Is this much of a surprise? Probably not. Though Google has come a long way in expanding outside its predictable realm of classic novels and thought-provoking essays, at its heart Google is a tech company. And tech companies tend to attract futurist-minded employees. And futurists tend to enjoy science fiction.
What could be more emblematic of science fiction than H.G. Wells’ classic “The War of the Worlds”? And in typical Google fashion, the tech company didn’t just decorate the homepage in honor of Mr. Wells – it made it an event. In the weeks leading up to Wells’ 143rd birthday in September 2009, the homepage of Google showed the logo carved into farm fields by a UFO and tractor, and the tech company tweeted mysterious coordinates and a secret code causing confusion and intrigue among Googlers.
All became clear when Google posted a Doodle depicting the iconic three-legged alien machines that star in Wells' 1898 space invader classic.
"Inspiration for innovation in technology and design can come from lots of places; we wanted to celebrate H.G. Wells as an author who encouraged fantastical thinking about what is possible, on this planet and beyond,” the company wrote in a blog. “And maybe have some fun while we were doing it."
