The War of the Worlds: Next Century The War of the Worlds: Next Century The War of the Worlds: Next Century () is a 1981 Polish film by Piotr Szulkin which is inspired by the classical novel of H. G. Wells, "The War of the Worlds". It was immediately banned by the Polish government upon its release because it depicted political parallels with the political context of the country at that time. It only received its premiere on 20 February 1983. The film starts from the position close to the literary inspiration suggested in the title, but rather than developing it in the same manner as the
The War of the Worlds the 20th Century, including first contact and war between planets and their differing species. There were, however, stories of aliens and alien invasion prior to publication of "The War of the Worlds". In 1727 Jonathan Swift published "Gulliver's Travels". The tale included a people who are obsessed with mathematics and more advanced than Europeans scientifically. They populate a floating island fortress called Laputa, 4½ miles in diameter, which uses its shadow to prevent sun and rain from reaching earthly nations over which it travels, ensuring they will pay tribute to the Laputians. Voltaire's "Micromégas" (1752) includes two beings from Saturn