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The Martian in the Wood
Stephen Baxter's The Martian in the Wood, a Tor.com OriginalIn the aftermath of the First Martian War, in the interim between it and what was to come later, England seemed to once again become a green and peaceful place, if one haunted by the terrible events in Surrey that had happened in those early years of the century. Although people hoped and prayed peace had come, they were wrong. Across the gulf of space, plans were being drawn for a return, but before they could bear fruit a terrible discovery was made deep in Holmburgh Wood, one that would tear a family apart and shock the world.At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.
63 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 2, 2017
33 people are currently reading
207 people want to read
About the author
Stephen Baxter
405 books2,627 followersStephen Baxter is a trained engineer with degrees from Cambridge (mathematics) and Southampton Universities (doctorate in aeroengineering research). Baxter is the winner of the British Science Fiction Award and the Locus Award, as well as being a nominee for an Arthur C. Clarke Award, most recently for Manifold: Time. His novel Voyage won the Sidewise Award for Best Alternate History Novel of the Year; he also won the John W. Campbell Award and the Philip K. Dick Award for his novel The Time Ships. He is currently working on his next novel, a collaboration with Sir Arthur C. Clarke. Mr. Baxter lives in Prestwood, England.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 43 reviews
November 15, 2018
These are uneasy places to visit, dense dark woods uncut and untamed, the trees growing too thickly, the ground choked by leaf litter and lichen and moss, the space itself lightless and cramped where you lose your bearings within a few yards of entering. Places always associated with dread and hauntings and mystery.
because the free tor shorts aren't dropping with the same frequency as they used to (which is totally understandable and this is not a complaint), i've had to dig a little deeper each week to find one that i haven't read, and more often than not lately i end up reading one that i've considered and rejected at least once in the past.
this is one of those.
and it is a very well-written story, but it is not a karen-kind of story. i thought it had a chance - it's a post-The War of the Worlds/pre-The Massacre of Mankind tale, so i thought i could read it in richard burton's voice (which i did) and insert all kinds of crazy 70's synth noises in my head (which i did) and it would be like when i was little and listening to the whole jeff wayne musical on my dad's gigantic headphones kicking my feet and being adorable.
although i was likely still adorable when i was reading this, it was not as much fun for me. it was much longer than i thought it would be (twss) and it's a very sloooooowprose story, in keeping with the style of the h.g. wells original. i had not set aside enough time to read something so long and slow, so i had to break it into two readings.
the story is good, but that stiff, olde-timey SF just is not my jam. also, whether it was because i was splitting it up into two reading sessions or because i was just not into the story and was losing focus, i didn't really understand all of what was going on. but i can tell that if i DID like this kind of storytelling, i WOULD have understood and enjoyed it.
but now i gotta go listen to some triumphant synthesizers and zithers and justin haywards.
dunh dunh DUNH! (doodly doodly) dunh dunh DUNH! (doo dee! doo dee! doo dee doo deeeeeee!!!!)
read it for yourself here:
https://www.tor.com/2017/08/02/the-ma...
come to my blog!
March 4, 2018
As a short story sequel to H G Wells' The War of the Worlds this is excellent and I'm now looking forward to reading The Massacre of Mankind.
I haven't read many books by Stephen Baxter, but all that I have read, have been really good, so maybe it's time I read more than just his sequels to other peoples books.
The characters are interesting and the storyline is well worked to tie in with its prequel, so I have high hopes moving forward.
I suppose given his collaborations with Arthur C Clarke, I should expect his work to be good.
I haven't read many books by Stephen Baxter, but all that I have read, have been really good, so maybe it's time I read more than just his sequels to other peoples books.
The characters are interesting and the storyline is well worked to tie in with its prequel, so I have high hopes moving forward.
I suppose given his collaborations with Arthur C Clarke, I should expect his work to be good.
August 14, 2017
Meeeeh. Took too long to get to the point and I highly doubt that if people were claiming an enemy in the woods, that the authorities wouldn't do anything about it. Didn't really like it and no info about how the brother was after his experience. I normally like Baxter, but not that into this. 2 stars. Not overly recommended.
