The Germ Growers

The Germ Growers: The Strange Adventures of Robert Easterley and John Wilbraham is an 1892 science fiction novel by the Irish/Australian author Robert Potter.

It was originally published as being written by "Robert Easterley and John Wilbraham", but these are pseudonyms of the actual author, Robert Potter.

Summary Two Welsh men named, Robert Easterley and John Wibraham, witness strangers disappearing. Not long afterwards, the surrounding area starts falling ill to a mysterious disease known as the Red Sickness. Years go by and the two go to Oxford and graduate, deciding to move to Australia and become sheep and cattle farmers.

After spending some time at their new home, they meet the natives, who they look down upon, even when they are helped by a friendly native named Gioro. They hire him as a guide. As they descend deeper into the Australian wilderness, Gioro is killed by a hostile group of natives. The other two soften their views on natives.

They soon began to get lost, straying well into a remote plateau region of north-western Australia, the Kimberley. They notice shadows moving across the ground and follow the shadows into a hidden valley. Once at the valley, they discover a strange basehttps://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/60312/pg60312-images.html#:~:text=down.-,The%20valley%20itself%20seemed,other%20lack%20of%20resource.,-But and are captured by the people there, who possess advanced scientific knowledge and technology, such as airships with cloaking devices. They apply these cloaking capabilities by painting the surface of their aircraft.https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/60312/pg60312-images.html#:~:text=At%20each%20of,over%20the%20conveyances. The aircraft are described as a yawl-built boat lying on the body of a large wheelbarrow.https://jessnevins.com/victoriana/germgrowers.html#:~:text=Easterley%20sees%20evidence%20of%20the%20aliens%E2%80%99%20ships.%20They%20are%20invisible%20to%20the%20eye%2C%20but%20they%20cast%20shadows%20on%20the%20ground%20as%20they%20fly%20over:%20%E2%80%9Cit%20was%20just%20such%20a%20shadow%20as%20might%20be%20cast%20by%20a%20yawl%2Dbuilt%20boat%20lying%20on%20the%20body%20of%20a%20large%20wheelbarrow.%E2%80%9D These people turn out to be shape-shifting aliens, lead by Signor Niccolo Davell, whose true appearances are seething metallic-like blobs.https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/60312/pg60312-images.html#:~:text=Now%20I%20began,was%20practically%20instantaneous.https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/60312/pg60312-images.html#:~:text=said.-,Then%20in%20a%20moment,who%20had%20just%20disappeared.,-Then

These invaders' chief occupation is the creation of new diseases and upgrading of already existing ones (such as smallpox and cholera),https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/60312/pg60312-images.html#:~:text=The%20black%20death%2C%20and%20the%20plague%2C%20and%20smallpox%2C%20and%20cholera%2C%20and%20typhus%20and%20typhoid%20fevers with which they plan to wipe out all humanity. As an act of hatred towards the God of the universe known as the Infinite One. As well just killing humanity just for fun. https://battlefieldearth.com/jim-marrs-discusses-is-earth-prepared-for-an-alien-invasion/#:~:text=They%20intend%20to%20wipe%20out%20the%20human%20race%20through%20a%20virulent%20disease. https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/60312/pg60312-images.html#:~:text=%E2%80%9CIs%20it%20simply,and%20abominable%20diseases.%E2%80%9D

When all hope is seemingly lost, another alien race appears, this one being benevolent, driving off all the malevolent aliens. This group of aliens is lead by Leäfar — which is just Rafael spelt backwards who tells the two that his race and Davelli's race have been interfering in human history for centuries.

Publication history The novel was first published in Australia by Melville, Mullen and Slade. Sometime in early August 1892. The exact date is unknown. Later in the same year in September, it was published in Britain by Hutchinson & Co. The UK publication is notable because it was one of the few editions to have illustrations, specifically four drawn by W. Hatherell.

