If you’ve been following along, you now know who the writers of this story are. But of course, the real question is: Who are the characters?

Antoinette Louise Clark

 Antoinette (Toni to her friends), or as we now know her, Dame Antoinette Louise Clark, GCVO, was a contemporary of the brother of the renowned HG Wells himself.

In 1897 Toni was a young female medical student – one of the first of her era. She was heavily influenced by Grace Harwood Stewart, one of the first female doctors, and Millicent Fawcett, a noted suffragist.

Her experiences during the Martian Invasion shaped her service, and she continued to work with those most in need, particularly the poor, elderly, and infirm of London, as it recovered from the disaster.

Toni is my character. She’s named after my great grandmother, who in ‘our’ version of history, lived through the same years.

During the writing of this story, not only did I learn many things about the Martian Invasion, but also many things about 1897. It was truly a busy year. It was also the year that the suffragists organised under one umbrella organisation – The National Union of Women’s Suffrage Societies. Toni, of course, is a suffragist, and a pioneering medical student. In our version of history, some of the suffragists became suffragettes, but in Toni’s version, there was no need…

I became incredibly fond of her as I wrote her story, and I very much hope you will too. I wrote her story in a completely different style to of any of my other works, so I’m keen to hear what you think!