The Earthman conquers Mars... and then is conquered by it, lulled by dangerous lies of comfort and familiarity, and enchanted by the lingering glamour of an ancient, mysterious native race.
This starts in Bradbury's future, January 1999 and his take on the first successful manned mission to Mars is splendidly irreverent. The Earthmen are so full up with their own importance, success and agenda that they are totally phased by the indifference they are greeted with - lot like some *cough* countries, eh?
"We'd like someone to give us the keys to the city and shake our hands"
There is a background noise where Bradbury is trying to tell us Earthmen that we already live a messed-up mentality and are trying to spread it around the universe and as such, this is a horror story written poetically, Bradbury's deceptive and descriptive narrative is beautifully penned.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0474xcb
Re-visit details: Derek Jacobi and Hayley Atwell lead an all-star cast in a thrilling new dramatisation, re-imagining Ray Bradbury's timeless fable of doomed Martian colonisation.
When the first expedition to Mars mysteriously disappears, Earth sends a second to find out what happened. But the real mission is classified. And only Captain Wilder knows the truth.
Dramatised for radio by Richard Kurti and Bev Doyle.
Original Music: Imran Ahmad