January 19, 2019
“Folk tales abound with forests; they are places of ogres and witches and transformations and the slipperiness about time and space.”
What if War of the Worlds was true, and just happened? Baxter expertly weaves a new short story into the tapestry of H. G. Well’s classic. Includes a cameo of sorts for Wells.
“Something standing over the Wood. Like a towering skeleton, I thought, all bones and joints. Death, come to Holmburgh.”
While the protagonist is new, the narrator of Well’s story appears as a supporting character.
“I have been described as an ‘unreliable narrator’. Call me an honest one, at least, even if I have had difficulty in digesting my experiences. But in here, you see, I think it’s reality that may be unreliable. Not your memory.”
A fast, pleasant read.
“As is the way with all things Martian, it seems to me, the story was never wrapped up to everybody’s satisfaction. Save, possibly, for the Martian in the Wood itself.”
What if War of the Worlds was true, and just happened? Baxter expertly weaves a new short story into the tapestry of H. G. Well’s classic. Includes a cameo of sorts for Wells.
“Something standing over the Wood. Like a towering skeleton, I thought, all bones and joints. Death, come to Holmburgh.”
While the protagonist is new, the narrator of Well’s story appears as a supporting character.
“I have been described as an ‘unreliable narrator’. Call me an honest one, at least, even if I have had difficulty in digesting my experiences. But in here, you see, I think it’s reality that may be unreliable. Not your memory.”
A fast, pleasant read.
“As is the way with all things Martian, it seems to me, the story was never wrapped up to everybody’s satisfaction. Save, possibly, for the Martian in the Wood itself.”
October 2, 2017
An interesting story set in the period after the ending of the (first) war between Earth and Mars. A sister returns to her home after the war, only to find her brother behaving strangely and constantly going to a nearby wood. She learns that earlier, one of the unaccounted for Martian war machines had been seen crashing into the woods, possibly felled by a lightning storm.
When she attempts to enter the wood to find her brother, she finds herself in a strange world, almost like Robert Holdstock's Mythago Wood where the inside is bigger than the outside and appears to be not from our own time. She calls upon the help of the Narrator who documented the first Martian war (which is H.G. Wells' The War of the Worlds) and together they explore the wood and discover who inhabits it, the mysterious force it uses and how it has a hold over the brother.
Initially sounding fantastical in the beginning, the story uses elements from Wells' earlier story effectively and is a good introduction to Baxter's own sequel to Wells' book, The Massacre of Mankind.
This story can be read online at tor.com.
When she attempts to enter the wood to find her brother, she finds herself in a strange world, almost like Robert Holdstock's Mythago Wood where the inside is bigger than the outside and appears to be not from our own time. She calls upon the help of the Narrator who documented the first Martian war (which is H.G. Wells' The War of the Worlds) and together they explore the wood and discover who inhabits it, the mysterious force it uses and how it has a hold over the brother.
Initially sounding fantastical in the beginning, the story uses elements from Wells' earlier story effectively and is a good introduction to Baxter's own sequel to Wells' book, The Massacre of Mankind.
This story can be read online at tor.com.
February 26, 2018
This short story bridges the gap between H.G. Wells' War of the Worlds and Baxter's own sequel to it, The Massacre of Mankind.
After the death of her parents in the first war a sister returns to her childhood home. There she discovers her brother acting strangely and spending days at a time in the local woods, where a Martian was supposed to have landed in it's cylinder. She decides to explore the woods for herself and strange things happen.
I enjoyed this little book a lot. Though there are plenty of references to War of the Wells and a few to Baxter's sequel, it's very much its own sort of thing which edges more towards fantasy than science-fiction. There's a real magical feeling to the narrative which creates a superb atmosphere.
Another thing I liked is a link between the War of the Worlds and The Time Machine because I have always liked to imagine HG Wells' stories sharing the same universe. One section of this story feels more Time Machine than War of the Worlds and this was perhaps my favorite part.
A War of the Worlds story combined with a fantastical woodland tale is perhaps not for everyone but I really liked it.
