Ray Bradbury
The Martian Chronicles (1950)
Author: Ray Bradbury
Genre: Science Fiction (Philosophical Focus)
Plot Summary:
Through a series of chronologically-ordered short tales, the book begins in Ohio in January of 1999 (known as the "Rocket Summer") and tells the story of the human colonization of the planet Mars through the year 2026. There are four official expeditions, but none are successful until Captain Wilder and his crew land on the planet in June 2001. Soon after, humans begin to arrive on rockets to Mars in droves. SPOILER: The native Martians are annihilated due to exposure to chicken pox. There is a full nuclear war on Earth in 2005, and nearly every human on Mars returns to their home planet. Only a few souls are left behind on Mars, and their intriguing stories of isolation are told.
Geographical Setting: Earth and Mars
Time Period: January 1999-October 2026 (takes place in the future)
Appeal Characteristics:
From the start, the book is compelling: readers want to know what the "rocket summer" is and there is a definite mood of suspense and anticipation in the early chapters. Bradbury's dramatic writing style and vivid, literary descriptions will appeal to sci-fi and non-sci-fi readers alike. Particularly in the earlier chapters, when Mars is first described, the reader is bombarded with fantastical imagery (like canals filled with green liquor, and houses made of crystal pillars). Aside from the fantastical elements, this is very much a philosophical tale -- it is perhaps more social commentary than anything else. The Martians are described in much the same way as many authors would describe average Americans: they have troubled marriages, a strong sense of social decorum, a vast civilization of towns and cities, etc. The parody of reversal may appeal to readers -- for example, the Martians think the idea of life on Earth is absolutely absurd, just as most humans find the idea of Martian men to be unbelievable. The story is a fierce condemnation of human practices like commercialization, pollution, censorship, war, colonization -- at one point, the humans are even compared to locusts. In perhaps his strongest point of social commentary, Bradbury draws parallels between the colonization of Native American lands and the settlement of Mars. He also addresses other complex issues, such as racism against African-Americans in the U.S. Because most characters only appear in one or two of the chapters, characterization is not a main focus in this book. However, most of the characters we do meet are complex, three-dimensional individuals (both Martian and human alike), and it is their actions and emotions that drive the stories. Once the book moves beyond the initial explorations of Mars, many chapters take on a sometimes eerie and often suprising tone. The telepathic abilities of the Martians mean that almost anything can happen, and the stories are generally unpredictable. While this is certainly no fast-paced sci-fi adventure story, many fans of classic science fiction will love this title. Contemporary readers may enjoy the depiction of the early 21st century as viewed through the eyes of Bradbury in 1950. For fans of literary fiction who may be unfamiliar with the science fiction genre, The Martian Chronicles is an excellent place to start.
Read-alikes: For those who enjoy Bradbury's simple yet emotional approach to science fiction writing, Patricia Anthony's short story collection, Eating Memories is a great choice. These stories often deal with extraterrestrial life and run the gammut from an Air Force pilot kidnapped by aliens to a young boy who possesses memories of the future. Readers interested in more short stories should also try classic sci-fi author Theodore Sturgeon's Selected Stories. Bradbury was admittedly influenced by this man's work, and these 12 stories are some of Sturgeon's best writing -- several award-winners are included, many of which deal with the interactions between humans and aliens. Another of Bradbury's books that may appeal to fans of The Martian Chronicles is Dandelion Wine. Though this book is not really science fiction, fans of the short stories format and of Bradbury's poignant writing style may enjoy this coming-of-age tale. Dandelion Wine focuses on one young man during one summer in which he comes to understand a great deal more about the people in the world around him. If it's the exploration of Mars that you find intriguing, try Ben Bova's Mars, where 25 astronauts conduct the first dangerous exploration of Mars, or Red Mars by Kim Stanley Robinson, which describes how a group of experts attempt to create the first habitable settlement of the planet Mars (both of these titles are the first in a series).
Red Flags: harsh social criticism of many aspects of American life, some violence
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