgot Maxross, Southern Cross and Mospedia.
Your description of "colony" is so awfully similar to our own current society that im convinced that humanity currently actually is occupied by some other group. Some group that may be a close subspecies of human or even just fully human, but certainly doesnt consider itself as mainline human. Certainly the current society is only possible if our elites are deeply convinced that they are some kind of special favored community, while everyone else is just cattle to be managed or exterminated.
What I’d really like to know is why no one can actually film a proper accurate interpretation of WOTW by HG Wells? It comes to something when the closest version is the musical, you consider whimsy.
The things about Alien Nation that were never talked about were: 1) who enslaved the New Comers; and 2) will they come here . . .
9:20 so just more Jewry basically
There’s an anime pseudo-sequel (that you happened to use clips of.)
It’s ok.
Michael Bay would approve.
Local colaborators doing most of the dirty work is actualy a more acurate depiction of imperialism ca. 1900 then H.G.Wells original.
Being distracted and buying useless consumer goods (a paraphrase) hmmm 🤔
It must be said though, all the stories about aliens conquering Earth for resources, base of operations etc. are ludicrous to be honest. Landing down in a gravity well for a base of operations, yeah... might not be the best idea. And when it comes to resources... well, let's just say that the only resource on the planet worth considering diving into a gravity well for might the edible kind...
I see aliens taking us over due to religious/cultural imperative reasons. They simply enjoy dominating others, either to "parent" us, or just practice massive sadism. Otherwise, they might exterminate us in case over a few thousand years we become a threat to them, even if only in a small way. And they might be extremely xenophobic by nature.
And even that is ludicrous. If an alien can eat a human it's very likely able to eat a cow or any other animal. It'd be far easier to swoop down and grab those animals and set up your own farms instead of fighting and conquering humans. When you have questions you simply watch what humans would do in that situation. Be hilarious if we got into space and stumbled on to a giant alien spaceship and find it's basically a farm with cows, chickens, sheep, and pigs on it. Along with crops that are grown to feed the animals. Would the aliens shoot at us with rock-salt or laser-salt? 😆
Ah, the academically infamous "other".
Less Zinn and Derrida please; post-colonial historicism and narrow literary philosophies are what's killing our humanities departments; are what already killed our classics colleges.
"At least colonialists built infrastructure" "They were there for more than just to strip valuables from the ground and leave a pit ".....Uh, you sure about that chief?
Actual colonies absolutely built infrastructure, often entire cities. North America and Southern Africa being notable examples. Even India, which was never really colonized so much as long-term managed, still uses railroads and bridges built during the Raj.
But since then the language has been mangled a bit and "colonial" and similar words have been broadened to mean almost any exploitive foreign presence whether or not there's any attempt to colonize.
@@feralhistorian All to do what? Better exploit local resources human, mineral, or agricultural. You don't really get good boy points due to roads still being in use if the reason they were created was to strip the proverbial copper out of the walls.
There's a big difference between that an actually enriching the local area for mutual benefit with the locals. Which, let's face, was never done.
@@richardbrooks5899 I didn't say it was a good thing, only that they built some stuff while they were there.
@@feralhistorianNot the way it was phrased in the video.
What I never understood (besides the propaganda) is why the aliens can be defeat by a less technologicaly advanced civilization and why is always the US 😂
Well no one wants to watch a movie where humans are defeated and wiped out.
Well, Viet Nam. Afgahnistan, the wars of decolonization....less tech wins. As for it being the US, well, the movies are American made for the most part...
@@mitchellsmith4690 I read a sf short story that really chilled my blood. Alien "construction workers" who stand hundreds of feet high, show up and ignore humanity as they build a massive complex in Europe. The aliens leave with their equipment strewn everywhere and the structure half built, but humans realize they will soon return, and that the creatures must learn to respect us no matter the cost. An alien "screwdriver" is found that is a multitasking tool which can essentially do anything you want in terms of matter rearrangement, but the makers have a security feature where if you don't input the correct commands, you die screaming! And so thousands of humans are chosen for a lottery, and each one takes their turn at the giant tool, pushing buttons in sequences that are carefully recorded by engineers and scientists. The person dies horribly, but not before more is learned about operating the device. After around ten thousand deaths, the alien machine's operation is fully understood, though at an incredible price in human lives. When the huge aliens return and realize what humanity has done, they develop a grudging respect for us, and initiate communication.