Winner of The Martian Chronicles: The Complete Edition giveaway!

Congratulations to Terri L. of Chapel Hill, North Carolina, who is the proud new owner of my slightly-used copy of the signed, limited edition, 750-page The Martian Chronicles: The Complete Edition (Subterranean Press, 2009). Great job, Terri! Enjoy!

Happy 90th Birthday, Ray Bradbury!

Ray Bradbury, the timeless guy of Fantasy & Science Fiction, turns 90-years-old today, August 22, 2010. In honor of the man and this milestone, here are a few links:

• It’s Ray Bradbury Week in Los Angeles, August 22 to 28.

• Flickr has some handsome photos from a recent birthday party for Mr. Bradbury held at Mystery & Imagination Bookshop in Glendale, California.

• UCLA has put together a short but fascinating online tribute, including the title page of The Martian Chronicles (1950) when it was first mocked up by a layout artist.

• AbeBooks has a neat webpage commemorating some of Mr. Bradbury’s greatest achievements.

• Some young lady stars in a hilarious, if juvenile, music video titled “Fuck Me, Ray Bradbury” (2010).

Pictured: President George W. Bush and Laura Bush present the National Medal of Arts award to Ray Bradbury (2004).

The Martian Chronicles: The Complete Edition signed limited edition giveaway!

Well, here are the details for my The Martian Chronicles: The Complete Edition (2009) giveaway. If you’ve been following along, you already know that I’m giving away my slightly-used copy of this signed, limited, 750-page, “massively expanded new edition of the Ray Bradbury magnum opus” that includes an introduction by SF author John Scalzi, an introduction by SFFH author Joe Hill, twenty-two previously uncollected or unpublished "Other Martian Tales" written by Mr. Bradbury, stunning color plates by British artist Edward Miller, and two previously unpublished screenplays written by Mr. Bradbury (1964, 1997).

Here’s how the giveaway works:

• Giveaway is open to United States citizens only

• Send an email with the subject line “I want The Martian Chronicles!” to booksonmars@hotmail.com

• Your email must include your first name, the first letter of your last name, and the state in which you reside. (Example: Raymond D., California)

• Your email must include an explanation (no more than 500 words) of why you want my slight-used copy of The Martian Chronicles: The Complete Edition

• Your email must be received before midnight, 12:00 am, EST, Tuesday, August 31st, 2010

• I will give my slightly-used copy of The Martian Chronicles: The Complete Edition to the person whose explanation I like the most.

• I will announce the lucky recipient on Labor Day, Monday, September 6th, 2010.

That’s it!

“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!

“The Wheel” a previously unpublished Martian bridge 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 historical “They All Had Grandfathers.” This week, I’m highlighting “The Wheel,” a bridge which, according to Sam Weller's The Bradbury Chronicles: The Life of Ray Bradbury (2005), was “excised” from the working manuscript of The Martian Chronicles before that work was first published in 1950.

“The Wheel” (2009) is a short bridge that describes how “the black people” missed Mars and ended up landing upon Venus, where “they were happy.” Here is the opening line:

THEY SANG on their way. They sang Joshua Saw the Wheel, and they sang Go Down, Moses, and they sang a lot of other songs. They sang songs of all kinds, but they missed Mars....

“The Wheel” is the twelfth of Bradbury’s "Other Martian Tales" and if reincorporated back into The Martian Chronicles, it would, presumably, be placed after the racially-charged chapter “Way in the Middle of the Air” (June 2003/2034). Interestingly, “Way in the Middle of the Air” was scrubbed from the 2006 William Morrow/Harper Collins reprinting of The Martian Chronicles and is only included in The Martian Chronicles: The Complete Edition (2009) as an "other Martian tale."

“They All Had Grandfathers” 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 a beautiful little gem titled “Jemima True.” This week, I’m highlighting “They All Had Grandfathers,” which, according to Sam Weller's The Bradbury Chronicles: The Life of Ray Bradbury (2005), was “excised” from the working manuscript before The Martian Chronicles was first published in 1950.

“They All Had Grandfathers” (2009) is six-and-a-half page tale about a Western “cowpoke” named Samson Wood (1935-2001), who came to the Red Planet to “find something” and finds something in establishing the first bar, The Milled Buck Saloon (dancing girls, entertainment, good food & liquor), in the first human town on the planet. Here are the opening lines:

IT WAS Wednesday, May 17th, 2001 A.D. on the planet Mars.

The men were stalking across the rough grass with white twine in their big hands, followed by men with steel hammers and wedges they drove into the earth. They tied the white twine into place. All over the land the twine was humming, like a great spider web.

“Here’s the post office, there’s where’ll be the city hall, the grocery, the jail, the dry-goods, the dime store …” Hands swept to all horizons, pointing. Men spat and took hold of their hats in the wind....

