The Massacre of Mankind Cleverly Updates an H.G. Wells Classic

It’s only logical, then, that Wells Estate chose Baxter to write the authorized sequel to The War of the Worlds, 120 years after the first book was serialized. The result is Baxter’s The Massacre of Mankind, and anyone worried he’s done to harm Wells’ legacy or produced a trite cash-in can relax—he’s much too smart, and too inventive a writer, for such simple tricks. With a title taken from a line in the original novel, this book is three things at once: a sequel that honors its source, an alternative history, and a sharp-edged steampunk romp.
Modeled on Wells
Baxter expertly replicates Wells’ Victorian era style and sensibility without resorting to parroting or superficial fanservice. The tone and language are faithful without feeling creaky and old-fashioned, and Baxter knows Wells’ original novel so well, he nails every detail. Thirteen years after Mar’s invasio of Earth was thwarted by our native microbial life, Julie Elphinstone—the same Miss Elphinstone mentioned in the original novel—provides a first-hand account of the aliens’ second attempt to conquer the planet. Baxter cleverly brings back many of the original characters; the unnamed narrator of The War of the Worlds is identified as Walter Jenkins, whose book (the same one we all read) is renowned as the definitive memoir of the invasion. Julie married Walter’s brotherFrank in the wake of their horrific adventure, but they have since divorced. This arrangement of relationships allows Baxter to bring the original’s spirit into his sequel with a minimum of fuss.

An Alternate England
Inevitably, the Martian invasion altered the course of history. England government has transformed into a quasi-fascist military police state, led by the first novel’s famed General Marvin, and propped up by its allies the Germans, fresh from defeating France in the “Schlieffen War.” Suffragettes are outlawed, and people must carry their “papers” with them at all times—even as the entire nation is exhorted to assist with preparations for the Martians’ inevitable return. Famous figures pop into the story, hinting at myriad of differences between the real 1920s and Baxter’s alternate timeline; the author does great work subtly seeding in worldbuilding with disturbing implications, such as Germany’s outsized influence on Marvin’s government, which often works better than the more obvious tips of the hat (watch out for a certain mustachioed German corporal who makes an appearance in the trenches). If a lighter touch with these meta-textual flourishes might’ve been less obtrusive, they do add to the fun, and the subtler nods to Wells’ novel work quite well indeed.
Grim Reality
Baxter nails the Wellsian “Great gosh!” tone of the original, and capably recreates the spirit of British pluck in the face of literally inhuman invaders, but he doesn’t shy away from the grim realities of warfare. The sequence in which the Martians launch their second invasion and occupy a huge swath of England as they prepare to move on the rest of the world is filled with impressively detailed battle scenes. Despite the posturing of the government and the armed forces, the Martians outwit and outmaneuver humanity at every turn, and the opening stages of the conflict are a disaster. Baxter conveys the horror, weariness, and absurdity in a tone similar to the great fiction produced in the wake of World War I, to great effect.

That Steampunk Vibe
As much as it is an alternate history, this is also a stellar example of the effective use of steampunk tropes. The invasion is a global catastrophe, and the characters are spread across it, which means they get some of their news second-hand; it’s like Baxter took 10 percent of World War Z as a template, and it’s an effective method of conveying the sequel’s wider scope. Martian technology was steampunk-y in the first book, and remains so here, down to the impossibly cool silhouettes of their tripod war machines. Julie Elphinstone would slot right into a steampunk universe (with the addition of some flying goggles, perhaps), as she flouts the unfortunate sexual politics of this alternate England to takes matters into her own hands.
In the final analysis, Baxter extends and expands upon Wells’ original while keeping his story of a piece with it—no small feat. Fusing alternate history, steampunk, and pure old-fashioned sci-fi, he’s crafted a fast-paced novel that remains compelling all the way through, from a tense beginning, to a harrowing middle defined by the mystery of the Martians’ intentions—after easily conquering England, they stop cold, with millions of humans trapped inside their territory and subjected to some pretty intense horror—to a smashing finale that explodes into the truly global war the first novel’s title promised us. If you ever read The War of the Worlds and were disappointed by the anti-climactic ending, just wait—Baxter’s alternative is a real corker.
The Massacre of Mankind is available now.