-
Rocket Summer
The first rockets are sent to Mars in the winter of 1999. The blast off turned caused a short-lived summer because it lit up they sky and warmed the frigid temperatures outside. -
Ylla
Ylla, a martian, dreams about two human men coming down in a ship and taking her away. She begins to sing an unknown song. Ylla grows distant from her husband, Yl, and dreams of the man again. She discovers the ship is going to land in the Green Valley. Her husband asks about the dream and gets jealous when she tells him the details. Yl says he's going hunting, and Ylla is conflicted on whether to leave or not. She hears two shots of a gun. When he returns, she cannot remember the song. -
The Summer Night
A Martian woman sings an song in an unknown language at a public gathering. The Mars children sang unknown songs as well. All the people of Mars began to know these songs and were confused on how they knew them. -
The Earth Men
A rocket ship full of Earth men land on Mars. They visit houses with high hopes of celebration from the Martian people, but are left with disappointment. Upon arrival to the house of Mr. Iii, they are put in a room. They find out they are in a mental hospital with other Martians that think they come from other planets. They convince the psychologist, Mr. Xxx, to let them out and show him their rocket ship. Mr. Xxx shoots the men and, when discovering they weren't using telepathy, shoots himself. -
The Taxpayer
On Earth, a man yells at a rocket and the rocket men through a wire fence, saying that he wants to go to Mars. He says he is a taxpayer and should have the right to go. He is hulled into a police car and the rocket blasts off behind him. -
The Third Expedition
16 men arrive to Mars on a rocket ship, leaded by Captain John Black. They discover a town that very closely resembles the Captain's hometown on Earth. They soon discover that the town is populated with their deceased loved ones. Captain Black reunites with his brother, mother, and father. When they lay down for bed, Captain Black realizes it's a trap. He gets up from bed and his brother attacks him. The next morning the Martians carry out 16 caskets for the men and hold an Earth funeral. -
--and the Moon Be Still as Bright
Another rocket ship of men lands on Mars, lead by Captain Wilder. They discover that the Martians were killed by the chicken pox.They light a fire and decide to drink in celebration. One of the men throws the bottles into the Martian canal and is punched by Jeff Spender, the archaeologist. Angered by their carelessness, he leaves and explores Mars for a week. He returns and shoots four of the men. Wilder talks to Spender about the fate of Mars. Spender refuses to cooperate so Wilder shoots him. -
The Settlers
More men from Earth begin to travel to Mars. The government puts up posters encouraging men to go. One read, "there's work for you in the sky: see Mars!". -
The Green Morning
A man named Benjamin Driscoll moves to Mars to plant trees, although water is very scarce. When he first arrives, he faints from the lack of oxygen. He roams the landscape and plants the trees into dry dirt. The rains come while he sleeps, and he wakes to thousands of full grown trees all around him. -
The Locusts
The rockets arriving to Mars are described as locusts, in which they come, destroy whats in their path, and then leave. -
Night Meeting
Tomas Gomez lives on Mars and is on his way to a party in another town. He stops to take a break near an abandoned city and meets a traveling Martian. They realize that the cannot touch each other or the others possesions. The Martian is going to the abandoned city for a party, in which he sees a lively and glowing town. The Martian cannot see the human town that Tomas is traveling to. They argue about who is in the past and the present, but soon say goodbye and ponder if they will meet again. -
The Shore
The first men to come to Mars were American farmers and handiwork, who were followed by their wives and families. Mars was further populated by Americans only, because other countries were too involved with wars. -
Interim
Humans have built the “Tenth City” on Mars. A number of churches are prevalent in the small town. Bradbury describes that the town is very similar to a quiet, Iowa town on Earth. -
The Musicians
Young boys hike to the deserted towns against their mothers orders. The first boy to reach a house would be “the Musician”. They go inside and play in the dead alien remains. Bones were described as xylophones and the black remains were described as autumn leaves. By the end of the year, people described as “the Firemen” had come and taken the bodies away. -
The Wilderness
Janice and Leonora pack and discuss their impending journey to Mars. Janice’s boyfriend is already on Mars, and she plans to marry him when she gets there. Both women are terrified of space and leaving everything they know. Janice shows Leonora a picture sent to her by Will. It is a house that is identical to theirs on Earth. Janice makes a long distance call with Will to tell him she loves him and is coming to be with him. The only word she can hear back from his response is the word “love”. -
