ANCIENT SCIENCE FICTION ABOUT WORLD WAR ONE

Veterans Day is tomorrow, so here’s another World War One post. 

BLOOD AND IRON (1917) – Written by Robert Hobart Davis & Perley Poore Sheehan.

Dramatic diesel-punk depiction of advanced technology being used in World War One. In Germany one of the Kaiser’s scientists is experimenting with replacing lost limbs and organs with mechanical replacements. 

He has been trying to create cyborgs out of maimed German soldiers from the front lines. 

After many failures, Experiment Number 241 is the scientist’s first success. His replacement arms and legs possess superhuman strength plus his replacement ears and eyes have granted him long-range vision and hearing.

Kaiser Wilhelm is thrilled, since this means that previously mortal wounds will now pave the way for cyborg soldiers. The  Kaiser interrogates and drills Number 241 and expresses annoyance with the cyborg’s robotic way of speaking.

Number 241 at length has enough and kills the Kaiser, leaving a bloody pulp of a corpse. The horrified scientist’s expression of shock is met with a robotic reply of “Blood – and – iron.” (As in Otto Von Bismarck’s motto.)   

IN THE CHANNEL (1907)- Written by B.T. Stewart. Though penned seven years before the Guns of August blazed this story featured Kaiser Wilhelm’s forces launching an offensive in the English Channel and the surrounding waters.

The short story centers on naval battles, with the Germans unseating the Britons as “rulers of the waves.” The Germans  then go on to win the entire war in this combination of the Future War sub-genre with the “are we fully prepared for war” exploitation tales.

THE SLEEP-BEAM (1918) – Written by Martin Swayne. This short story features a scientist named Dr Van Hook, who uses his innocent neighbors as human guinea pigs for his newest invention. That invention is a “sleep-beam” which prevents its targets from sleeping for several days. (It SHOULD be called the insomnia beam.)

Dr Van Hook interests the Allied Powers in his device. They employ the sleep-beam in the field to make the Central Powers armies too groggy from lack of sleep to properly defend themselves. The Allies win the war in a rout.

Picture by Doneplay at Deviant Art

THE SEA DEMONS (1916) – Written by Victor Rousseau Emanuel aka H.M. Egbert. Set in contemporary times this story features Lt Donald Paget of the Royal Navy battling sea creatures. World War One is raging but Paget’s scientist friend Masterman warns him about humanoid sea beings who are mutating into air-breathers.

That development means the Sea Demons are looking to conquer the surface world and with their respectable intelligence they just might succeed. The subaquatic creatures – who feed on human flesh – start waging hit and run attacks on so many land nations that the warring powers end the World War so that humanity can unite against the Sea Demons.

After much fighting and intrigue, the human race triumphs over the sea creatures and the human traitor who has been helping them.

This story is kind of fun, in an old Republic Serial way, or, given the British setting, maybe I should say in a Quatermass or Doctor Who way. Jon Pertwee’s Doctor even tackled a bunch of subsea creatures called Sea Devils if I remember correctly.

FOR WASHINGTON IRVING’S 1809 depiction of an invasion from the moon click here:   https://glitternight.com/2014/05/05/ancient-science-fiction-the-men-of-the-moon-1809-by-washington-irving/

© Edward Wozniak and Balladeer’s Blog, 2017. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Edward Wozniak and Balladeer’s Blog with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.