Questions and themes of this lecture:

• Overview of the Alien Invasion narrative formula
• The Novem of The War of the Worlds
• What does the anatomy of the aliens mean?
• Why are the Martian machines so cool?
• What events in human history offer analogs to alien invasion?
• What is the affinity between stories of universal catastrophe and the emergence of mass media?

Features of the Alien Invasion narrative

• 1st sighting: "the Thing"
• Problem of belief
• Spreading the news
• An advanced understanding of the threat to humanity
• The spectacle of the Thing's full power
• The War is a test of humanity: "But those who have been under the shadow, who have gone down at last to elemental things, will have a wider charity." (232)
  • various responses
  • civilized life as an illusion;
  • the last man motif

The novem, or "new thing" of this science fiction narrative:

"Yet across the gulf of space, minds that are to our minds
as ours are to those of the beasts that perish,
intellects vast and cool and unsympathetic,
regarded this earth with envious eyes,
and slowly and surely drew their plans against us." (111)

What does the anatomy of the aliens mean?

• large dark eyes
• huge head
• hands: 2 clusters of 8 tentacle fingers
• no digestive system
• no sleep
• no sex
• no microcosms
• no clothes
• no audible language
  

Speculation about evolution of these features (227*)

Why are the Martian Machines so Cool?

• Brutatlly effective (157)
• The beautiful, agile, lively machine (223*)
• Elaborate machinery provides a prothesis: a "body" and clothes (229)

From where, in human history, do we find analogs to alien invasion?

• Explicit analogy of imperial conquest (113): "And before we judge of them too harshly ..."
• Cross species domination (243): like a rabbit coming home

What is the affinity between stories of universal catastrophe and the emergence of mass media?; Orson Welles does The War of the Worlds

• Alien invasion as media event in H.G. Well's novel
• Particular historical context of Orson Welles adaptation: Munich crisis of September 1938 and the Roosevelt Fireside Chats
• CBS's highbrow program: "The Mercury Theatre on the Air"
• Thesis: In Welles' Radio play, The War of the Worlds, alien invasion becomes an allegory of radio's influence

Other Alien Invasion narratives:

• The Thing
• Invasion of the Body Snatchers
• The Day the Earth Stood Still

Invasion from within:

• Them!
• The Incredible Shrinking Man
• Collossus: the Forbin Project
• Terminator (1984)