Favorite alien invasion/ war movie or novel.

[Lustful Bride]

Just found this alternate history series by Harry Turtledove about aliens invading Earth during the height of the second world war. Forcing both side to begrudgingly stop fighting and point their weapons at the big scaly aliens.

its not bad, interesting. Kind of don't like how 99% of it feels like a steam roll against the humans even when they get the jump on the aliens but im still starting out.

So im just curious, what about you all? What are your favorite alien invasion/war movies or books? And maybe why they are so.

General discussion thread for fun.  :P


My own would have to be.

-Battle: LA

-Independence day.

-Stargate.

-Halo novels. 

I cant think of anything else at the moment.

[Morrowclaw]

I know a lot of people dislike Tom Cruise for his off screen antics but I think he's a damn good actor and I really liked him in War of The Worlds. I thought it was a brilliantly paced movie that did aliens a bit differently from what we're used to seeing. There's a British film called Attack The Block which also has a very unique play on aliens landing on Earth.

In terms of novels, Dream Catcher by Stephen King is also a good pick. The characters are interesting and it's not your usual invasion story.

[Lustful Bride]

I know a lot of people dislike Tom Cruise for his off screen antics but I think he's a damn good actor and I really liked him in War of The Worlds. I thought it was a brilliantly paced movie that did aliens a bit differently from what we're used to seeing. There's a British film called Attack The Block which also has a very unique play on aliens landing on Earth.

In terms of novels, Dream Catcher by Stephen King is also a good pick. The characters are interesting and it's not your usual invasion story.

I loved Tom Cruise in Edge of Tomorrow. I liked it  better than the Manga it was based on. I only ever saw the movie of Dreamcatcher.

[alextaylor]

Do games count? Easily X-Com (not XCOM)

X-Com started off as a cheesy sci-fi thing, but by the third game they really built a lot of lore around it. How alien tech changed humanity. The drugs and indoctrination things that resulted from psionic world. The megamining corps dedicated to Elerium (some alien metal). Androids and aliens fitting into society despite discrimination. How hover tech is applied - X-Com Apocalypse actually simulated and shows a full city with hovercars and hoverbikes alongside the non-hover stuff. Humans adopting alien breeding technology to breed humans inside buildings instead of naturally. The cults that pop up around worshipping the alien invaders.

The UFO games (Aftermath, Afterlight, Aftershock) are all good too, but they stretch believability a bit, by their *spoiler* setting up earth as a giant beacon for aliens thing. But I like how they integrate tech and stuff and the absolutely ridiculous detail they put into Aftermath.

[Lustful Bride]

Do games count? Easily X-Com (not XCOM)

X-Com started off as a cheesy sci-fi thing, but by the third game they really built a lot of lore around it. How alien tech changed humanity. The drugs and indoctrination things that resulted from psionic world. The megamining corps dedicated to Elerium (some alien metal). Androids and aliens fitting into society despite discrimination. How hover tech is applied - X-Com Apocalypse actually simulated and shows a full city with hovercars and hoverbikes alongside the non-hover stuff. Humans adopting alien breeding technology to breed humans inside buildings instead of naturally. The cults that pop up around worshipping the alien invaders.

The UFO games (Aftermath, Afterlight, Aftershock) are all good too, but they stretch believability a bit, by their *spoiler* setting up earth as a giant beacon for aliens thing. But I like how they integrate tech and stuff and the absolutely ridiculous detail they put into Aftermath.

*high fivez* That's X-Com baby!

Don't forget about Xenonauts too!  ;D

[RubySlippers]

Earth Verses the Flying Saucers
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2o4fdX8gUMY

War of the Worlds (1953)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P9T9f3UbGuo

War of the Worlds: Goliath  ON NETFLIX
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p379WhhJBs4

Battle of Los Angeles
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w3JE5ClxatI
or as I put it: get the fraak out of our country you ET bastards

[Oniya]

Can't beat the grand-daddy of them all:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xs0K4ApWl4g

Imagine tuning in late and missing the fact that it was supposed to be a radio drama.

[Lilias]

For me, War of the Worlds works best in Jeff Wayne's musical form... but then I'm not particularly keen on the alien invasion scenario to start with.

That said, V (new generation) gets brownie points for managing to repulse and fascinate me in equal measure. Perhaps it's just because the show was cancelled without any kind of closure, but there you have it.

