alien relics

A Martian Odyssey – Jarvis, on a scouting mission for the first expedition to explore Mars, finds himself shipwrecked and must walk back to his base. On his journey he meets a variety of new lifeforms. Much like a modern Odysseus, Jarvis must survive the unknown, the harsh climate, and the monsters that would devour him, on his quest to return to his base.

The Chessboard of Mars and Other Stories by Eando Binder
Three stories from Pulp Fiction Master Eando Binder: The Ring Bonanza (1947), Teacher From Mars (1941), The Chessboard of Mars (1937)