Martians, Go Home

By: Fredric Brown

Narrated by: Stefan Rudnicki

Length: 5 hrs and 6 mins

Publisher's Summary

Martians, Go Home,originally published in 1955, is a comic science fiction novel that tells the story of Luke Devereaux, a science fiction writer who witnesses an alien invasion of little green men. These Martians haven't come to Earth to harm anyone - just to annoy people. Unable to touch the physical world, or be touched by it, they take great pleasure inwalking through walls, spying on the private lives of humans - and revealing their every secret. No one knows how to get rid of these obnoxious little aliens, except perhaps Luke. Unfortunately, Mr. Devereaux is going a little bananas, so it may be difficult for him to try - but not impossible.

©2011 Frederic Brown (P)2011 Blackstone Audio

Amusing send-up of alien invasion story tropes

I love a good alien invasion story and I also love a humorous story; this little gem is both. The little green men featured in this story manage to conquer Earth without firing a shot. The conventional invasion story is not the only thing satirized here; we also get an interesting and occasionally thought-provoking discourse on the nature of reality itself. How do we know what reality is? Is anything real, perhaps we create our own reality, and so forth but all firmly tongue-in-cheek. There is even a little unintentional humor when some people, believing the Martians to be devils, decide that Mars is hell and Venus is heaven (the book was written before the Venera and Mariner 2 expeditions).

Recommended for 1950's sci-fy buffs and people who like off-beat humor.

Fun read

Enjoyed this quirky book very much. The narrator as always was great. Answers the question, what if aliens came to earth and just were real a holes.

I have an opinion. It's none of your business!

I didn't enjoy the conclusion of this title. It felt like a cheat, leaving loose ends. Otherwise, the story was okay. However, I must address an indulgence of the author here. Several times, he launches into an annoying practice of ALPHABETICALLY listing, one of each letter, adjectives on an action. This, kicks me right out of the narrative while the author plods through his list. It isn't clever, or funny. My gut reaction is: Yes, you own a thesaurus, we get it! I could, and so could the story, done without it.

Where’s the plot?

Martians show up. Everyone hates them. The martians leave. There, I saved you a few hours of your life.

fun lighthearted piece

for a quick short diversion this was fine. a few elements that could be thought about more seriously like the solipsism point of view discussion but overall just a bit of fluff. good palate cleanser after heavier stuff. there are a couple places where I did actually chuckle at some ideas/situations.

an interesting listen

I would recommend listing to this on your free time but it's not one I would listen to in one sitting

Still funny and avoids feeling dated

Fredric Brown is one of the "golden age" authors who is sometimes a bit too golden age. His sci-fi tends toward the funny side and a lot of the basis of humor 60 years ago are things that fall flat or even are fairly offensive to modern ears, but this book manages to avoid a lot of those pitfalls, and a great deal of the story is told in such a way that the time of the setting is barely noticeable. Interesting to read in the time of COVID, that he anticipates the chain reactions to the economy that might come when events lead to the shut down of most public gatherings, though for a very different reason. Given it is part of the free books for members, this is definitely worth your 5 hours to listen to it!

Narrator needs better equipment

The narrator has a very good voice for storytelling, but he is recording this narration on equipment that picks up mouth noises and the intake of breath. This can become very distracting at times as we must listen to the gasping noise of him drawing his breath and the somewhat disgusting squelching sound of his tongue moving about his wet mouth. Better audio equipment will solve this problem and allow the listener to focus on the story.

The story itself was obviously written in the 50’s, but it still has the feel of a science fiction tale that runs counter to norms. I found it intriguing enough to stick through my frustrations with the narration. If this had been a longer story, then I might not have stuck it out.

This is a fine listen to be included in the free books with subscription category, but I would not spend a full credit on this title.

Oldie but goodie

I had read this Fredric Brown story at least 30 years ago. Then it was entertainment. Now it was philosophy. Loved it both times

First Rate

While certainly dated in many respects, this is fine writing and an engaging story. Recommended.