“Dark They Were, and Golden-Eyed” by Ray Bradbury is a science fiction short story that takes place on Mars. It follows the story of the Bittering family who find themselves stranded on the red planet after a nuclear war devastates Earth. As time goes by, they start to notice strange changes in themselves and the environment around them. The father, Mr. Bittering, begins to grow anxious and paranoid, while his wife and children adapt more readily to their new Martian surroundings. The landscape gradually transforms, with the pink sand turning into a gold color and local vegetation replacing their terrestrial belongings. In the end, it is revealed that the Martians have a power to shape-shift and are gradually transforming the remaining humans into one of their own.
