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August 2026: There Will Come soft Rains
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I need to know when the first printing of this story was. Was it in the 1950 Martian Chronicles or was it first pub'd in Colliers, May 6, 1950? Thanks!
 
Posts: 3 | Registered: 21 September 2006Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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My guess is that it was first published in Colliers. But 'philnic' would know this one.

Note that 'Usher II' was published by Thrilling Wonder Stories in April, 1950
And 'Ylla', published in Maclean's in January, 1950

Paging 'philnic'!

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This message has been edited. Last edited by: Nard Kordell,
 
Posts: 3954 | Location: South Orange County, CA USA | Registered: 28 June 2002Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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The answer is: Colliers.

I can't remember the precise publication date of The Martian Chronicles, but I'm certain the Colliers appearance preceded it. I will look it up when I get home, and post an update.

Of course, on a technicality, it probably didn't have the "August 2026" prefix when it appeared in Colliers - I think the date was part of the chapter-titling for the book.


- Phil

Deputy Moderator | Visit my Bradbury website: www.bradburymedia.co.uk | Listen to my Bradbury 100 podcast: https://tinyurl.com/bradbury100pod
 
Posts: 5031 | Location: UK | Registered: 07 April 2003Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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Good question!

The Martian Chronicles was also published in May 1950. But a Bantam edition of the Martian Chronicles indicates that Collier had the copyright in 1950.

So - the magazine would be first.

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Posts: 11 | Registered: 01 April 2005Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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thanks! now I just need to find the Collier's article.
 
Posts: 3 | Registered: 21 September 2006Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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"There Will Come Soft Rain" was published in the May 6, 1950 issue of Colliers. I believe THE MARTIAN CHRONICLES was published by Doubleday in May, 1950 as well, but I do not know the exact date.
 
Posts: 2659 | Registered: 26 January 2003Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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Information gleaned from Jon Eller's bibliography in Ray Bradbury: The Life of Fiction (the most accurate and detailed bibliography yet published:

Martian Chronicles was published on 4 May 1950.

This places it two days ahead of the Colliers appearance.

However, Eller also indicated that the Colliers version was without the 'August 2026' date prefix, and was a shorter version of the story.

It is possible that the serial rights (for magazine publication) were sold to Colliers before the book rights were sold to Doubleday, and hence the Colliers attribution on the copyright page of Martian Chronicles. (This last paragraph is speculation by me, not Eller!)


- Phil

Deputy Moderator | Visit my Bradbury website: www.bradburymedia.co.uk | Listen to my Bradbury 100 podcast: https://tinyurl.com/bradbury100pod
 
Posts: 5031 | Location: UK | Registered: 07 April 2003Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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