The Naming of Names
Earth has been colonized and towns have been named after famous people and cities of Earth. Some people are upset that humans have turned Mars into their own. -
Usher II
Literature and art have been outlawed on Earth, so a rich man named William Stendhal builds a house on Mars filled with literary allusions. A man named Garret arrives and says he's a government investigator. He threatens to burn the house down and leaves him with a warning. When Garret returns, Stendhal is throwing a party where many guests see their "robot" selves killed. Stendhal leads Garrett to the basement and mortars him behind a wall. Stendhal escapes and the house splits down the middle. -
The Old Ones
The next people to travel to Mars are the elderly. -
The Martian
An old couple discover their dead son, Tom, living on Mars and take him into their home. They travel to the city and the boy worries that he may get "trapped". They bump into some people on the street and Tom disappears. The old man realizes that Tom is a Martian shape shifting into different people's dead relatives, but decides to look for him for his wife. A mob chases after the Martian while he morphs into many of their lost loved ones. Once Tom reaches the old couple, he collapses and dies. -
The Luggage Store
A radio reports that there is going to be a war on Earth. A luggage store owner talks to a priest about incoming business due to people leaving Mars. Before the priest leaves, he decides to buy a suitcase. -
The Off Season
Sam Parkhill builds a hot dog stand on Mars for him and his wife. A Martian comes in and warns that they need to tell him something important, but he shoots it. A dozen Martian ships approach the stand, and Parkhill and his wife try to escape in a Martian vehicle. He surrenders and the Martians take him back to his stand. They tell him to prepare the food. Parkhill thinks more people are on their way from Earth, but he looks out the window and sees the Earth burst into flames. -
The Watchers
As the Earth burns, people come out of their Mars houses and watch. Flashes of Morse code came from Earth, informing the people that an atomic war has begun and for them to return to Earth. -
The Silent Towns
Walter Gripp was one of only men that decided to stay on Mars. He wandered around in the empty towns, until one day he heard a phone ring. He answered and spoke to a woman in another city. When they finally met up, she was sloppy and overweight. Gripp tried to go on a date with her, but was pushed over the edge when she showed him a wedding dress she brought. He quickly leaves and drives to another town very far away. -
The Long Years
Mr. Hathaway was doing archaeology work with his family when the atomic war started, stranding them on Mars for 20 years. It is later revealed that his family died, and Hathaway created robot versions of them. A rocket returns to Mars from its trip to Jupiter, and Hathaway invites its passengers in to celebrate. Hathaway dies from a heart attack and his robot family feel no sadness for his loss, because he never taught them to cry or feel sadness. The rocket crew decide not to kill the family. -
There Will Come Soft Rains
A high-tech home still stands in California after the nuclear attack. The daily routines of the family that once lived there are completely automated. The outlines of the family members can be seen burned into an outside wall. The emaciated family dog enters the house and dies on the floor. A voice reads a bedtime poem depicting that nature will thrive no matter what happens to the human race. A tree crashes on to the roof and starts a fire, completely destroying the automated home. -
The Million Year Picnic
A father explains to his three sons that they are going to Mars for a fishing trip. They are traveling down a canal when they hear an explosion. The father explains that he rigged their rocket ship to blow up. He tells them that another family is on their way to Mars, as well. They choose a city to stay in and the father explains that they have moved to Mars to recolonize. One son asks to see the Martians, so the father leads his family to the water and they look down at their reflections. -
The Fire Balloons
Father Peregrine and Father Stone travel to Mars to spread christianity. They hear about a species of Martian that resemble balls of fire. They travel to the mountains and see thousands of these creatures. They save the priests from being crushed in an avalanche. Father Peregrine jumps off a cliff and tries to shoot himself, all being saved by the blue lights. They return to build a church for the lights. They are told by the globes that they are the embodiment of purity and lack sin completely.
