Dark They Were, and Golden-Eyed
| Author | Ray Bradbury |
|---|---|
| Published | 1949 |
| Format | Book |
TL;DR — Ray Bradbury’s short story about an Earth family stranded on Mars who are slowly, irresistibly transformed into Martians.
A typed copy of Bradbury’s short story, first published in 1949 under the title “The Naming of Names” and later collected under this title. The file’s own name gives no hint of its contents.
A family arrives on Mars with other settlers. When news comes that Earth has been destroyed in a war and no rockets will return, they are stranded. Slowly the settlers change: the vegetables they plant mutate, their eyes turn golden and their skin darkens, they begin using Martian words and names, and they drift to the cool hills and the old Martian villas. Years later, a rocket from Earth arrives and finds only Martians. The story is a quiet fable about assimilation, homesickness and place.
What it is: a short story by a major American writer, still in copyright; an unofficial typed copy.
Where this came from
- A copy saved in October 2026.
12 pages. A PDF copy is held in Kyle’s private archive; it is not linked or shared here.