Tripods: When the Tripods Came
(The Tripods series, Book 1)
John Christopher
Simon & Schuster
Fiction, YA Sci-Fi
****
DESCRIPTION: It started when three strange, metallic objects landed on Earth, alien probes from the distant stars. Nobody thought much of the tripods, and they were
quickly destroyed, their limited capabilities no match for human weaponry and technology. Soon, it becomes apparent that there is more to the Tripod invasion than one seemingly
laughable attempt, for what their makers lack in direct firepower, they make up for in other areas...
Lawrence and his best friend Andy were out in the English countryside when they saw the initial landing. They saw what the Tripods were capable of with their own eyes.
Both stand witness to the invasion that swiftly and surprisingly strips humanity of power on its home planet.
REVIEW: This book was apparently written as a prequel to the original Tripod trilogy, which I have yet to read. It makes a good stand-alone story, with all the darkness and paranoia that make invasion tales so gripping. A suspenseful and interesting read. One mark against it, and I find this in many British series, is the distinct sexism displayed by the author; female characters seem to exist merely to be protected and/or to screw things up. Maybe, as a female, I notice it more than I should, but it still bugs me.
You might also enjoy:
The Remnants series (K. A. Applegate, YA Fiction - After a killer meteor destroys Earth, only a handful of humans aboard a retrofitted space shuttle survive)
The X-Files: Fight the Future (Chris Carter, adapted by Elizabeth Hand, Fiction - Two FBI agents investigate a conspiracy and imminent alien invasion)
Watchers series (Peter Lerangis, YA Fiction - Stories of children in strange sitations)
Field Guide to the Apocalypse (Meghann Marco, Nonfiction - A tongue-in-cheek guide to surviving and preventing various global disasters, based on Hollywood's examples)
2099 series (John Peel, YA Fiction - A future world is threatened by a dangerous conspiracy)
Life as We Knew It (Susan Beth Pfeffer, YA Fiction - A teen's diary chronicles life after a planetary disaster)
The Visitors trilogy (Ron Philbrick and Lynn Harnett, YA Fiction - After a UFO crashes, something strange possesses all the grown-ups of Harley Hills)
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