The BSG -ID4 Matrix

We're huge fans of Independence day, having noted it not only here but in the intro in To Defend the Earth.

That fine pop-corn movie is highly derivative, which is fine. As Lemmy (PBUH) once said, 'fuck that's its all derivative.' Binge watching classic Battle Star Galactica we finally noticed something. Here, for the first time we see the BSG-ID4 relationships:

First, the BSG scanner:

Now an ID4 radar screen:

A classic BSG Viper shot:

And a nice shot from ID4:

Well played Mssrs Emerich and Devlin. Well played indeed.

Here's the To Defend the Earth intro:

Like a lot of people I've been interested in the idea of an alien invasion of Earth for a long time. I guess the first movie I ever saw about an alien invasion was War of the Worlds, I am referring to the 1950s version starring Gene Barry. I must have seen it sometime in 1980 or 1981 at the latest. I was horrified by the apparent helplessness of America's mighty armed forces, the way armored piercing shells bounced of the Martian's force fields, how even atomic weapons couldn't harm them. I was captivated by the Martian's steady, relentless advance and their eventual destruction of Los Angeles. The movie captured my imagination and has been a favorite of mine ever since.

Independence Day is probably the successor to War of the Worlds, at least for me, and the culmination of forty years of alien invasion movies. I was transfixed by the short 30 second ad aired during the Dallas-Pittsburg Super Bowl. Sneak previews were aired during the spring, these only whetted my appetite. I saw Independence Day the first weekend it was out and several times thereafter. Fifteen years later I think it holds up pretty well. Of course it's highly derivative of War of the Worlds. The moment the president gave the order to 'nuke the bastards' I knew they would fail, just like in War of the Worlds. I loved how Independence Day portrayed events at the highest level and the little details Dean Devlin and Roland Emerich put in the movie like the use of Stealth Bombers and F-15 fighter escorts for Air Force One.

A lot of novels have been written about an alien invasion. For my money the absolute best is Footfall by Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle. I first read it in 1993. Anyone who is familiar with this excellent novel will see its influence all over To Defend the Earth.
I've wanted to write my own tale of alien invasion for decades. What follows are several short stories I've written over the last six years. Some of these stories are about how people act under duress, about how they look into themselves and change. Some are about their relations with other people and how events affect them. Some are just good old fashioned battle yarns; if you like battles on land, sea, air and in space these are for you.