HMS Thunder Child HMS Thunder Child HMS "Thunder Child" is a fictional ironclad torpedo ram of the Royal Navy, destroyed by Martian fighting-machines in H. G. Wells' "The War of the Worlds" whilst protecting a refugee rescue fleet of civilian vessels. Torpedo rams were constructed in the 1870s and 1880s after the ramming and sinking of the "Re d'Italia" at the Battle of Lissa in 1866 by the Austrian flagship, "Ferdinand Max". Despite the Italian warship being stationary at the time, the successful attack influenced naval thinking for the next few decades. The result was specially designed low profile, fast, armoured vessels equipped
Sci-Fi-London night (with the aid of ice-cream and caffeine drinks). In late 2008, SCI-FI-LONDON hosted its very first Oktoberfest: a one-day festival featuring new films and all-nighters, held at its regular London venue: the Apollo Piccadilly Circus. A second Oktoberfest was held on 23/24 October 2009, with a third on the 14-16 October 2010, at The Royal Observatory, Greenwich, the Royal Society and the Apollo Piccadilly Circus. On occasion, SCI-FI-LONDON has also hosted other events, either outside London, or at other times of the year. In 2005, SCI-FI-LONDON took its feature films, short films and all-nighters On Tour, to Edinburgh, Liverpool,