h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Microbes are also the defenders of mankind! Why when the martians invade and our armies are destroyed and scattered to the winds by thier superior technology we will be without hope!
Until the little bacteria kill all the Martians!

Hello Psycorp603,

We're still waiting for the Beagle 2 to find out whether the Martians are planning a war against us. We'll know by Christmas Day!

Your Ever Humble Servant,
KMA winner Neri Aracro

yes yes yes! when the martians hit, we just let loose the microbes, and go underground for a couple of days until the martians die of disease! 'war of the worlds' - that's one of my favourite books...

(i never *could* figure out how isaac asimov's spacers could live without microbes...)

The chances of anything coming from Mars are a million to one - they said.

betcha that's what the people who sent the beagle 2 said as well. well, we shall see, won't we?

hello jim, nice to see you here!

It's lovely to be here, Farlander, among my peers. At least, my science teacher at school used to call me 'microbe', which I always took as a compliment

The chances of anything coming from Mars are a million to one, but still they come!

BTW, I'm in the process of writing an article on that musical but I really could do with some help

Oh, and the microbes entry is really well done, I'll probably link to it....

there is a *musical* version for 'war of the worlds'???

Jeff Wayne? Richard Burton's the narrator?

DUM DUM DUM (diddidum diddidum)?

Farlander, where've you been?

this wasn't before i was born, was it? oh dear... tell me more! i'm starting to get really strange pictures in my head of choruses of martians, and i *really* would like someone to remove them...

Ah, I think I might know what's worrying you. This wasn't a musical in the 'Let's put on a show, let's stage it right here' way. It was an album project by Jeff Wayne to tell the story of the book in music form.

Richard Burton was the narrator and loads of other actors, musicians and singers popped up in other roles, including David Essex, Phil Lynott, Julie 'Evita' Covington and Justin Hayward of the Moody Blues. The project was released on LP in 1977 and is currently available on triple-CD with a really good booklet that contains the script and info on the players.

Most famous track is probably 'Eve of the War', which has been released as a single a couple of times (most recently in the early 1990s). That's the track that features the line 'The chances of anything coming from Mars / Are a million to one, they said.'

Have a search on a reputable online store and you'll be able to see the (frankly) stunning cover art.

ah... that makes *so* much sense now! making a 'sound of music'-type musical of 'war of the worlds' would have been nothing short of sacrilege... i'll go poke around and see if i can get it from ebay or something, it sounds really good!

btw, would you believe it, '24's only *just* started airing over here...!