HMS Polyphemus (1881) HMS Polyphemus (1881) The third HMS "Polyphemus" was a Royal Navy torpedo ram, serving from 1881 until 1903. A shallow-draft, fast, low-profile vessel, she was designed to penetrate enemy harbours at speed and sink anchored ships. Designed by Nathaniel Barnaby primarily as a protected torpedo boat, the ram was provided very much as secondary armament. It has been suggested that H. G. Wells’ fictional HMS "Thunder Child" from his novel "The War of the Worlds" may have been based on this ship, in part because he described "Thunder Child" as an ironclad torpedo ram, and "Polyphemus" was the only ship
Sci-Fi on the Rock Rock has had a number of guests of different types. Below is a list of guests they have had at their festival. The Sci-Fi on the Rock committee spends the rest of the time they are not planning the convention going to outside events. Often these events invite the public to join them in doing different things. Some events that Sci-Fi on the Rock has hosted or attended in the past include: Merry Geek-mas is a craft fair hosted by Sci-Fi on the Rock around the end of November or beginning of December each year. Sci-Fi on the Rock vendors