After the death of her parents in the first war a sister returns to her childhood home. There she discovers her brother acting strangely and spending days at a time in the local woods, where a Martian was supposed to have landed in it's cylinder. She decides to explore the woods for herself and strange things happen.
I enjoyed this little book a lot. Though there are plenty of references to War of the Wells and a few to Baxter's sequel, it's very much its own sort of thing which edges more towards fantasy than science-fiction. There's a real magical feeling to the narrative which creates a superb atmosphere.
Another thing I liked is a link between the War of the Worlds and The Time Machine because I have always liked to imagine HG Wells' stories sharing the same universe. One section of this story feels more Time Machine than War of the Worlds and this was perhaps my favorite part.
A War of the Worlds story combined with a fantastical woodland tale is perhaps not for everyone but I really liked it.
March 5, 2025
3,5 ⭐
A short story of a sequel from War of the Worlds however i prefer Stephen Baxter's original, Massacre of Mankind.
It was a little bit dull. Wasn't interested in the description of the Wood (basically a forest), the illusions and such. I liked more the references from the First Martian War it had and the background of one character.
But it was short, otherwise i don't think I'd finish it
A short story of a sequel from War of the Worlds however i prefer Stephen Baxter's original, Massacre of Mankind.
It was a little bit dull. Wasn't interested in the description of the Wood (basically a forest), the illusions and such. I liked more the references from the First Martian War it had and the background of one character.
But it was short, otherwise i don't think I'd finish it
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August 4, 2017I'm really beginning to think that Horror isn't for me. It's all based on "did emotions happen" from the reader, and half the time my emotions are busy doing other things and the story just bounces.
We don't want strange and unnatural things to happen!
Oh no they are happening!
Look at these terrible things!
FINIS
So I either walk away with a terror of being able to hear or some other random thing (when it's effectively strange and terrible), or I am left staring at the page in confusion. This was one of the confusion ones. So no star rating, cause this just went over my head.
We don't want strange and unnatural things to happen!
Oh no they are happening!
Look at these terrible things!
FINIS
So I either walk away with a terror of being able to hear or some other random thing (when it's effectively strange and terrible), or I am left staring at the page in confusion. This was one of the confusion ones. So no star rating, cause this just went over my head.
March 7, 2018
In this short story set after H G Wells' War of the Worlds, and which I believe is a prequel to a novel length sequel written by this author, Zena, a young woman training to be a biologist, is concerned about her brother, Nathan, who keeps disappearing into a wood on their family estate. She has come home from her studies in Paris to try to sort out the probate of their deceased parents, killed during the events that War of the Worlds describes, and Nathan is no help at all - increasingly distracted, dirty and dishevelled after spending more and more time in the woods. Eventually she follows him to find out what is going on - and finds an amazing environmental time capsule evoking shades of Robert Holdstock's Mythago Wood series.
The narrator of Wells' novel also makes an appearance when she writes to ask for his help. He has become an authority on the events of the Martian invasion - and we learn from the enveloping narrative that there has been a second since, presumably the subject of Baxter's sequel.
I found this novella/novelette quite absorbing and interesting, although it could have done with slightly closer editing - a hunting rifle carried by the female protagonist soon afterwards morphs into a shotgun. But it has peaked my interest in the full length sequel. 3 stars.
The narrator of Wells' novel also makes an appearance when she writes to ask for his help. He has become an authority on the events of the Martian invasion - and we learn from the enveloping narrative that there has been a second since, presumably the subject of Baxter's sequel.
I found this novella/novelette quite absorbing and interesting, although it could have done with slightly closer editing - a hunting rifle carried by the female protagonist soon afterwards morphs into a shotgun. But it has peaked my interest in the full length sequel. 3 stars.
May 13, 2018
https://osrascunhos.com/2018/04/28/th...
Esta pequena história de Ficção Científica leva-nos a uma realidade em rescaldo, após uma invasão alienígena (a la A Guerra dos Mundos de H. G. Wells). Nesta realidade vários seres humanos foram desmaterializados, o que dificulta o processo de luto e a transmissão de bens para os familiares.
