The Martian Diaries, Vol. 2

Lake on the Moon (The Martian Diaries - A Sequel to The War of the Worlds)

By: H.E. Wilburson

Narrated by: Harry Preston, Terry Thompson

The War Of The Worlds Continues as a New Martian Menace Invades Earth!

Featuring sound effects and a bespoke musical score by British composer H.E. Wilburson, this award-winning 3-part sequel to The War Of The Worlds is an immersive audio drama experience for fans of the H.G.Wells classic science fiction book.

Winner of 5 awards at Los Angeles Science Fiction Film Festival 2020 – Audio Drama category (with volume 1. The Day Of The Martians)

Bronze medallist Readers Choice Awards 2020 (Science Fiction category)

What lies concealed inside the Martian Red Weed, and what is the secret of the lake on the moon?

When the first Martian cylinder crash-lands in England, Ogilvy the astronomer barely survives the deadly heat ray from the attack by aliens. He then accidentally stumbles upon the truth about the Red Weed and sends vital evidence to scientists in France on board HMS Thunder Child, but the ship is attacked by a Martian tripod.

Years later in 1919, in the aftermath of World War 1 and Spanish influenza, a sinister plague emerges on Earth from the long-forgotten Red Weed, and threatens all life on our planet with global extinction.

Ogilvy suggests a daring and risky plan to combat the devastating alien menace, involving alternate history timelines. He persuades other original War of the Worlds characters to participate, but how on earth can they locate the secret weapon hidden by the Martians at the lake on the moon?

Lake On The Moon – volume two of The Martian Diaries – continues H.G. Wells' iconic alien invasion novel in a thrilling audio drama adventure, with custom music and immersive sound effects. If you're a fan of The War Of The Worlds and classic science fiction you won't want to miss this award-winning 3-part continuation that brings the original story full circle.

©2021 H.E. Wilburson (P)2019 H.E. Wilburson

A Drastic Change in Direction

The Martian Diaries Volume 2: Lake on the Moon did not go in the direction that I expected. The first book in this series offered a window into what may have happened after the events of HG Wells' classic. It did a wonderful job setting a similar tone to the original story, despite some creative liberties being taken for the sake of authorial intent.

Lake on the Moon comes across as more of a reimagining than a "what if" sequel. This story no longer felt like War of the Worlds to me. With the metaphysics, multiverse theory and time travel, it felt more like an episode of Dr. Who mixed with a few cheesy 1950s sci-fi films. Again, not where I expected this series to go.

This entry takes the "War" almost entirely out of the "Worlds", focusing more on WIlburson's interpretation of Wells' characters. Is that character exploration well done? Yes! Is the prose well structured? Absolutely. But this take on the Martian invasion and the repercussions arising from it did not really speak to me. The final product is a slow paced think-piece that wasn't all that provocative.

I award this four stars because while the presentation is well executed, this entry in the series needed more clarity of direction and greater tension. Lake on the Moon meanders too much. But if you ever wanted a War of the Worlds story that delved deeper into the metaphysical, this is the story for you. Unfortunately, it's not for me.