The most striking feature of “They All Had Grandfathers” is the concept of the frontier. As the first settlement is staked out on Mars, Samson Wood is reminded of the frontier in American history, how his grandfather went West in 1890, and how “A man could say, I don’t like New York and go to Illinois, and when Illinois got too full he could hit the Oklahoma Territory. And on out through Texas, open spaces and then the sea.” You see, Samson Wood “grew up in an age when you couldn’t ride the rods of a freight train because they took away the rods and you couldn’t hitch-hike the highways because every state passed laws against it. There was nothing for a man to do who just wanted to run away.” Perhaps appropriately, Samson Wood ends up being the first civilian to die on the new Martian frontier.

“They All Had Grandfathers” is the eighth of Bradbury’s "Other Martian Tales" and if reincorporated back into The Martian Chronicles, it would, presumably, be placed after the chapter titled "The Third Expedition" (April 2000/2031) but before the chapter titled "—And the Moon Be Still as Bright" (June 2001/2032).

Rocket Summer: “Jemima True” a previously unpublished piece by Ray Bradbury

In last week’s post focusing on the new, long-awaited, already-sold-out, expanded, limited, signed, 750-page The Martian Chronicles: The Complete Edition (2009), by literary giant Ray Bradbury, I blogged about the little-known bridge “The Martian Ghosts.” This week, I’m looking at another gem: “Jemima True.”

“Jemima True” (2009) is a previously unpublished one-page “dizzying fragment” that begins with the arrival on Mars of a woman, presumably a prostitute, named Jemima True, moves into the building of an Earth-like town, and ends with a child running around with a Halloween mask. Here are the opening lines:

JEMIMA TRUE came to the planet Mars in the spring of the year 2160 and the men of the new town put down their feet and turned to watch her pass. For she was a lovely thing, a thistle, and they stood looking long after she drifted from sight.

It was the sixth building in the town to be hammered together and it had a flight of stairs leading up and a door at the top to be opened, and a long hall beyond the door into which you might peer at women with bodies like mother-of-pearl....

“Jemima True” is the seventh of the "Other Martian Tales" but there is no firm indication as to when it was originally written.

Interestingly, the name “Jemima” has Biblical significance, for she was the first daughter of Job. Also, there were several women in 17th and 18th-century New England named “Jemima True,” one of whom married a fellow named Thomas Bradbury. And, Maria: or, The Wrongs of Woman, a work written by Mary Wollstonecraft that was published posthumously in 1798, features an abused working-class domestic servant named “Jemima” who ends up turning to prostitution.

Lastly, it's worth noting that Bradbury’s “Jemima True” mentions a man named “Tom Wolfe.” According to The Bradbury Chronicles: The Life of Ray Bradbury (2005), by Sam Weller, writer Thomas Wolfe (1900-1938) “taught me how to throw up. His books were immense upchuckings. Not much plot, but he was wild about life and he tore into it and he jumped up and down and he yelled."

Comments, additions, or corrections are welcome!

“The Martian Ghosts” a previously unpublished short story by Ray Bradbury

In last week’s post focusing on the new, long-awaited, already-sold-out, expanded, limited, signed, 750-page The Martian Chronicles: The Complete Edition (2009), by Ray Bradbury, I blogged about the vignette “Dead of Summer.” This week, I’m looking at another previously unpublished piece: “The Martian Ghosts.”

“The Martian Ghosts” (2009) is a fractured three-page short story in which the ghosts of dead Martians, presumably killed by the disease, spook the human settlers. The opening lines:

“I FOR ONE don’t believe it,” said the mother.

“Come see for yourself, then,” said Eem, and ran.

Well, she waddled down to the cellar into sandy dark and moistness, along a corridor or two past some old prison cells, for their house had been founded on an ancient seaport gaol, and when she reached the end of the stone passage she threw her hands to her bosom and said “Ah!”

“Get us out of here!” cried the Ghost.

“Unlock the door!” shouted the second Ghost, paler than his mate.

The mother fled upstairs and vomited straight off….

Interestingly, the mother and her husband are accused of being “witches” and after their house is demolished, they are “cut into a thousand pieces and buried in a thousand towns.” “The Martian Ghosts” is the sixth of the "Other Martian Tales" but there is no indication as to when it was originally written.

“Dead of Summer” a previously unpublished Martian vignette by Ray Bradbury

In last week’s post focusing on the new, long-awaited, already-sold-out, expanded, limited, signed, 750-page The Martian Chronicles: The Complete Edition (2009), by Ray Bradbury, I blogged about “The Disease,” one of four tales excised from the manuscript before The Martian Chronicles was first published in 1950. This week, I’m taking a look at another previously unpublished work: “Dead of Summer.”