Uma rapariga volta à casa dos pais desaparecidos, encontrando um irmão semi ausente que prefere explorar a floresta – uma floresta onde ocorrem estranhos fenómenos, e em torno da qual começam a aparecer animais mortos pendurados nos ramos das árvores. Um dia, a rapariga decide perseguir o irmão e encontra uma comunidade de hominídeos que dificilmente consegue explicar.
Com uma reviravolta interessante, este conto está carregado de elementos estranhos e contém uma forte refer��ncia à história de H. G. Wells. O resultado é uma história de ficção científica numa sociedade tecnologicamente pouco avançada, que leva o seu tempo a desenvolver-se mas que acaba por ser bastante competente.
Esta história está disponível gratuitamente no TOR.COM.
Esta pequena história de Ficção Científica leva-nos a uma realidade em rescaldo, após uma invasão alienígena (a la A Guerra dos Mundos de H. G. Wells). Nesta realidade vários seres humanos foram desmaterializados, o que dificulta o processo de luto e a transmissão de bens para os familiares.
Uma rapariga volta à casa dos pais desaparecidos, encontrando um irmão semi ausente que prefere explorar a floresta – uma floresta onde ocorrem estranhos fenómenos, e em torno da qual começam a aparecer animais mortos pendurados nos ramos das árvores. Um dia, a rapariga decide perseguir o irmão e encontra uma comunidade de hominídeos que dificilmente consegue explicar.
Com uma reviravolta interessante, este conto está carregado de elementos estranhos e contém uma forte refer��ncia à história de H. G. Wells. O resultado é uma história de ficção científica numa sociedade tecnologicamente pouco avançada, que leva o seu tempo a desenvolver-se mas que acaba por ser bastante competente.
Esta história está disponível gratuitamente no TOR.COM.
September 30, 2017
Terrific and terrifying, this story is such a spectacular weld of science-fiction, fairy-tales and horror. Makes me think of Guillermo del Toro's movies with their eerily beautiful monsters.
Read it here: The Martian in the Wood.
Read it here: The Martian in the Wood.
December 29, 2017
Interesting concept
This short book, a sort of sequel to the original War of the Worlds, is an interesting idea, but it just didn't grab me in the end. I probably won't bother with the author's other sequel to WotW.
This short book, a sort of sequel to the original War of the Worlds, is an interesting idea, but it just didn't grab me in the end. I probably won't bother with the author's other sequel to WotW.
September 4, 2017
This is an excellent alternative history steampunk novelette, set in England at the beginning of the XX century.
The story starts in the aftermath of the First Martian War, in the interim between it and what was to come later, when England seemed to once again become a green and peaceful place, if one haunted by the terrible events in Surrey that had happened in those early years of the century. Although people hoped and prayed peace had come, they were wrong. Across the gulf of space, plans were being drawn for a return, but before they could bear fruit a terrible discovery was made deep in Holmburgh Wood, one that would tear a family apart and shock the world.
This is the first time I read fiction written by this author, but I am looking forward reading more from him.
The story starts in the aftermath of the First Martian War, in the interim between it and what was to come later, when England seemed to once again become a green and peaceful place, if one haunted by the terrible events in Surrey that had happened in those early years of the century. Although people hoped and prayed peace had come, they were wrong. Across the gulf of space, plans were being drawn for a return, but before they could bear fruit a terrible discovery was made deep in Holmburgh Wood, one that would tear a family apart and shock the world.
This is the first time I read fiction written by this author, but I am looking forward reading more from him.
June 4, 2025
This is a really nice novella that successfully manages to capture the feel of Wells' original The War of the Worlds and expand on it.
It bridges the gap between the original novel and Baxter's authorised sequel, The Massacre of Mankind, and gives us a bit of insight into the Martians, without getting too bogged down in infodumping and exposition.
It also quite heavily riffs off Mythago Wood, with a passing mention to Ryhope Wood and a dedication to Robert Holdstock making a conscious tip of the hat in that direction.
