The Martian Chronicles

1233 Words3 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Essay about ray bradbury

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...

... middle of paper ...

...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.

Show More
Related

  • Analysis of Tracy K. Smith´s Life on Mars

    2420 Words  | 5 Pages

    Tracy K. Smith’s “Life on Mars” is a collection of poetry dealing mainly in the search for a sense of purpose and the nature of people. The books is something of an elegy as a whole with many poems pertaining to death and the author’s struggle with the loss of her father. The poems are at once poignant and gentle in tone and leave questions than can only be answered in multiple readings. The book is segmented in four parts that travel through different topics and types of poetry. The mood ranges from passionate accounts of Orwellian politics to soft recollections of a lovers embrace; throughout the book Smith brings in references to pop culture, science, and technology that incorporate seamlessly with her words.

    Read More

  • Ray Bradbury's The Martian Chronicles

    1288 Words  | 3 Pages

    If the Martian Chronicles had been written in the 1999’s instead of fifty years ago, many issues and problems would change. Ray Bradbury wrote his book in 1946. In it he wrote about problems such as censorship, man’s cruelty to man, and loneliness. Each issue shows up in one or two of his chronicles. All of his issues affect every one of his characters in many different ways.

    Read More

  • Desire for Companionship in John Steinbeck's "Of Mice and Men"

    1749 Words  | 4 Pages

    In Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck, the need for companionship is shown throughout the book. Crooks, Curley's wife, and George and Lennie all illustrate that you need trustworthy friendships to live your life to its full potential and pursue your dreams.. That is why I believe that, had Lennie lived, he and George could have taken their companionship further and gotten the little cottage they wanted, enabling them to achieve their dream of “'[living] off the fatta the lan''” (14).

    Read More

  • Star Dreck: Paranoia & Patriotism in Alien Invasion Films

    2311 Words  | 5 Pages

    For those of you who have somehow come this far in your otherwise admirable education without once seeing this influencial film, a brief synopsis: a group of scientists at the North Pole discover a flying saucer buried in the ice, and with it the body of a man from Mars.Unintentionally, they blow up the saucer and melt the Martian.The thawed Martian, or Thing, proceeds to run amok, killing scientists and draining their blood in order to nourish its progeny.Importantly, a group of visiting air force men have taken over in this moment of crisis, a coup which the film seems to believe requires no justification.Thus the major conflict is defined; not, that is, between man and Martian, but between soldier and scientist.The leader of the scientists, Dr. Carrington--who is referred to earlier in the film as both a genius and, more significantly, the "man who was at Bikini," thus aligning him with the H-bomb--is portrayed as arrogant, cold, precise, unemotional, i.e., everything we've come to expect from a card-carrying 1950s egghead.In the four short scenes I'm about to show you, Dr. Carrington demonstrates just what we have to fear.

    Read More

  • Comparing The Movie And The Martian

    1426 Words  | 3 Pages

    The Martian is a story that involves a visit to the mars, and after that, the astronauts come out of the Mars leaving behind Mark Watney who his real name is Matt Damon. The team assumed Mark was dead after a strong storm. He tried to survive with the remains of the supplier till he was able to launch his way back to the Earth (MacIsaac, 2015). The story is represented in the Novel, and a movie and these two platforms have some similarities and differences. The movie is the representation of what is happening in the book. Therefore, not everything that it is in the book is covered in the one and half film, therefore several scenarios are left out.

    Read More

  • The Martian Chronicles, by Ray Bradbury

    1223 Words  | 3 Pages

    ... is by preserving the Martians’ old customs and cities, and by starting over as a Martian themselves. His message has such a great application to the modern world because in Bradbury’s time many industrial nations were forgetting that a state could excel without imposing Western ideas. Instead, they destroyed ancient civilizations simply because they failed to see the accomplishments of the natives, and left many cultures in a state where they could not be recovered. Bradbury’s theme is one that can pertain to nations of the past, present, and future. Colonizing should not be a game of trying to rebuild exactly the life one is used to. Instead, settlers should build and improve upon the nations that once thrived there, without erasing the evidence of native success.

    Read More

  • The Theme Of War In Ray Bradbury's The Martian Chronicles

    616 Words  | 2 Pages

    The underlining theme in The Martian Chronicles by Ray Bradbury is unarguably war. War is the point of origin from all conflicts generated throughout this story. War drives man to Mars, nearly wipes out the Martian population, wreaks havoc on Earth, and forces humans to leave their newly found planet to its previous tenants. War is the driving factor for this whole story; without it, this story never occurred. It gives humanity the courage to travel way out of their comfort zone onto a wasteland of a planet. Being that war follows humans to Mars due to their actions makes humans realize that they cannot escape their own violence.