“Dead of Summer” (2009) is a beautiful, five-sentence vignette. The setting is the Martian month of August and Bradbury sketches a simple but vivid picture of the dead of summer on the Red Planet. Here’s the opening:

IT WAS the time of the burning in the air and the ground, the glassy yellow burning of the wheat fields and the corn meadows and the white burning of the houses and the red burning of the barns. It was the time of the sun…

“Dead of Summer” is the fifth of the "Other Martian Tales" but there is no indication as to when it was originally written.

Rocket Summer: “The Disease” a previously unpublished Martian Tale by Ray Bradbury

As I mentioned in a previous post, one of the unique things about the new, long-awaited, already-sold-out, expanded, limited, signed, 750-page The Martian Chronicles: The Complete Edition (2009), by Ray Bradbury, is the inclusion of seven previously unpublished and fifteen previously uncollected “Other Martian Tales.” One of the previously unpublished tales is “The Disease” (2009), which, according to The Bradbury Chronicles: The Life of Ray Bradbury (2005), by Sam Weller, was “excised” from the manuscript before The Martian Chronicles was first published in 1950.

“The Disease” is a sad two-page piece that chronicles the death of Yll from “a fever and black disease” brought to Mars by Nathaniel York and the other “men from the stars.” Yll's wife, Ylla, has already died, and she lies next to her husband in the sleeping area of their home. Here are the opening lines:

In the night, the Martian awoke.

“I am dying,” he thought, and after a short while of terror, he became immediately calm, lying there. “My name; what is my name? I am dying and must know my name, for if I can’t remember it, no one ever will. I can’t remember. I am dead. Part of me is dead already. My legs. I cannot move them. My left hand, it is like wood.”

He turned his head to look upon his wife where she lay....

Although “The Disease” is not dated, if reincorporated back into The Martian Chronicles, it would have to come at some point after the chapter titled “Ylla” (February 1999/2030).

According to Ray Bradbury: The Life of Fiction (2004), by Jonathan R. Eller and William F. Touponce, “there is evidence that he [Bradbury] was considering yet another race of Martians. This material includes “The Disease,” a four-page story identified in all chronologies but deleted from the first edition prior to publication. The story is told from Yll’s (husband of Ylla) point of view and reflects the ravages of chicken pox on the Martian population. Since the disease happens after the third expedition (it is dated “March 2001”), Yll reflects on the 'funny story' of that mission: 'another ship from the stars and the men from it landing among the Shapers of Dreams. And finding a small town devised of their own memories. And being buried with music and speeches and cheers. A good joke, surely.' Apparently, only some Martians -- here called Shapers of Dreams -- are telepathic or can project dreams. The irony that Yll reflects on in the story is that he killed Ylla’s dream; now the dream is killing him.”

Rocket Summer: Introducing The Martian Chronicles: The Complete Edition

Welcome to Rocket Summer, where I’ll be blogging throughout the next couple of months about the new, long-awaited, already-sold-out, signed, limited, 750-page, expanded edition of the Ray Bradbury magnum opus, The Martian Chronicles: The Complete Edition (2009, Subterranean Press & PS Publishing). This beautiful volume, dedicated “From all who worked on this special edition to the Wizard of Mars himself, Ray Bradbury” and which I will be giving away at the end of the summer, is divided into several parts:

Polling problems: The Martian Chronicles: The Complete Edition giveaway

Sorry folks, but I had to remove the poll about the GIVEAWAY for The Martian Chronicles: The Complete Edition (Subterranean Press, 2009). For some reason, there was a frequent problem on Google's end. Not to worry! I've made a note of the results (12 votes in favor of me giving the book away, 2 against) and am well aware that fans are interested in this GIVEAWAY! Feel free to leave a comment expressing additional support for the GIVEAWAY!

The Martian Chronicles: The Complete Edition signed limited edition giveaway!

Last week I received a precious package in the mail: The Martian Chronicles: The Complete Edition (2009). A signed, limited “massively expanded new edition of the Ray Bradbury magnum opus” that includes an introduction by SF author John Scalzi, an introduction by SFFH author Joe Hill, twenty-two previously uncollected or unpublished "Other Martian Tales" written by Mr. Bradbury, stunning color plates by British artist Edward Miller, and two previously unpublished screenplays written by Mr. Bradbury (1964, 1997), this long-awaited, already-sold-out, 750-page, hardcover volume has a storied publishing history and was only brought to fruition through the generosity and hard work of Subterranean Press and PS Publishing.

I’ll be blogging about the twenty-two “Other Martian Tales” throughout Rocket Summer 2010. And, if fans show enough interest, I’ll be giving away my soon-to-be used copy at the end of the summer! Sound interesting? Take the poll (located near the top right-hand column of this blog, just below the promotional artwork for The Martian Chronicles: The Complete Edition) and let me know what you think!

Update, June 20, 2010: Due to technical difficulties, I had to remove the poll. Not to worry, I'll definitely be giving this beautiful book away at the end of the summer!