[Sabby]

Vampire Earth. Think Half Life 2, with humanity being oppressed in a post apocalyptic world, but instead of interdimensional cyborgs, you have parasitic squid like aliens, the Kur, who feed off of life force. They create a race of super humanoids (think the terrifying fusion of the Reaper Vampires from Blade 2 and the Agents from the Matrix) that they can take direct control of, using them to oppress and feed on us. The books follow a resistance movement started by friendly offshoots of the Kur, the Lifeweavers, with similar abilities, unlocking and enhancing human genes to create new strains of humans who can hide their and others life energy from the 'Vampires', effectively making them the only people able to fight guerrilla warfare. 

Ya know the stories of Viking berserkers that were almost impossible to kill? Yeah, those were early attempts by Lifeweavers to empower humanity to fight the Kur. And they're not the only kind of super human in the books.

The Reapers, or 'Vampires', are some of the coolest monsters I've seen in any media.

[Melusine]

It doesn't take itself even remotely seriously, but Mars Attacks! is my go-to alien invasion movie.

[TheGlyphstone]

I'm rather fond of the Troy Rising trilogy. John Ringo is definitely an acquired taste, particularly for people on the left-liberal side of the sociopolitical spectrum, but he writes good battle scenes. For the Troy books specifically, there's just something irresistible about a near-future Earth whose primary export to the galaxy is maple syrup, and whose primary defense against hostile alien invaders combines a giant solar-powered "mining laser" and a six trillion ton asteroid hollowed out into a battle station.

[Oniya]

For the Troy books specifically, there's just something irresistible about a near-future Earth whose primary export to the galaxy is maple syrup

So, Canada has taken over?

[TheGlyphstone]

So, Canada has taken over?

Canada, New Hampshire, Vermont, and bits of Maine. All owned by one guy who is a veiled expy of the webcomic artist Howard Tayler (since the series started as a sort of first-contact prequel for the Schlock Mercenary comic).

[Lustful Bride]

Vampire Earth. Think Half Life 2, with humanity being oppressed in a post apocalyptic world, but instead of interdimensional cyborgs, you have parasitic squid like aliens, the Kur, who feed off of life force. They create a race of super humanoids (think the terrifying fusion of the Reaper Vampires from Blade 2 and the Agents from the Matrix) that they can take direct control of, using them to oppress and feed on us. The books follow a resistance movement started by friendly offshoots of the Kur, the Lifeweavers, with similar abilities, unlocking and enhancing human genes to create new strains of humans who can hide their and others life energy from the 'Vampires', effectively making them the only people able to fight guerrilla warfare. 

Ya know the stories of Viking berserkers that were almost impossible to kill? Yeah, those were early attempts by Lifeweavers to empower humanity to fight the Kur. And they're not the only kind of super human in the books.

The Reapers, or 'Vampires', are some of the coolest monsters I've seen in any media.

I actually read the first 3 books. It was okay...the first one was the best and started out strong but it started to get kinda crazy and such later on and I had trouble constantly maintaining my suspension of disbelief.  :-(

Especially cause it started to feel like the main character was the classic "Chosen One".

It doesn't take itself even remotely seriously, but Mars Attacks! is my go-to alien invasion movie.

I know what you mean but still fun! Especially the comic books.

[Stella]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SI9GwfQWQSU

Yeah, it's gotta be the musical version for me. *Runs around singing with her arms over her head* The chances of anything coming from Mars, are a million to one they said - but still, they come!

[Sabby]

I actually read the first 3 books. It was okay...the first one was the best and started out strong but it started to get kinda crazy and such later on and I had trouble constantly maintaining my suspension of disbelief.  :-(

Especially cause it started to feel like the main character was the classic "Chosen One".


I know what you mean but still fun! Especially the comic books.

Normally, I detest the whole 'Chosen One' trope. It's usually a symptom of lazy writing when being written into a corner. I honestly don't mind if it's utilized from the beginning, and I feel like it was done pretty effectively in Vampire Earth.

I will admit that things tend to lose focus after a few books, like once they reached the Empire Strikes Back period of the plot they didn't really know where to go. I'd still recommend them at the end of the day, though.

Never could determine if the 'worlds' in this song were other nations, of if the song is just a nod to War of the Worlds, so I'll let you guys decide for yourself.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HJr6V7oPG9o

[Lady Laura]

Depends which angle I am looking at it from but...

Alien Invasion Theme -

War of the Worlds - The original 1953 version from a large scale type perspective I think it does it well.

V - The original 80's series as well as the remake, the way the aliens play the politics is quite interesting.

[Avis habilis]

I'm partial to John Christopher's Tripods series.