The narrative follows the First Earth Expedition, a Martian scouting mission intended to explore Earth for potential colonization. Led by Captain Tutwa and interpreter Shapplo, the crew lands on an island known as Engelond. Upon arrival, they are struck by the planet's vibrant life forms, including flying creatures and various animals. Initial encounters lead to confusion as the Martians mistake a knight in armor for a robot, revealing their lack of understanding of Earth’s inhabitants. The crew captures Sir Henry de Long, an English knight, and through telepathic communication, learns about Earth’s social structure and the concept of knighthood. De Long expresses pride in his identity and recounts tales of dragons and other mythical creatures, which raises concerns among the Martians about the dangers of Earth. The crew, initially skeptical, decides to investigate further, suspecting that de Long may be exaggerating to protect his planet. As they gather more information, the Martians discover that the Earthmen possess no advanced technology and rely on manual labor. De Long's stories of dragons and other supernatural beings lead to a growing sense of unease among the Martians. They employ a lie detector to ascertain the truth of de Long's claims, which confirms the existence of dangerous creatures, including werewolves and vampires. Convinced of the perilous nature of Earth, the Martians decide to abandon their plans for colonization. They conclude that the planet is unfit for Martian life and must be avoided in future explorations. The expedition ultimately returns to Mars, declaring Earth a place of danger and fear, reinforcing the notion that it should remain closed to Martian colonization.
By Robert Abernathy · First published 1971 · Genre: Science Fiction, Adventure, Fantasy