I've been looking through my shelves this evening, and was surprised to find at least five different editions of The Martian Chronicles there--I had forgotten I had them all! (I do need to re-read that sometime soon.)

Two of the copies are autographed--not at all unusual, as Ray signs so many books, but it's still very neat to have his signature at hand. My favourite copy is easily the Heritage Press edition of 1974. As far as I know, this is the longest version of the book available, containing more chapters than the earlier editions, as well as some material that has been dropped from the current editions. The Heritage Press published it as a very large volume with a slipcase, heavily illustrated in colour and black-and-white by Joseph Mugnaini. (I'm assuming these are the same illustrations that appear in the very expensive leather-bound Easton Press edition--unfortunately, that book is a bit beyond my budget!) The cover of my copy has a marvelously eerie scene of a Martian standing against a star-filled sky, printed in light blue on a very dark blue background with the title in silver. But apparently Heritage also published this at the same time with red and grey boards, showing a landscape of some sort--I haven't seen that one.... This 1974 Heritage edition isn't as inexpensive as it once was, but there are still copies out there in circulation, so if anyone is ready to replace their worn copy of the Chronicles I would recommend having a look for this version, at least....

I have two Dandelions and two Martian Charonicles. I've been "collecting" Bradbury for only a relatively short time. I do try to get the best editions I can get a hold of when I can afford them, so my library isn't complete. Still waiting for that ultimate edition of F451.

I have the Easton Press edition of Martian Chronicles. There are nine Mugnaini illustrations. Signed by Bradbury.

I wonder if there is information anywhere on exactly which editions contain which stories? I'd love to know what's in the Heritage Press edition.

At the risk of duplicating information better indexed elsewhere, here's the Easton Press contents:

Jan 2030 Rocket Summer
Feb 2030 Ylla
Aug 2030 The Summer Night
Aug 2030 The Earth Men
Mar 2031 The Taxpayer
Apr 2031 The Third Expedition
Jun 2032 -and the Moon Be Still as Bright
Aug 2032 The Settlers
Dec 2032 The Green Morning
Feb 2033 The Locusts
Aug 2033 Night Meeting
Oct 2033 The Shore
Nov 2033 The Fire Baloons
Feb 2033 Interim
Apr 2034 The Musicians
May 2034 The Wilderness
2035-2036 The Naming of Names
Apr 2036 Usher II
Aug 2036 The Old Ones
Sep 2036 The Martians
Nov 2036 The Luggage Store
Nov 2036 The Off Season
Nov 2036 The Watchers
Dec 2036 The Silent Towns
Apr 2057 The Long Years
Aug 2057 There Will Come Soft Rains
Oct 2057 The Million-Year Picnic

By the way, welcome to the message board octobercountry. Hope you stick around.

Ah, it must be nice to have the Easton Press edition of "Chronicles"--their books are so beautifully bound....I do have the leather Easton Press copy of Dandelion Wine--splendid cover, and containing one colour plate by Joseph Mugnaini.

The 1974 Heritage Press edition of "Chronicles" has a nice long introduction by Martin Gardiner, as well as the additional chapter "Way in the Middle of the Air." This is a race-relations sort of story, and I assume it was deleted because it is perhaps rather dated. I imagine that it has appeared in some short story collection or other, but I don't know which one. The book also contains about ten black-and-white illustrations, as well as the nine colour plates. (I just love the one called "The Melancholy House of Usher"!)

I've now found yet another copy of "Chronicles" here, and a few moments ago ordered a second copy of the Heritage Press version as a gift for my brother. (The one with the grey and red boards, with black and gold decoration, as compared to the blue and silver version I own.) When I receive the book, maybe I'll compare the covers and keep the one I like best for myself! Hmmmm... nothing like being unselfish, eh?!

Nice to find this message board--plenty of people much more intelligent than I here, maybe some of it will rub off on me...

If you are interested in a little background on the Heritage Press edition - it is the mass-market version of the Limited Editions Club edition.

The Limited Editions Club's (LEC) mission was to publish "fine books by fine writers," and had a long history of doing just that. Their editions were usually published in only 1,500 numbered copies (though in later years that number crept up to 2,000), and were always signed by the illustrator. When luck would have it, and the writer was still alive when the Limited Editions Club chose their book, the author and illustrator would sign the book together on the colophon. The books were always printed on excellent paper, and strived to offer the finest production values available.

As for the LEC of The Martian Chronicles, here are the details:

"Avon, CT: Limited Editions Club, 1974. Limited edition, one of 2,000 numbered copies signed by both Ray Bradbury and Joseph Mugnaini. Bound in full silk-screened black buckram and designed by Ernst Reichl. 11 color lithographs drawn directly on the metal by Joseph Mugnaini. Housed in publisher's slipcase."

This book usually sells today for between $300 and $400. The Heritage Press edition reproduces the illustrations exactly, and isn't a bad substitute. I wish I had one....

I have plenty of interesting stories about the LEC (the best being �The Great James Joyce/Henri Mattise debacle,� but this isn�t necessarily the time or place.