The Martian Chronicles: The Complete Edition

Introduction by John Scalzi. lllustrated by Edward Miller.

In the course of his long, illustrious career, Ray Bradbury has created some of the most memorable and enduring fiction of our time. While no one work can adequately represent the range and depth of his achievement, it may well be that The Martian Chronicles will come to stand as his most singular accomplishment. A visionary account of the first attempt to extend the human enterprise to another planet, this unique and resonant book is both a seminal work of science fiction and a permanent addition to modern popular culture.

The episodic saga begins during the "rocket summer" of 1999, when the first outbound ships depart for Mars, leaving the bleak Ohio winter behind. It ends, 27 years later, during a "million year picnic" which casts a harsh, reflective light on an entire civilization. Along the way, Bradbury introduces a gallery of distinctive characters, all of whom have powerful reasons for seeking a newer life. Some are actively escaping – from racism, from political and cultural repression, from the never-ending prospect of war. Some are actively searching – for adventure, for uncharted horizons, for a sense of spiritual renewal. Together, they create a frontier society as complex, varied, and tragically flawed as the one they left behind.

The result is a work of philosophical humanism filled with memorable scenes and indelible images. A wealthy settler builds a new "House of Usher" and wages bloody war against a dull and lifeless bureaucracy. Translucent "fire balloons" offer intricate lessons in matters of the spirit. A telepathic Martian helplessly absorbs the hopes, grief, and memories of the surrounding human populace. A solitary survivor creates an automated family to help keep loneliness at bay. Moments like these offer something deeper and grander than simple entertainment. As the author pointedly reminds us: "It is good to renew one's wonder." The Martian Chronicles accomplishes this task with wit, grace, and unselfconscious artistry. It will doubtless continue to do so for generations to come.

With more than 50 stories, essays, introductions and two full-length screenplays by Bradbury himself, The Martian Chronicles: The Complete Edition is a volume for the permanent shelf, one which chronicles the evolution of Bradbury's Mars from the original classic volume and beyond.

A Few Things to Note:

This SubPress/PS Publishing project will differ from the other publisher's intended edition in a few ways:

• Added introductions
• Five new, full-color plates by Edward Miller commissioned especially for our edition
• A 7 by 10 inch trim size to make this not only a work of art, but a readable volume
• Printed in two colors throughout

Contents:

• Introduction by John Scalzi

The Martian Chronicles (classic book)

• Rocket Summer
• Ylla
• The Summer Night
• The Earth Men
• The Taxpayer
• The Third Expedition
• And the Moon Be Still as Bright
• The Settlers
• The Green Moming
• The Locusts
• Night Meeting
• The Shore
• The Fire Balloons
• Interim
• The Musicians
• The Wilderness
• The Naming of Names
• Usher II
• The Old Ones
• The Martian
• The Luggage Store
• The Off Season
• The Watchers
• The Silent Towns
• The Long Years
• There Will Come Soft Rains
• The Million-Year Picnic

The Other Martian Tales (uncollected/unpublished stories)

• The Lonely Ones
• The Exiles
• The One Who Waits
• The Disease (previously unpublished)
• Dead of Summer (previously unpublished)
• The Martian Ghosts (previously unpublished)
• Jemima True (previously unpublished)
• They All Had Grandfathers (previously unpublished)
• The Strawberry Window
• Way in the Middle of the Air
• The Other Foot
• The Wheel (previously unpublished)
• The Love Affair
• The Marriage (previously unpublished)
• The Visitor
• The Lost City of Mars
• Holiday
• Payment in Full
• The Messiah
• Night Call, Collect
• The Blue Bottle
• Dark They Were, and Golden Eyed

Screenplays

• 1964 version (previously unpublished)
• 1997 version (previously unpublished)

Essay

• How I Wrote My Book