The Martian Chronicles

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Summary: Martian Chronicles
Review: Martian Chronicles is a series of short stories explaining the colonization of humans on Mars. Bradbury takes issues concerning the 1940s and incorperates them into his novel. Bradbury has the ability to create Mars in a way that makes you feel as if he has been there. His characters are strongly developed and build strong relations with each other. With each story in his novel he has a new set of characters with different kinds of personalities. He shows how each character reacts differently to life on Mars. It is almost like he was using his novel to make a prediction on the future of space exploration and gives possible outcomes of the future. The book is extremely well written and that gives us an interesting possiblity of the future.

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Summary: Clarification
Review: Don't be fooled: this book is not about Mars. Rather, it is a picture of America in the aftermath of the second World War, with all of its accompanying hopes, dreams, hypocricies and hysterias. Read in this light, the stories are not merely entertaining diversions, but (often scathing) social commentary.

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Summary: A great book, however...
Review: Well, first of all, I must say, this book is one of the first books I ordered from Amazon.com. I finished it in one day. Ray Bradbury is one of the best writers of the century! I really loved the different points of view in the book (the native-martian, the first settlers, etc) and I thought the descriptions of views and the author's imagination are simply amazing. However, the thing I liked the most was also the one that bothered me,it was hard for me to get used to a different point of view every few pages... The problem is that there's no main character that exists through all the stories. Each time a new story begins I have to "re-adjust" myself for a new main character with new background and new everything... It was hard but after a while I got used to it and had a blast reading this awesome book.

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Summary: Yes, I have read The Martian Chronicles (finally)
Review: There was a time when people still believed in Martians - real Martians. This was a time when a dying race roamed around a dying, dry world, oblivious to the activities of humans on Earth. It is this romantic notion of the early twentieth century that The Martian Chronicles begins with and continues onto what we would now consider an impossible future.

Each chapter is it's own self-contained story and some of them have clever, entertaining twists that remind me of old Star Trek episodes. If you read science fiction you must make sure that Martian Chronicles is one on your list.

P.S. When someone asks me have I read 'Martian Chronciles' I now say yes!

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Summary: beyond a doubt one of my fav scifi books
Review: This book got me hooked onto Ray Bradbury for good. I usually dislike short stories,but the way Bradbury comes up with an original concept for each story and manages to tie them all together just amazes me. Since reading this, I've acquired all his other books and devoured them, but in my opinion this is his best. When I finished this book, I was extremely disapointed- I wished I hadn't read it so that I could pick it up and read it for the first time. This is a must read- trust me, you won't regret it!

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Summary: Great Ironic Social Criticism in Science Fantasy Form
Review: This book clearly deserves more than five stars. It is one of the most moving and important set of observations about our human issues ever written in either science fiction or science fantasy form.

Ray Bradbury wrote these short stories in the late 1940s at a time when we knew almost nothing about Mars. Some scientists even thought there were probably canals and the remnants of a dead or dying Martian civilization on Mars. Written as science fiction originally by Mr. Bradbury, our growing knowledge of Mars makes these assumptions science fantasy today. But don't let that shift rob these stories of their power over you.

But Mars was just the setting for a more serious set of questions. Mr. Bradbury was concerned that the world was too full of hate, war, short-sightedness, and greed to amount to much. He despaired as to whether humans would survive the discovery of the atomic bomb. From this raw material of human excess, he stitched together a powerful vision of our choices -- to operate at our best . . . or our worst. He appeals to our better selves in a vivid way that will be unforgettable to you, if you are like me.

The development of the book has an interesting history. Mr. Bradbury was in his late twenties, and had written quite a few short stories. While visiting New York, he showed his short stories to publishers who liked them. The publishers advised him that there was a market for novels, but not much of one for books of short stories. Then one night it hit him, he had the raw material for a novel about Mars if he simply wrote a few transition stories to fit with ones he had already written. He sat up late that night writing the book proposal, and sold it the next day. That concept became The Martian Chronicles.

Mr. Bradbury had recently read Winesburg, Ohio and was impressed by that book with the potential to use a series of stories as a way to tell a community's history. It seemed natural to use that structure for his Martian book.

The book covers a time period from 1999 through 2026, starting with the first manned expedition to Mars from Earth. The American astronauts do find Martians. The complications of the first four expeditions come from the interactions between humans and Martians, and are unexpected and intriguing. The stories explore the implications of a race being telepathic in very revealing ways.

Much of the human colonization of Mars in the book pits those who want to recreate Earth against those who appreciate what is special about Mars. So exploitation versus conservation is one theme in the book. As a backdrop for the stories, you will read about all of the themes of the Westward migration in the United States from the eradication of the native peoples and culture, to excess exploitation of natural resources, to the desire to be free of "civilized" society.

There are wonderful stories in here against racisim, censorship of books (which became the basis of Mr. Bradbury's later book, "Farenheit 451"), and war.

Towards the end of the book is a lovely sequence of three stories about the various meanings of loneliness. I particularly recommend them. The first looks at men and women seeking each other out when there is no other company. The second considers the loss of a family and how to cope with that. The third looks ruefully at the aftermath of a nuclear holocaust.

The last story in The Martian Chronicles, "The Million-Year Picnic," causes me to shiver and moves me almost to tears every time I think about it. From that story, you will be able to answer the famous question in the book, "Who are the Martians?"

By the way, the book is much better than the movie. If you think you know the story from the movie, I suggest you read the book. If you have a choice of one or the other, I definitely suggest the book.