For Sale: Copy of The Martian Chronicles owned by PKD’s lover Joan Simpson

James Pepper Rare Books, Inc., of Santa Barbara, California, has an interesting copy of The Martian Chronicles for sale over at AbeBooks. It’s the 1951 Bantam paperback edition, “from the library of Joan Simpson, the woman with whom science fiction author Philip K. Dick shared his last serious romantic relationship. Laid in is a documentation book mark stating that this book is from the Simpson library with photographs of Philip and Joan and with the text of a letter, dated April 27, 1977, which Philip wrote to his friend, noted book dealer Ray Torrence, lovingly and eloquently expressing his deep feelings for Joan.” $45

Mars art: Tom Sutton original 1976 painting based on Ray Bradbury short story “Usher II”

Here’s a beautiful piece of artwork for sale on eBay: a Tom Sutton original painting based on the Ray Bradbury short story “Usher II,” which is part of The Martian Chronicles. 10 1/2" x 13" image on heavy 13" x 17" board. Apparently, Sutton's painting was originally published as the back cover of the fanzine Rocket’s Blast Comic Collector #131 (October 1976). Price: $5,000.

New audio adaptation of The Martian Chronicles coming down the canal

Phil Nichols, a Ray Bradbury media aficionado and collector stationed in the UK, announced recently that The Martian Chronicles will be given its first complete full-cast audio production. Based on a fresh script written by Jerry Robbins with input from Mr. Bradbury, the full-length dramatization will be produced by The Colonial Radio Theatre of Boston.

"I plan on adapting the entire book, so I'm not sure on the running time yet. I hope to have the script finished mid-December for Ray to read through. At that time I should have a rough idea as to the length. I don't plan on an abridgment of content by any means. If we're going to do Martian Chronicles, we're going to DO Martian Chronicles," Robbins said.

Stay tuned for more info. Meanwhile, check out Tor.com’s sixth in a series of seven interviews with Ray Bradbury on the “visual nature of his fiction, the art of collaboration and the process of writing.”

Creepy Soviet animation based on Bradbury's 1950 short story "There Will Come Soft Rains"

I just finished watching “Будет ласковый дождь” (1984), a powerful but creepy 10-minute Soviet animated adaptation of “There Will Come Soft Rains” (1950), Ray Bradbury’s classic short story of post-apocalyptic desolation. Wow! Titled after a beautiful early 20th-century poem penned by Sara Teasdale, Bradbury's tale is set on Earth in the year 2026 but included in his collection The Martian Chronicles.



Directed by Nazim Tulyakhodzhayev and produced by Uzbekfilm Studio, “Будет ласковый дождь” has a freaky soundtrack with English subtitles. Bradbury media fan and collector Phil Nichols in the UK has written an excellent synopsis and review of “Будет ласковый дождь,” replete with stills. Check it out!

Publication of The Martian Chronicles: The Complete Edition pushed back to early 2010

Subterranean Press announced recently that the publication and release of the long-anticipated The Martian Chronicles: The Complete Edition has been pushed back to early 2010:

“The interior of the book has been completely proofread and is ready to be sent the the printer. The sig sheets are in house, as is the finished artwork. Our regular printer rep had to take a short leave from work, so we’re just now sourcing the hand-marbled paper we intend to bind TMC in. We want everything with this book to go smoothly, and weren’t comfortable finalizing all the details without her guiding eyes on everything that passes through. This shouldn’t delay the book past February, but we’ll let everyone know if it’s going to take longer than that.”

A limited “massively expanded new edition of the Ray Bradbury magnum opus” that contains an introduction by SF author John Scalzi, 22 previously uncollected or unpublished Martian stories by Bradbury, artwork by Edward Miller and other goodies, The Martian Chronicles: The Complete Edition is going to be a book to treasure for ages!

Cover artist Dean Ellis (1920-2009)

Spectrum Fantastic Art reports that Dean Ellis, a prominent illustrator and painter who created the cover art for numerous science fiction books and magazines, died last week in Saratoga Springs, New York, aged 88. In 1970, Ellis painted a work entitled “The Martian Chronicles", which was used as the cover art for a couple of early 1970s Bantam paperback editions of Ray Bradbury’s classic collection. According to the website FindArtInfo.com, Ellis’ original acrylic 25.5 x 16.5 in. painting sold at auction in 2004 for about $2,500.

[via Locus Online]

Video of Ray Bradbury’s short story “Usher II” set to Radiohead’s song “Karma Police”

Here’s an interesting video compiled by a student for an English class. It's a telling of Ray Bradbury’s bookish short story Usher II (1950), part of his classic collection The Martian Chronicles, set to English alternative rock band Radiohead’s song “Karma Police,” perhaps the most well-known song on their award-winning album OK Computer (1997).


Almost forgot: It's Banned Books Week!