Alex Weller’s Reviews > The Illustrated Man > Status Update

Finished "The City"! Turns out the city wants revenge on Earth for enslaving its people and allowing them to die from disease. It captures the astronauts and eviscerates them, before turning them into humanoid machines and sending them back to Earth with disease bombs. As the astronauts return to Earth, the city dies. Overall, nice story!

Just started reading the sixteenth story, "The City". After twenty thousand years, a sentient city is woken up by the arrival of a rocket from Earth. As the astronauts travel through the city, the city can hear and smell them. But it appears there's a more sinister plan behind all of this. Interesting.

Braling Two suddenly turns on Braling. He doesn't like being trapped in a toolbox while Braling is home, and has really started to love Braling's wife. He attacks Braling and decides to lock him in the toolbox forever, while he takes his place permanently and takes Mrs. Braling on Braling's planned trip to Rio. Holy shit!

Just started reading the fifteenth story, "Marionettes, Inc.". Smith discovers that his friend Braling has created a mechanical clone of himself so he can get away from his unbearable wife. Smith decides to create one for himself to get away from his clingy wife, only to discover that his wife is actually a mechanical clone of the real one, who stole money from him and is God knows where now. Yikes!

Finished "The Concrete Mixer". Ettil is given a job to work as a technical director on a new Hollywood picture about the Martians, which includes horrific stereotypes. Ettil realizes the people of Earth just want to exploit the Martians for a profit. Fearing that Earth people will be the death of the Martians, Ettil decides to leave Earth, only to be run over by some drunk teenagers. Holy shit! Great story!

Ettil does not like Earth life, noticing people killed by cars and hating when Earth-women come and bother him with things like religion and going to movies. He's really having a feeling that all of this is a trap. He writes a letter to his wife about it and promises to escape. However, he ends up coming across a man in a black car who wants to talk to him, sounding like a show business guy. Who is this guy?

Ettil is still concerned the Earth people are plotting against them, but the other Martians are taken in by the Earth women they see in beauty parlors. When the ladies call out to the Martians, Ettil runs away.

The Martians land on Earth, where they are greeted by a cheery celebration in their honor, though they feel the Earth people may be plotting against them. They end up eating too much Earth food and getting sick, but the assignor gets them back on their feet to prepare garrisons in town in case something happens. Interesting!

Ettil and the other soldiers get in their rocket and blast off to Earth, with Ettil feeling empty inside from leaving everything behind. But when they reach Earth, they are informed that the Earth people have renounced war and welcome the Martians with peace. The other Martians are shocked, but Ettil can't help but laugh.

Ettil refuses to fight in the war after having read forbidden sci-fi magazines from Earth, showing Earth people thwarting Martian attacks. Ettil knows that because of this, Earth people have a stronger morale than Martians. Ettil's magazines are burned and he is almost executed before he sees his son witnessing everything. Ettil turns around and agrees to join the war, and is released. Damn.