The Martian Chronicles

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The Martian Chronicles

The Martian Chronicles, by Ray Bradbury, is a science-fiction book and was written in 1946. This major work by Bradbury is a collection of short stories relating to Mars or Martians. Bradbury had a clear vision of the Mars in which these stories are set. His vision was one of a fantasy world from the Martians point of view. In this work, the humans from Earth are the aliens from outer space. Bradbury has won many awards including the O. Henry Memorial Award, the Benjamin Franklin Award, the Aviation-Space Writers Association Award, the World Fantasy Award for lifetime achievement, and the Grand Master Award from the Science Fiction Writers of America. Bradbury supported his awards with The Martian Chronicles, keeping with the theme of giving his readers something to enjoy. His thoroughness in his writing keeps the reader wanting more.
The Martian Chronicles is a collection of 19 short stories about Mars and the Martians. He opens the book with a very short story, 'Rocket Summer';. 'Rocket Summer'; is a great exaggeration of how hot it becomes within a few miles radius of a rocket launch. Around this certain rocket, it was winter. As soon as the rocket's booster ignited, all of the snow within the vicinity melted. 'The snow dissolved and showed last summer's ancient green lawns.';. Bradbury knew when he wrote this that a weather change that dramatic would never happen from a single rocket, it was simply to grab the attention of the reader.
In 'The Third Expedition';, the sixth short-story in The Martian Chronicles, Bradbury uses his description of America on Mars to give a setting and tone for the story. He suggested that by 1950, America had already started to vanish. By the time any astronaut reached Mars, the America the astronaut knew would be greatly different than that of America in 1950. Bradbury was setting Mars equal to small-town life on Earth. 'The rocket landed on a lawn of green grass. Outside, upon this lawn, stood an iron deer. Further up on the green stood a tall brown Victorian house, quiet in the sunlight, all covered with scrolls and rococo, its windows made of blue and pink and yellow and green colored glass.'; If just this quote had been read, one would have thought that the rocket landed on Earth. Bradbury, using his wonde...

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...n anyone's 'should read'; list. It is a great example of science-fiction from the 1950's. Although people today may want a newer and fresher look at aliens and outer space, Bradbury provides a wonderful compilation of stories that could have been passed off as recently written. His ideas were so new to anyone at the time that we, in the year 2000, look at them as marvelous ideas that we can agree with, in theory, today. The Martian Chronicles meets the criteria of a great literary work because it has all of the characteristics of being one. First, there is a well organized and thought out plot to the story. Even though there are a number of short stories, they can all be read together as one collection on the same subject. Secondly, if you were to take out one of the stories to read by itself, one would never know it came from a book of stories. That is something that many authors have a hard time doing. Finally, Bradbury has built a reputation to be a great writer. This work does not let down on his reputation. Truly, anyone that is the least bit interested in science-fiction should really give this compilation a read. This book should really be on everyone's 'should read'; list.

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