H.G. Wells’ The War of the Worlds etched an indelible image into the global consciousness: towering Martian tripods laying waste to Victorian England, only to be vanquished by the humblest of Earth's inhabitants – bacteria. But what if the story didn't end there? What if humanity, scarred but unbowed, salvaged the alien technology and incorporated it into its own brutal conflicts? This is the chilling premise that Eric Goebelbecker explores in his "The Great War of the Worlds" series, a compelling alternate history that transforms the horrors of World War I into an even more terrifying, technologically twisted global conflict.

Eric Goebelbecker is signing at AWP, March 7th, 10am at booth 521 inside the Baltimore Convention Center.

Goebelbecker’s series is a "what if" scenario that reimagines the early 20th century through the lens of a successful, though ultimately repelled, Martian invasion. The year is 1914, and the storm clouds of war are gathering over Europe, just as they did in our history. However, this isn't the Great War we know. The trenches are deeper, the stakes higher, and the weapons… unfathomably more destructive.

Humanity, having harvested and clumsily reverse-engineered Martian technology, now wields its own versions of heat rays, black dust, and even formidable land-ironclads that evoke the dread silhouette of the original tripods. The trauma of the invasion hasn't united mankind in a peaceful utopia; instead, it has intensified national rivalries and accelerated a terrifying arms race, pushing the world to the brink of an unprecedented, apocalyptic conflict.

While the narrative scope is vast, Goebelbecker grounds his storytelling in visceral, often brutal detail, focusing on the human experience amidst the chaos.

Goebelbecker builds upon Wells with reverence. The Martians remain genuinely alien and terrifying, their original invasion serving as a catalytic event rather than a mere plot device. The lingering fear of their return is a constant, palpable threat.

Moreover, this isn't whimsical steampunk. This is "Tripod-punk" or "Dieselpunk" at its finest – a world drenched in the grime, blood, and industrial horror of World War I, intensified by the alien weapons. The technology feels clunky, dangerous, and imperfect, reflecting humanity's desperate struggle to comprehend and control what it has found.

Despite facing an external alien threat, Goebelbecker's most poignant observation might be that humanity’s capacity for self-destruction remains undimmed. The series powerfully explores how even the most profound shared trauma can fail to overcome deeply ingrained political and nationalistic divisions.

"The Great War of the Worlds" is a thought experiment in the darkest corners of human ingenuity and conflict. It asks us to consider the terrifying implications of advanced technology in morally compromised hands and the endless capacity for war, even when faced with a common enemy from the stars.

For fans of alternate history, military science fiction, and those who ever wondered what would truly happen if Mars attacked, Eric Goebelbecker's series offers a brutal, captivating, and utterly unforgettable journey into a world forever changed by the ultimate invasion.