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 awarded to the film that received the highest amount of audience votes. In its first year, 11 films were submitted and screened, 10 of which were from local film-makers, and one (X-Meeting) from Halifax, Nova Scotia. In 2015, the film festival separated from Sci-Fi on the Rock due of large interest, and became a stand-alone event called Granite Planet International Film Festival, but still brings highlighted films to be screened at Sci-Fi on the Rock. A refreshed version of the Film Festival will be returning to Sci-Fi on the Rock in 2018 to be organized by Sci-Fi on the Rock.