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The Memory of Mars
Did you ever go on holiday and then now not be mindful of it? Mel Hastings had this problem. His spouse frequently spoke of returning to Mars however he should keep in mind none of the first trips. When she is killed in an accident a horrible reality comes to light. This shock, alongside with his habitual nightmares, spurs Mel to are trying to find out answers. The search leads him on a quest to return to the red planet and find out the incredible truth.
90 pages, Paperback
First published December 1, 1961
About the author
Raymond F. Jones
198 books12 followersRaymond Fisher Jones (November 15, 1915, Salt Lake City, Utah - January 24, 1994, Sandy, Salt Lake County, Utah) was an American science fiction author. He is best known for his 1952 novel, This Island Earth, which was adapted into the 1955 film This Island Earth and for the short story "The Children's Room", which was adapted for television as Episode Two of the ABC network show Tales of Tomorrow, first aired on February 29, 1952.
Jones' career was at its peak during the 1940s, 1950s, and 1960s. His stories were published mainly in magazines such as Thrilling Wonder Stories, Astounding Stories, and Galaxy. His short story Noise Level is known as one of his best works. His short story "The Alien Machine", first published in the June, 1949 Thrilling Wonder Stories, was later expanded into the novel This Island Earth, along with two other short stories, "The Shroud of Secrecy", and "The Greater Conflict", known as The Peace Engineers Trilogy, featuring the character Cal Meacham. Jones also wrote the story upon which the episode "The Children's Room" was based for the television program Tales of Tomorrow in 1952.
Jones' career was at its peak during the 1940s, 1950s, and 1960s. His stories were published mainly in magazines such as Thrilling Wonder Stories, Astounding Stories, and Galaxy. His short story Noise Level is known as one of his best works. His short story "The Alien Machine", first published in the June, 1949 Thrilling Wonder Stories, was later expanded into the novel This Island Earth, along with two other short stories, "The Shroud of Secrecy", and "The Greater Conflict", known as The Peace Engineers Trilogy, featuring the character Cal Meacham. Jones also wrote the story upon which the episode "The Children's Room" was based for the television program Tales of Tomorrow in 1952.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
February 16, 2021
This story had a lot of elements to it. As has been pointed out, it has similarities to Philip K. Dick's "We Can Remember it for You Wholesale", and "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?" both of which it predates, and which I haven't read in a long time. It also takes one of the central concepts from "The Day the Earth Stood Still".
I found it an engaging read. I was as eager to find out what happened to Alice as I was to know the purpose of the "Martian Princess" rendezvous. Quite frankly, I thought this was going to be another variation on the Invasion of the Body-snatchers with Martians replacing humans and the passengers becoming food/slaves/some other third thing. I was pleasantly surprised.
The pacing and practically all other elements of the story have stood the test of time. I can't think of too many 60-year-old stories, especially SF, that have weathered time so well. Not to mention that Jones accomplished a double-whammy, whipping up a happy ending while killing off the main character.
I found it an engaging read. I was as eager to find out what happened to Alice as I was to know the purpose of the "Martian Princess" rendezvous. Quite frankly, I thought this was going to be another variation on the Invasion of the Body-snatchers with Martians replacing humans and the passengers becoming food/slaves/some other third thing. I was pleasantly surprised.
The pacing and practically all other elements of the story have stood the test of time. I can't think of too many 60-year-old stories, especially SF, that have weathered time so well. Not to mention that Jones accomplished a double-whammy, whipping up a happy ending while killing off the main character.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 18, 2021
Full review: https://sciencefictionruminations.com...
3.5/5
"Before Philip K. Dick’s “We Can Remember It for You Wholesale” (1966), Raymond F. Jones wrote the far lesser known “The Memory of Mars” (1961)–his own paranoid thriller about a vacation to Mars that might not have happened exactly as remembered. This is a plot-driven story. There are [...]"
3.5/5
"Before Philip K. Dick’s “We Can Remember It for You Wholesale” (1966), Raymond F. Jones wrote the far lesser known “The Memory of Mars” (1961)–his own paranoid thriller about a vacation to Mars that might not have happened exactly as remembered. This is a plot-driven story. There are [...]"
