ɪn nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd ˈeɪɾi ˈeɪt, ðə sˈɛvən ɛɡzˈɪstɪŋ stˈoːɹiz wɜː kəmbˈaɪnd wɪð θɹˈiː pɹˈiːviəsliʌnpˈʌblɪʃt wˈʌnz ðə mˈɪʃənɚ, ðə bˈɛltweɪ bˈændɪt, ænd əkɹˌɑːs ðə ɹˈɪvɚ ænd nˈaɪn ʃˈɔːɹt nˈɑːnnˈæɹətˌɪv ˌɪntɚstˈɪʃəl vɪnjˈɛts ɹˈɪʔn̩ ɪn ɐ kwˈeɪzaɪdʒˌɜːnəlˈɪstɪk stˈaɪl tə fˈɔːɹm ɐ fˈɪksˌʌp nˈɑːvəl, ðə dˈeɪ ðə mˈɑːɹʃənz kˈeɪm.
In 1988, the seven existing stories were combined with three previously-unpublished ones (The Missioner, The Beltway Bandit, and Across the River) and nine short non-narrative interstitial vignettes (written in a quasi-journalistic style) to form a fix-up novel, The Day the Martians Came.