uses ▁to ▁esc ort ▁Minn ie , ▁his ▁w ard ▁and ▁f iance e , ▁to ▁a ▁ball ▁because ▁he ▁would ▁prefer ▁to ▁spend ▁his ▁evening ▁at ▁home ▁reading ▁about ▁new ▁discover ies ▁about ▁the ▁planet ▁Mars . ▁Minn ie ▁goes ▁to ▁the ▁ball ▁with ▁another ▁esc ort , ▁leaving ▁Hor ace ▁home ▁alone . ▁Hor ace ▁falls ▁as leep ▁and ▁dream s ▁that ▁he ▁is ▁visited ▁by ▁a ▁man , ▁a ▁M essen ger ▁from ▁Mars . ▁The ▁M essen ger ▁sets ▁out ▁to ▁c ure ▁Hor ace ▁of ▁his ▁self ish ness . ▁After ▁a ▁series ▁of ▁vis ions , ▁the ▁M essen ger ▁reduces ▁Hor ace ▁to ▁a ▁begg ar ▁in ▁ra gs . ▁Having ▁realized ▁the ▁error ▁of ▁his ▁ways , ▁Hor ace ▁aw ak ens ▁a ▁changed ▁man . ▁ ▁Author ship ▁and ▁controvers y ▁ ▁G anth ony ▁said ▁that ▁the ▁emphas is ▁on ▁play ▁building ▁came ▁from ▁his ▁acting ▁experiences ▁( in ▁plays ▁like ▁The ▁Cat ▁and ▁the ▁Cher ub ) ▁and ▁helped ▁shape ▁the ▁elements ▁that ▁were ▁used ▁in ▁A ▁Message ▁from ▁Mars . ▁G anth ony ▁used ▁A ▁Message ▁from ▁Mars ▁to ▁convey ▁the ▁negative ▁consequences ▁of ▁self ish ness ▁via ▁explo iting ▁an ▁extremely ▁self ish ▁man ▁while ▁also ▁using ▁astronom y ▁as ▁a ▁tool ▁in ▁con ve ying ▁these ▁consequences . ▁ ▁G ath ony ▁may ▁have ▁draft ed ▁the ▁initial ▁script ▁for ▁A ▁Message ▁from ▁Mars ▁as ▁early ▁as ▁ 1 8 9 0 ▁or ▁ 1 8 9 1 .