MARTIAN HOMECOMING

Episode #467 · Written by Frank Belknap Long · Narrated by Scott Miller

A restless ex-boxer on Mars is haunted by memories of Earth and tempted by impossible dreams. When a deadly Martian creature invades the colony, he must face both the illusion and the truth about what “home” really means.

Martian Homecoming follows Jim Malden, a former boxer who leaves Earth for a new start on Mars. The colony is rough. The land is barren. The nights are long and quiet. Jim carries the past inside him, and the past refuses to let go.

When a strange Martian life form drifts into the settlement, the danger is not claws or teeth. It attacks the mind. It shows people everything they crave. Glory. Beauty. Forgiveness. Home. The illusions feel real. But they can kill as surely as any weapon.

Jim and two other settlers track the creature across the desert. Each man faces his secret desires. Each man is tempted in a different way. Jim must decide whether to live inside a dream, or stand and fight for the life he has now. The choice makes him see Mars in a new and powerful way.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Frank Belknap Long was a major voice in early American science fiction and fantasy. He wrote stories, poems, novellas, and novels across several decades. His imagination stretched from cosmic horror to distant planets, and from quiet, thoughtful tales to bold adventures. He understood lonely people, strange landscapes, and the emotional pull of the unknown.

His long career included friendships with writers such as H. P. Lovecraft, and he helped shape the foundations of classic science fiction and weird fiction. Martian Homecoming blends adventure, psychology, and human warmth. It reminds us that home is not always a place. Sometimes it is a choice.

LISTEN TO THE STORY

Listen to Martian Homecoming by Frank Belknap Long — a powerful tale of longing and danger in vintage science fiction on the red sands of Mars.

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