All in all this is the work of a master of craft effortlessly giving us a story that is absolutely satisfying on its own, and yet still manages to leave you wanting more.
It bridges the gap between the original novel and Baxter's authorised sequel, The Massacre of Mankind, and gives us a bit of insight into the Martians, without getting too bogged down in infodumping and exposition.
It also quite heavily riffs off Mythago Wood, with a passing mention to Ryhope Wood and a dedication to Robert Holdstock making a conscious tip of the hat in that direction.
All in all this is the work of a master of craft effortlessly giving us a story that is absolutely satisfying on its own, and yet still manages to leave you wanting more.
March 18, 2019
This is an interesting follow up to H.G. Wells The War of the Worlds that also draws on his short story "The Crystal Egg".
It is set after the first Martian law and England is in the process of recovery. Not all of the invading Martians and fighting machines were accounted for: it turns out one is hiding out in a wood near to where the narrator's home is.
This is a good little story that follows on well from the original and has made me want to read Baxter's novel.
It is set after the first Martian law and England is in the process of recovery. Not all of the invading Martians and fighting machines were accounted for: it turns out one is hiding out in a wood near to where the narrator's home is.
This is a good little story that follows on well from the original and has made me want to read Baxter's novel.
June 10, 2018
I'm not sure how, but I missed the fact that this story was related to H.G. Wells's War of the Worlds, which is one of my all time favourite stories so when I started reading The Martian in the Wood and realised it I got very excited. Stephen Baxter tells a great story here in a way that at times reminded me of The Long Earth which I also liked a lot.
June 24, 2018
Interesting story
A good short story following on after H. G. Wells original War of the Worlds. I must say that I wish Mr. Baxter had stopped with this Short Story! The novel version was far to confusing with character change without transitions helping on through the over long novel.
A good short story following on after H. G. Wells original War of the Worlds. I must say that I wish Mr. Baxter had stopped with this Short Story! The novel version was far to confusing with character change without transitions helping on through the over long novel.
August 3, 2017
An excellent story, as always by Stephen Baxter, a prequel of sorts to his The Massacre of Mankind which is itself an authorised sequel to H G Wells' War of the Worlds. I love the way he has written the story in a Victorian style.
August 6, 2017
An short, interesting read. Placed in a War of the Worlds setting in the early 1900s in rural Sussex, the story is a Victorian-style narrative compiled by a surviving relative of the characters.
August 24, 2017
I consider myself a fan of Stephen Baxter's novels and stories, but this novella, though successfully written in a Victorian style, does not hit the spot for me. I suspect that it is too condensed for my taste and might have been better as a (short?) novel ...
October 12, 2020
This was something of a disappointment, so much so that I stopped reading it about a quarter of the way through. It just was not written very well, it's almost as if Stephen Baxter had someone else write the novel and put his name on it, it's that bad.
October 30, 2022
Following the first Martian invasion (see 'The War of the Worlds'), evidence of a potential second incursion is found in woodlands of southern England.
Baxter's strange short story is evocative and thought provoking.
Baxter's strange short story is evocative and thought provoking.
July 9, 2025
3 stars. This was engagingly narrated, and the slowly-revealed mystery was also well done. However, I would have liked a bit more explanation than just being a dream. As a sequel to “War of the Worlds”, it’s fine, but I think it would be better as a standalone with a more modern take.
August 29, 2017
Great pastiche of Rob Holdstock's Mythago Wood sequence as well as being an excellent epilogue of sorts to the War of the Worlds.
Recommended.
Recommended.
September 7, 2017
It had an old-fashioned feel to it, one that I thoroughly enjoyed.
September 12, 2017
A quick but excellent story 5/5
January 5, 2018
A little bit of alternate history concerning the aftermath of a "War of the Worlds"-type Martian invasion of Earth in the early 1900's.
January 23, 2018
A worthy sequel
An incredibly enjoyable read. As he did before with the Time Ships, Stephen Baxter has once again captured Wells' muse.
An incredibly enjoyable read. As he did before with the Time Ships, Stephen Baxter has once again captured Wells' muse.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 43 reviews