May 21, 2022
Wonderful entertaining listening 🎶🔰
Another will written fantasy space opera Sci-Fi adventure thriller short story by Raymond F. Jones about a man 🚹 whose wife dies but is it his wife. The Dr. has never seen a body like this. I would recommend this novella to readers of fantasy space novels 👍🔰. Enjoy the adventure of reading 👓 or listening 🎶 to Alexa as I do because of health issues. 2022 👒😢🏥
Another will written fantasy space opera Sci-Fi adventure thriller short story by Raymond F. Jones about a man 🚹 whose wife dies but is it his wife. The Dr. has never seen a body like this. I would recommend this novella to readers of fantasy space novels 👍🔰. Enjoy the adventure of reading 👓 or listening 🎶 to Alexa as I do because of health issues. 2022 👒😢🏥
August 29, 2024
I started reading it just because the title caught my eye, but I ended up loving it. I’ve always been into sci-fi, and this book is so well-written, with such beautiful prose, I just couldn’t put it down.
November 18, 2018
Wow! What a great short story. lots of fun reading it
June 23, 2020
Short sci fi story.
Freebie. A woman dies in an accident and doctors find she has strange internal organs. Her distraught husband attempts to find out how this could have happened.
Freebie. A woman dies in an accident and doctors find she has strange internal organs. Her distraught husband attempts to find out how this could have happened.
October 22, 2016
A Nice Reminder of 60's Sci-Fi Style and Craft
If you have been wandering around Amazon sampling Kindle freebies and super-cheapies you have probably noticed that there are a fair number of free, (out of copyright), and inexpensive sci-fi stories, novels and collections from the Golden Age, (as well as earlier works from the 1900's from authors like William Hope Hodgson). Well, this longish short story, from Raymond Jones, is one of the more rewarding finds.
After she is killed in an accident it turns out that our hero's wife, Alice, is full of alien parts and pieces. What's going on, and is it tied to an earlier vacation to Mars? The story starts out feeling like Philip K. Dick's later written "We Can Remember It for You Wholesale", but moves in a different direction. It's better than a lot of what appeared in the magazines in the 60's, but still has the flat characters, serviceable plot lurches and monologuing that we all remember. That said, it is worth emphasizing that Jones worked at a higher level than most of his contemporaries and broke some novel and entertaining ground. This is a good and fun example, and certainly worth a look.
If you have been wandering around Amazon sampling Kindle freebies and super-cheapies you have probably noticed that there are a fair number of free, (out of copyright), and inexpensive sci-fi stories, novels and collections from the Golden Age, (as well as earlier works from the 1900's from authors like William Hope Hodgson). Well, this longish short story, from Raymond Jones, is one of the more rewarding finds.
After she is killed in an accident it turns out that our hero's wife, Alice, is full of alien parts and pieces. What's going on, and is it tied to an earlier vacation to Mars? The story starts out feeling like Philip K. Dick's later written "We Can Remember It for You Wholesale", but moves in a different direction. It's better than a lot of what appeared in the magazines in the 60's, but still has the flat characters, serviceable plot lurches and monologuing that we all remember. That said, it is worth emphasizing that Jones worked at a higher level than most of his contemporaries and broke some novel and entertaining ground. This is a good and fun example, and certainly worth a look.
May 27, 2015
Alice Hastings has died, leaving her grief-stricken husband alone and miserable. More than that, he’s puzzled. As she lay suffering from her accident, she kept saying that when she recovered, they would go for another vacation on Mars. But Mel is pretty sure that neither of them has ever been off the Earth. He’s known Alice since middle school, although they've not been married long.
And now the doctors are telling him she wasn't human.
The reader follows Mel along as he searches for the truth.
This deals with reality vs. perception, memory vs. dream. It is a sad little story, ultimately anti-war in nature. It tends to strain to make its point, but it is worth reading.
And now the doctors are telling him she wasn't human.
The reader follows Mel along as he searches for the truth.
This deals with reality vs. perception, memory vs. dream. It is a sad little story, ultimately anti-war in nature. It tends to strain to make its point, but it is worth reading.
August 10, 2020
Excellent little novelette from the early 1960s golden age of sci-fi about (*SPOILER ALERT*) an android that has the memories of a man he replaced and needs to be shut down.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews