"From my father's point of view, without a thought for self, a true patriot stands up against the sto..." — Thomas Steinbeck

When I was fifteen, my father gave me a first edition copy of Ray Bradbury's magnificent work, 'The Martian Chronicles.' I had read other science fiction by noted authors, but this book was something else altogether.

My father valued patriotism above all other social obligations, but he had his own particular interpretation of just how true patriotism was meant to function.