    Read More

  • Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Douglas Bradbury

    1296 Words  | 3 Pages

    Norman, Tony. “Obituary: Ray Bradbury / His science fiction captured America’s imagination.” Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (PA) 03 July 2012: Newspaper Source Plus. Web. 13 Feb. 2014

    Read More

  • Essay On Friendships In John Steinbeck's Of Mice And Men

    482 Words  | 1 Pages

    One thing George does that good friends do is that no matter what George always defended Lennie. While Lennie and George were in Weed Lennie was touching a girl's dress and was accused of raping her. George took Lennie and ran away far enough ,so Lennie wouldn’t be beaten or killed. George also tells Lennie to defend himself against Curley while Curley was beating Lennie. If George wouldn’t of said anything Lennie would have never defended himself. George is always on Lennie’s side, like when George told Lennie he didn’t do anything wrong when he beat up Curley. George is constantly saying that Lennie is a hella of a worker ,so Lennie can get a job as well in the ranch. George is always trying to make Lennie feel better.

    Read More

  • Of Mice And Men - The Importance Of George

    1823 Words  | 4 Pages

    George’s relationship with Lennie has made him selfless; his conversations, with and with out Lennie, are generally revolving around Lennie, although in the case of their dream-ranch George seems to find fulfilment for himself as well. Due to these altruistic tendencies that he shows throughout the novel, a danger is bestowed upon George; he tends to care for Lennie far too much, and too little for himself. In occasional moments, he escapes his sympathy and compassion for Lennie, and realises the burden that he causes. This usually results in George taking his frustration out on Lennie, which can often harm his simple mind, leaving Lennie upset and forced to confess to his own uselessness, and George feeling guilty for what he has caused. We can learn very little about George through his actual conversations, which made it necessary for Steinbeck to focus the novel on him in particular, and let the reader gain an closer insight on him through his actions. Generally, he seems to be caring, intelligent and sensible, but is greatly worn by the constant attention Lennie requires. This illustrates a major theme in Of Mice and Men, the dangers that arise when one becomes involved in a dedicated relationship.

    Read More

  • Companionship In Of Mice And Men By John Steinbeck

    1099 Words  | 3 Pages

    In the novel Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck, companionship plays an important role. It seems like a lot of the characters in the novel need someone that they could talk to, someone that they could listen to or someone that needs to listen to them. Also someone that they could count on in times of needs.

    Read More

  • The Importance Of Friendship In John Steinbeck's Of Mice And Men

    705 Words  | 2 Pages

    George and Lennie were a great example of friendship in this story. George took care of Lennie after his Aunt Clara died which he didn’t have to, but he choose to do it. Along the way George and Lennie were creating a true friendship which almost made them look like brothers. George killed Lennie because he accidentally killed Curley's wife. George did not want Lennie to know curley was coming for him so he killed Lennie. He killed Lennie because Lennie would’ve gone through a lot if Curley caught him. Would you do that if you were in George’s

    Read More

  • A Princess Of Mars Literary Analysis

    519 Words  | 2 Pages

    In conclusion, Burroughs presents two Martian races that are largely different to validate that all races are created equal and the differences in abilities result from cultural disparities. Burroughs’ focus on race in this novel is critical as it serves as a reaction against the biological racism fueled by eugenics in the 20th

    Read More

  • Ray Bradbury's The Martian Chronicles

    544 Words  | 2 Pages

    Ray Bradbury's The Martian Chronicles. Ray Bradbury's The Martian Chronicles shows us not only a different world from Earth and Mars, but also the future of America. Bradbury's The Martian Chronicles depicts the colonization of Mars in terms of the colonization of America. The story is similar to what America experienced, such as thediscovery of America, the invasion of Indian colonies, and the new civilization. Dana's response paper also discussed the colonization of Mars.

    Read More

  • The War Of The Worlds

    1196 Words  | 3 Pages

    The Martians in the book The War Of The Worlds that was written by H. G. Wells were on the quest to Earth for resources to help them survive. At first landing and reading their spherical vehicles that were armed with both a heat ray gun and smoke gun, began to lay waste to mankind. Throughout the book, it is from the point of view of the narrator and what he experiences and sees on the Martians destruction of the world he knows. While Earth gives as much defense as they can, it cannot stand up against the great power of the Martians great vehicle’s destructive weapons. Towards the end of the book, mankind resorts to hiding in the shadows of this deadly terror and like the narrator, in a hole. Several days pass until the narrator comes out of his hole to see that the alien force has been eradicated by a bacteria that their body’s immune system was not able to save them.

    Read More

More about The Martian Chronicles

Open Document