ABSTRACT
Readers who opened the March 1908 issue of Cosmopolitan (Wells, 1908) viewed a frontispiece illustration of a family of Martians with one of them staring back at the viewers (see Fig. 20.1). The caption read:
The illustration was one of four featured in the article, titled “The Things That Live on Mars.” The article featured a summary of the latest scientific beliefs about the “flora and fauna” of the planet Mars. As the frontispiece, the illustration was given a position of prominence and was the first item seen as readers engaged the editorial content of the magazine. What did such a strange image mean? How did viewers make sense of the illustration? Did viewers believe they were seeing accurate representations of Martians or simply an artist’s imagination and fantasy? Was the illustration science, art, or simply a way to sell magazines?