By the way, years later Mr. Bradbury reviewed this book and commented that the world had turned out much better than he had hoped. He said that would have written a different kind of book on the same subject in the 1970s, but he still had great respect for what the young man he was in his twenties who had written The Martian Chronicles.

The manned exploration of Mars is probably our greatest and most important challenge as a species. Yet, we pay little attention to the question now. I suggest that you use your reading of The Martian Chronicles to help reignite a discussion with those you know of what our goals and methods should be concerning Mars.

Reach for the stars . . . to create the fullest human potential and accomplishments -- morally, spiritually, emotionally, and physically.

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Summary: Profound, Realistic, and Refreshing
Review: I was originally inspired to read Bradbury's The Martian Chronicles mainly because of the critical acclaim and praise it has received; it isn't very often a science fiction novel is accepted and enjoyed so widely. The most unsettling thing about this novel (or, this collection of short stories) is the fact that there are not any characters or events which Bradbury centers upon. The first chapter, "Ylla," grabs the readers attention very well, though I found myself a bit disappointed when the dynamique characters of that chapter did not return. As a whole, however, the overall message and talent bound within the pages of The Martian Chronicles is too important to miss due to something as insignificant as characters. The vast majority of novels out there contain central characters, and many of those very same novels are character-driven. That said, The Martian Chronicles is completely plot-driven. This makes the book not only extremely refreshing, but one need not go through the utter pain of seeing one's favorite character die, because it is very unlikely you would have a favorite character!

A word to the optimistic: this novel paints a pretty unhappy portrait of the future of mankind. A pessimist myself, this was not at all disturbing to me, but quite realistic. Bradbury predicts for Earth's future recurring atom wars, the rising of censorship, and the complete meltdown of society. These themes are prevalent in his most popular novel, Fahrenheit 451. These reasons are the motivations behind the humans' migrations to Mars. Bradbury uses his novel as a conduit to warn us against "political correctness" and asks whether or not we have a control on weapons technology.

My personal favorite idiosyncracies of The Martian Chronicles were the chapters "Usher II," "There Will Come Soft Rains," and "The Green Morning." As is with most Bradbury works, the author tips his hat to his favorite authors with excerpts from poems, songs, and even the fabulous parallel to Edgar Allen Poe's The Cask of Amontillado in "Usher II." Bradbury's use of language and description of fantastic settings and creatures was impressive, to say the least. The descriptions of the Martian race were so intricate and unique each time that one could certainly picture the fictitious peoples, as well as their "chemical baths" and "sand ships," the levitating pirate ships with sails of blue mist. The wonderful aspect of science fiction is the new and refreshing imagery introduced, and Bradbury used this to his advantage.

In a nutshell, The Martian Chronicles is not only though-provoking, but a real fun book to read. The reading level is adequate for any student, and is neither slow or complicated in the beginning or abrupt at the end. Any science fiction fan who enjoyed the messages behind the film The Matrix will thoroughly enjoy Bradbury's Chronicles.

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Summary: The Martian Chronicles - Critical Review
Review: The Martian Chronicles is truly one of Ray Bradbury's finest. It not like any other book I have ever read before. It is a book with lots symbolism and a book that brings up a debate about our own American civilization. The Martian Chronicles is a very fragmented book. There are no main characters in this book. It does not have a climax and it does not have a fairytale ending. This book as a whole symbolizes: America's Manifest Destiny, how we can be wrong and right about types of civilizations and how we shouldn't try replicate our old civilizations that just do not work in other regions that already have their own system of colonization (i.e. America, Vietnam, Cuba and etc...) due to our own instincts to build the greatest empire (i.e. The Roman Empire, America's Manifest Destiny and etc...). This book is basically about people from Earth going to Mars. They have a slow start with three unsuccessful missions, because the Martians execute or isolate the creww members in ways I will not mention because I do not want to ruin the best part for you, which is the Third Mission. On the Fourth Mission the humans are successful, because most of the Martians have died because of the chickenpox. Then people from Earth start to settle on Mars. They change the red landscape into a green earthlike world. Then there is an atomic war on Earth and everyone evacuates Mars except for one man and an ugly women. The end is the part with the most amount of symbolism and would be better if you read it yourself instead of me ruining it for you. This is a brief summary of the whole book I believe that this book does not have any weaknesses due to its abstract style. It is hard to criticize this book because it is a one of a kind and cannot be compared with other books. The strong points of this book are the parts with the heavy symbolism. The Four Expeditions explain what is going on in the story and I think are also the best parts. The end is also a great part. It symbolizes that appreciating the civilization that you have found is right. This book is a great book. If you have vivid imagination, are fluently literate in the English language and have a pulse, then this book is definitely for you. When reading this book expect the unexpected. If you think your understanding of each chapter is wrong because it is too abstract then chances are you are not wrong at all.

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Summary: Speculative Fiction at its best
Review: From the First Landing, to its abandoment, the story of Mankind and Mars is told in a collection of progressive short stories. Bradbury is a master storyteller, drawing the reader in, and weaving an intruiging and thought-provoking tale around him. More than just science fiction, the Martian Chronicles are a commentary on society as a whole, and the destructive course humankind sets for itself. If you are looking for a happy ending, or a light, fast read, then this is not the right book for you. If, however, you are looking for a story with meaning, told by an extremely talented writer, then I cannot recommend the Martian Chronicles more highly. A timeless classic, I would rank it among the best sci-fi's of all time.

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Summary: Excelent Thiller and Very Exciting
Review: This book is an ExcelentThiller and is very exciting because u dont know what will happen next. But i will warn you IF U Are A FAST READER READ IT AGAIN CAUSE IT COULD BE CONFUSING. but everything is excellent.