Book Launch: The Martian Diaries Volumes 1 & 2 by H E Wilburson

Released today, the ebook versions of the first two volumes in the gripping sequel to The War of the Worlds, The Martian Diaries.

I enjoyed listening to The Day of the Martians and The Lake on the Moon last year. The narration, music and special effects were all excellent. However, I much prefer to read a story, so I was happy to snap up Advance Reader Copies of the ebooks when the opportunity was offered to me.

Well written, with strong characters and exciting plots, I enjoyed reading these books. Unfortunately, revisiting the stories has made me even more eager for the final part of the trilogy, Gateway to Mars.

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I enjoyed this story very much as an audiobook, and it was wonderful to get an opportunity to read the story in ebook form.

I admire H G Wells for his imagination, but I struggled to read his writing because of his harsh view of humanity and his preaching.

H E Wilburson, on the other hand, is a joy to read. Full of humanity and warmth, while also brimming with imaginative science fiction, I much prefer The Martian Diaries to the source material that inspired them.

I love that Oglivy, the artillery man – and even the curate! – all have roles to play in this exciting sequel. Best of all, I love that Laura – now the wife of the narrator – has such a large and important part to play in the narrative. The fact that the action briefly moves to Wales is also a plus.

The transition from audiobook to ebook works well for the most part, although I would have liked some more description of events, especially at key moments in the plot.

I award The Day of the Martians…

Day of the Martians is available for 99c ebook on Amazon.

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One of the things I enjoy most about The Martian Diaries is how the author has taken ideas from The War of the Worlds and run with them. In The Lake on the Moon, the story comes into its own for Wilburson.

Ogilvy continues to be an important character – if not the most important character of the series. I enjoyed finding out how he survived the heat ray on Horsell Common, as well as how he knows so much about the Martians.

The Great War, and the Spanish flu, are incorporated into the plot well, with the third Martian threat taking a very unexpected form.

I found the new developments to the Martians fascinating. Wilburson has built a world that is original and much deeper than I’m sure Wells intended.

This volume shows us viewpoints from characters other than the narrator, and while I enjoyed them, I felt the parts told by George flowed more smoothly.

The ebook has slightly more content than the audiobook, which is a nice bonus, and there is a lot more detail than volume one, which provides a more immersive reading experience.

I award The Lake on the Moon…

The Lake on the Moon is available for $2.99 ebook on Amazon.

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The Martian Diaries are also available as audiobooks, with great narration and wonderful music and special effects.

Click on the volume numbers to read my reviews of the audiobooks of The Martian Diaries vol 1 and vol 2.