May 25
Danielle’s Art Direction: Draw a masquerade party on Mars, but don’t draw too many Martians in it. It’ll speak to the commonality between us and Martians. Why are you laughing?
Published 1979
Danielle’s Art Direction: Draw a masquerade party on Mars, but don’t draw too many Martians in it. It’ll speak to the commonality between us and Martians. Why are you laughing?
Published 1979
May 25th, 2011 at 9:05 am
“Hmm. I keep forgetting … what’s the ratio of a circle’s circumference to its diameter again?”
“I tell you, I don’t know! If only we had some kind of aide memoire …”
May 25th, 2011 at 9:58 am
Nobody could complete the Martian Games high jump event.
May 25th, 2011 at 10:28 am
Uhh I dunno I quite like that cover (horrible panel across the top aside). Properly alien.
May 25th, 2011 at 1:25 pm
I’m not sure it’s so bad… I always thought it was weird as a kid but never egregious… Like some of the ones on this site.
May 25th, 2011 at 1:55 pm
Abandoned in a vast Martian landscape populated only by indifferent monoliths of some lost race, there was really only one venue for momentary escape:
POOL PARTIES!!!!
May 25th, 2011 at 2:18 pm
I have this version and I got it signed by Bradbury. Aw man, that was awkward. I’m embarrassed even remembering it.
May 25th, 2011 at 3:02 pm
I had this edition as a kid and felt the cover art matched the sense of strangeness in the stories that it contained.
May 25th, 2011 at 3:31 pm
You know, I do believe that when we read this book in high school English, this was the copy they passed out.
May 25th, 2011 at 4:53 pm
“Grand Master Editions” ?
Is this published by the freemasons?
And does that explain the giant pi symbol?
Or is it simply one part of a set for playing Martian Mega-Croquet?
May 25th, 2011 at 8:14 pm
I have this as the first copy I ever owned…so I like it..@Tom, heh loved that comment tho!
May 25th, 2011 at 9:18 pm
Awww, that’s a classic cover. Look at the lovely masks, canals. It has everything. Except… What did you say his name was? Roy? Ron? Ray? Let’s be safe, and just use his surname.
Plenty more Bradbury covers on MY website, by the way (plug plug):
http://www.bradburymedia.co.uk
– Phil
May 25th, 2011 at 9:25 pm
@Phil: I agree, this captures the vision of Mars — to canals, weird landmarks, etc — perhaps the figures and their masks looks silly, but the rest is great…
May 26th, 2011 at 9:52 am
When SF writers get really, really well-known, publishers start going without the surname, just to show people they ought to know who the writer is.
This works with names like Bradury, Asimov, Heinlein etc., because how many writers have that name? BUT it won’t work as well with writers having a common family name such as Smith, Jones, Chang, Lee, Anderson, etc.
May 26th, 2011 at 9:53 am
When Martians chopped the heads off criminals, they REALLY chopped them off.
May 28th, 2011 at 3:31 am
I thought it was the Martian Olympics at first glance – the pole vault and the head put
May 28th, 2011 at 10:32 pm
A.R. Vynge: in recent years, Bradbury’s publisher has noticed that his surname INCLUDES his first name, so they use a colour scheme to show this (bRAdburY). Too clever by half, and I find it a trifle irritating. Here’s an example:
http://www.fantasticreviews.com/cats_pajamasb.jpg
There can’t be many writers this would work for. I’m stumped trying to think of a single one.
May 29th, 2011 at 11:15 pm
I’m not ready for the picture, honey. I don’t have my face on.
June 15th, 2011 at 1:33 am
THis is a good cover. I was a little confused by the bloke covering his dignity with a spare head, but otherwise, what’s it doing here?
June 17th, 2011 at 1:25 pm
arch9enius – This site is based entirely on covers people submit! SOMEONE must have thought it was no good.
June 17th, 2011 at 2:27 pm
Now now, I must defend myself. I do actually post covers I take too. In the words of hipster Good Show Sir – I posted here everyday before it became cool!
Any with just a – Art Direction: and no name is taken by myself. My overall goal is to find a cover to out shine I sing the body electric. It’s proving difficult!
The one above was included on the away on holiday automated process list! 🙂
It’s not terrible but I know there are some avid lovers of the Bradbury here that would appreciate it!
January 30th, 2012 at 4:02 am
This cover, by Michael Whelan, actually illustrates the story perfectly. They were the last 2 martians left, they wore masks, the landscape depicted is as described. Whelan actually reads the stories he paints the covers for, so he is usually spot on. And the story is quite sad and poignant, and I think he captures the mood well.
January 30th, 2012 at 11:48 am
I agree with evilcritter. This is a good cover, not a bad one.
May 19th, 2014 at 5:01 pm
Mars has 1/3 gravity so obviously their rugby balls go higher
November 23rd, 2016 at 12:43 am
Push him off. You know you want to.