The Hermit of Mars

In Short

This story follows Martin Devere, a ninety-one-year-old scholar who has spent thirty-eight years living alone in a Martian research station. While he prefers the company of million-year-old relics to humanity, his peace is shattered by two radicals who land a rocket to construct a doomsday device. The story is a quintessential piece of mid-century science fiction, balancing a cynical view of human nature against the quiet, enduring beauty of a lost civilization. It remains a sharp, concise exploration of what happens when the indifferent observer is forced to intervene.

The Story

Martin Devere lives in a pressurized igloo on the Martian surface, contentedly cataloging the artifacts of a long-extinct race. Abandoned by the Space Institute decades earlier due to a heart condition, he has become a recluse, shunning the supply rockets' magazines and TV tapes to focus on his "diggings." His solitude ends when a mysterious rocket lands, disgorging two men. The visitors are agents of a rogue national power, sent to Mars to assemble a devastating nuclear bomb—a "bird" they intend to use to hold Earth’s United Governments hostage.

The two men, one tall and one bald, occupy the base and treat the elderly Devere with dismissive condescension, believing him to be a harmless, senile eccentric. While they work to assemble their weapon, Devere continues his archeological research, meticulously cleaning ancient Martian pots and scrolls. He watches them with detached, cold amusement, even as they threaten him and smash his radio to ensure their isolation. The visitors spend their time perfecting their bomb, assuming that their superior technology and the planet's remoteness guarantee their success.

As the men finalize their plans to transmit an ultimatum to Earth, the bald man leaves in a sandcat to communicate with his superiors. He soon radios back, claiming his vehicle has suffered a power failure and that, in a moment of panic, he has jumped out and broken his ankle. The tall man, busy preparing to transmit his own message, is forced to leave the igloo to rescue his partner. Before he departs, he leaves his weapon and his guard down, assuming the old man is incapable of resistance.

Devere has been waiting for this moment. He reveals to the tall man that he has sabotaged their equipment, and he introduces a million-year-old Martian "digging tool"—a weapon that uses a focused, high-energy charge. He kills the tall man instantly. When the bald man returns, the threat is neutralized. Devere never manages to report the event to Earth, simply forgetting to do so in his quiet, solitary routine. When a television crew finally arrives at the next conjunction, they find a cantankerous old man who holds no pride in having saved the world, indifferent to the fate of a planet he left behind long ago.

How It Unfolds

The unwanted arrival Martin Devere, the sole human resident of Mars, watches a mysterious rocket land near his research site. He identifies the ship as something far more significant than the routine supply rockets he usually receives.

A delicate standoff Two men invade the igloo, armed and arrogant, and force the old man into a subservient role. Devere plays the part of a senile hermit, masking his keen intelligence while the men assemble their bomb in the desert.

The catalyst for action The bald man suffers a staged accident and forces his partner to leave the igloo to assist him. This separation creates a temporary vulnerability in the radicals' control over the base and their weapon.

The silent defense Devere reveals the true nature of the ancient artifacts he has been studying, using a million-year-old Martian weapon to destroy his captors. The immediate threat to Earth is extinguished, but the hermit remains unimpressed by his own heroism.

The People

Martin Devere is the central figure, a man defined by his disillusionment with humanity. After being hurt by a woman in his youth, he turned his affections toward the cold, objective study of archeology. He is patient, brilliant, and deeply protective of his Martian fossils, viewing the arrival of his "guests" as a mere inconvenience to his work.

The two nameless men represent the aggressive, technocratic nature of Earth’s political powers. The tall man is the more talkative of the pair, serving as the primary antagonist who underestimates Devere’s capacity for violence. The bald man is colder and more pragmatic, focused entirely on the logistics of the bomb. Both men share a common flaw: they view the universe through the lens of power and technology, which leaves them entirely blind to the intellect and ancient weaponry the old man possesses.

In Its Own Voice

"He was the oldest human being on Mars. He was 91. For many years, in fact, he had been the only human being on Mars."

Devere’s long isolation is established early, contrasting his quiet life with the intrusion that follows.

"There was a studied and careful asymmetry about its form, barely discernible, that would disturb you the more you looked at it--until you knew suddenly that no human brain could have created that shape."

Devere examines a Martian vase, highlighting the alien beauty that sustains him while the men prepare their bomb.

What It's Really About

The story contrasts "pure science" and "pure art"—the domains of the vanished Martians—with the applied, destructive technology of mankind. Devere’s admiration for the Martians, who he believes avoided the aggressive instincts that lead to war, acts as a critique of humanity’s obsession with power and weapons. The narrative argues that a civilization focused on beauty and theoretical knowledge is superior to one obsessed with bombs and ultimatums. Ultimately, the book presents the "Hermit" as a man who has transcended human social concerns, finding more value in a million-year-old poem than in the political survival of the planet that abandoned him.

Why Read It Today

This story is a concise, punchy piece of 1960s science fiction that rewards readers who enjoy a slow-burn setup leading to a sudden, violent resolution. Those who appreciate the trope of the "underestimated old man" will find great satisfaction in Devere’s quiet triumph. Because it was written in 1963, some of the dialogue and attitudes—particularly the casual, almost bored way the characters discuss mass destruction—carry the unique, fatalistic tone of the Cold War era.

The writing is spare and observational, mirroring the barren, red landscape of the setting. It is not a long read, but it leaves a lingering sense of unease. You may find yourself reflecting on the final exchange, where Devere’s refusal to care about Earth’s salvation serves as a chilling, final rebuke to the reader. If you enjoy stories that prize atmosphere and character archetypes over complex world-building, this is a masterful example of the genre. It is best enjoyed by those who prefer their science fiction with a heavy dose of irony and a lean, efficient narrative structure.