“The Marriage” a previously unpublished Martian tale by Ray Bradbury

In last week’s post about the new, sold-out, expanded, limited, signed, 750-page The Martian Chronicles: The Complete Edition (2009), by literary giant Ray Bradbury, I blogged about the exodus of “The Wheel.” Today, I’m highlighting another tale that explores the intricacies of race relations: “The Marriage"

“The Marriage” (2009) is a simple but hopeful two-page piece about the marriage of a human, Captain Samuel Pace of the Space Service, to Elta, a native Martian woman with eyes like gold. Here are the opening lines:

IT WAS a fine night in the Martian August. The double moons threw down a radiance that put away the shadows, and the warm sky was covered with a great variety of stars. It was a splendid night for the wedding.

Mr. Samuel Pace paused long enough in polishing his shoes to go to the window and look down into the open courtyard of this ancient Martian house. Torches were lit everywhere...

“The Marriage” is the fourteenth of Bradbury’s "Other Martian Tales” and the last of his previously unpublished tales. Stay tuned for details about my The Martian Chronicles: The Complete Edition giveaway!