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Discuss this Article by @SpanishSpy
The lack of an appearance by the Scarlet Traces series is odd but understandable (I know Mr Spy ain’t the biggest Comics Fan). I think Scarlet Traces tackles the themes of Imperialism and Oppression by the British Empire transferring it’s machinations of oppression to the depressed areas of North and Scotland because Martian machinery means Industry requires less machinery. London doesn’t care though because the middle classes get machinery to transform there lives so it ain’t bad.
Essentially the series goes “The British Empire of 1898 gaining Martian Technology wouldn’t be a good for anyone but the already Well Off”. The second book also plays into the British Government locking up dissidents and Left Wing ‘subversives’ whilst the rest of the world looks at the British Empire’s quixotic war against Mars as foolish.
The lack of an appearance by the Scarlet Traces series is odd but understandable (I know Mr Spy ain’t the biggest Comics Fan). I think Scarlet Traces tackles the themes of Imperialism and Oppression by the British Empire transferring it’s machinations of oppression to the depressed areas of North and Scotland because Martian machinery means Industry requires less machinery. London doesn’t care though because the middle classes get machinery to transform there lives so it ain’t bad.
Essentially the series goes “The British Empire of 1898 gaining Martian Technology wouldn’t be a good for anyone but the already Well Off”. The second book also plays into the British Government locking up dissidents and Left Wing ‘subversives’ whilst the rest of the world looks at the British Empire’s quixotic war against Mars as foolish.
Although IIRC Verne had to change Nemo's backstory to that after they wouldn't let him have him be a dispossessed Polish prince whose country is gone due to the Russians. I mean both essentially send the same anti-colonial message, the context is just a little different.It is fascinating how sympathetic early science fiction could be towards the victims of empire. Not just Wells - Verne was likewise sympathetic in a few ways to the victims of colonialism. Captain Nemo is an Indian noble dispossessed after the Mutiny driven by hatred of the British Empire, and he's supposed to be a thinly-veiled version of Nana Sahib, the claimant Peshwa of the Maratha Empire who mysteriously disappeared after his defeat, and The Steam House contains a summary of the Indian Mutiny that was sufficiently sympathetic to the rebels that it got cut out from its English translation.
As much as I like both the original comics can't deny The Great Game has massive "This sure is a lot like Iraq is going to be like" energy.
(The current 1960s storyline makes me happy with the League of Nations meeting and there's a representative for Burgandian Pimlico.)
Edginton and Disraeli really liked Anderson's UFO, as the opening chapter of Scarlet Traces: Cold War shows!
Of course, I think you could do an article on Scarlet Traces itself because it’s probably one of the few major comic series looking at War of the Worlds to really run with it.I said in pms to Alex that it was a great piece but you could easily write an entirely different one focused on comics rather than books that was the same length.
And so many references to Quatermass in all it’s glory.That sort of thing has always given it an extra layer of enjoyment, like the Martian in Scarlet Traces being recovered by the militia in Walmington-on-Sea. Or the cameos from the Silurians and Sea Devils on a mural in The Great Game.
And so many references to Quatermass in all it’s glory.
Oh it’s great, also the British spaceship the crashes in the lake in Great Game is a reference to the design of the one from First Hammer film.I was very fond of Hob's Lane Overhead station.