62 BBC History Magazine
THE RED
PLANET
In thrall to
Eric Rabkin argues that depictions of Mars
in literature and film – both as the cradle of
hideous invaders, and humanity’s potential
saviour – frequently reflect the political
climate back on Earth
A detail from a poster promoting
William Cameron Menzies’s
1953 horror film Invaders from Mars,
above an image of the red planet.
Mars has exerted a powerful hold
over the residents
of Earth for millennia
Left: A poster for 1954’s sci-fi
GETTY IMAGES/ALAMY film Devil Girl from Mars| MARS MANIAHISTORY