The Martian Chronicles

Ray Bradbury’s The Martian Chronicles is a series of short stories, all linked to a single great quest: man’s journey to Mars. We begin with humanity’s first bizarre encounters with the telepathic Martian natives, who are later wiped out by the point of extinction by chicken pox. Man soon sweeps across Mars, trying to replicate their home world on a foreign land, with all the wonders and horror that entails. However, the settlers’ bond to a war-torn Earth ultimately creates a new path for the human race. Although this story is based on science fiction, Bradbury’s massive, elaborately designed cast of characters are very much grounded in reality. Through their eyes, he examines history’s determination to repeat itself, the horrors of prejudice in all of its forms, the strange potentials of technology, and the complexities of family. Overall, this book is a brilliant tribute to humanity–the new Martians–as a strange, fallible, yet ultimately redemptive race.