The Old Martians

"The Old Martians" by Rog Phillips is a sci-fi story from the 1950s about reincarnation and old civilizations on Mars. The story is about how people are affected when they think they lived as ancient Martians. Joe works for an agency that keeps an eye on people who seem mentally unstable because of the Martian ruins. Herb, a troubled man, becomes sure he lived on Mars before and wants to prove it, with Dotty, who worries about his mental state, by his side. The story gets intense when Herb finds a dangerous weapon from the old Martians, which leads to a face off with Joe and others. The story asks questions about who we are, what we remember, and how dangerous it can be when the past comes back to haunt us.