Today we have a short story by Brett Harte and B.R. Nielson: Outcasts of East Mars. Taking place in 2072 on, naturally, Mars, the story centers around a small group of people who have been deemed undesirable by the city of East Mars and so are forced into exile.
These unwanted examples of humanity include Mr Rose the gambler, the Mistress, Dear Mother and Uncle Billies. We are given very little description of these characters, yet you can easily form pictures of them in your mind.
They are escorted out of the city at gunpoint and head off on a journey to West Mars, where hopefully they will be given a better reception.
There’s a lot of potential here. The characters come across as pitiable and very human, especially the young females in the story. As they struggle to survive in the harsh Martian environment, you quickly begin to sympathize with them.
The story itself is very short (in fact, it may be the shortest thing I’ve ever reviewed) and lacks polish, but I see in Brett Harte and B.R. Nielson authors that could be great in the future.