More UK editions were published after including two from the The Anchor Series, one of these illustrations have resurfaced but it’s not clear who illustrated it, possibly W. Hatherell.https://www.ebay.com/itm/116525807577?_skw=The+Germ+Growers&itmmeta=01M358RNT17A1YKZANF78TPVB7&hash=item1b217ab7d9:g:7DAAAeSw29Vn2gpY&itmprp=enc%3AAQALAAAA8GfYFPkwiKCW4ZNSs2u11xDJ%2FExmd%2FZ2zVfxhQScitNHT43K9RVb8vw5w%2BxgGaL1%2BoS0CIhXd4IhDRtu5VOaFI840iOoUrUek48%2BqdnafwCuJX%2BLa4Lo0NZZQHo6B5JpyEvsG2XmlQyX%2BxUbFPynA1gYHCxOJyjf4m%2BTcMq%2BGWSd7zQiTDsEf1H3ZBD8dTzjrV9AE4UDNGQbaybRs9OLj%2B%2BO1ILq8l4RyOnGoJdR9KXQ1D%2B8WhL1uzpNbLHOMC5W8yiUE7N1y9bieKVFxEHf8pv82Mue4GoQZGKosdl7abSD3QLatYivX8b6Ybi31XLDFg%3D%3D%7Ctkp%3ABFBMit3iqJlo

Critical reception At the time of the book's release, a reviewer in The Australian newspaper made much of the book's "Christian" themes labelling this "a new version of...the fall of man, and the redemption." They concluded "that The Germ Growers is written in a clear and flowing style, and that merely as a book of adventure and incident it can be read with pleasure, even by those who may not feel much interest in the writer's theories or in the theological questions discussed in its pages."

The reviewer in Table Talk also saw the major religious overtones of the plot: "The motif of his book is the suggestion of a theory whereby all the evil of the world may be accounted for by the working of semi-invisible agents, who, in secluded and inaccessible portions of the globe work out their nefarious designs. Through a knowledge of hidden laws of nature these evil genii are able to disappear at will, and to render the machinery wherewith they scatter poison germs or catch up evil-minded persons suitable to act as their underlings invisible save for a mysterious shadow."

In the book, Voyages in Space: A Bibliography of Interplanetary Fiction, 1801-1914. The novel is referred to as "Imaginative invasion of Earth".

While praised at its time. The novel as many modern critics say hasn't aged well especially in comparison to its predecessors. It's been criticized for its dry writing.

Though the novel has been praised for pioneering the intertwined of faith and science fiction. For as much praise for its pioneering of these two elements it has been criticized for its lack of subtlety. With Australian literary critic and scholar, Peter Nicholls saying, "The element of Christian allegory (fallen angels confronted by a good angel) leaves its sf potential not fully realized." With many claiming that the novel lacked the compelling combination of the two elements.

The novel shows its age in its portrayal of race. Especially with its Australian native characters With its main villain being based off Italian Catholics. And English centric views on Italy's contribution to politics and culture

Legacy The novel is probably the earliest known alien invasion story, predating H.G. Wells' The War of the Worlds by 6 years. It also predates Kurd Lasswitz’s Two Planets by 5 years. But the book has largely fallen into obscurity, overshadowed by The War of the Worlds.

It is also the earliest known example of the theme of Alien infiltration which was later popularized by later stories such as Invasion of the Body Snatchers.

In an ironic foreshadowing of the very story that would overshadow it completely. It’s hinted that earthly pathogens only pushed the invaders further back into space. With one of the aliens having to wear a mask presumably not to get sick.https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/60312/pg60312-images.html#:~:text=observing.-,%E2%80%9CI%20suppose%2C%E2%80%9D%20I%20said,191,-I Not long later in the book, one the alien workers suddenly drops dead for seemingly unknown reasons.https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/60312/pg60312-images.html#:~:text=spot-,I%20saw%20that%20one,away%20just%20as%20before.,-Just Possibly getting sick from germs. Despite a possible weakness to earthly bacteria, Potter unlike Wells doesn’t take advantage of this. Instead his alien invaders are defeated not by bacteria but by benevolent aliens.

It is unknown whether H.G Wells was inspired by this novel or not, or even if he knew of its existence. In 1894, he published the short story "The Stolen Bacillus" which also deals with the topic of bioterrorism. It's also important to note Hutchinson & Co would later work with H.G Wells towards the end of his career, publishing his novel The Shape of Things to Come in 1933.

Another important thing to consider is that an 1889 story by Hugh MacColl, Mr. Stranger’s Sealed Packet. Ends with the main character marrying a Martian woman but the Martian tragically dies to bacteria that she no immunity for. Besides having a similar plot to an actual full on alien invasion story, Two Planets. Its ending is very similar to The War of the Worlds. It’s possible that Wells was inspired that or both MacColl’s and Potter’s work. https://lithub.com/a-brief-history-of-sci-fis-love-affair-with-the-red-planet/2/#:~:text=Mr.%20Stranger%E2%80%99s%20Sealed,of%20the%20Worlds.

The Germ Growers

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