Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #30212 in Books
• Published on: 1995-09-11
• Binding: Paperback
• 320 pages

Synopsis
The classic work that transformed Ray Bradbury into a household name. Written in the age of the atom when America and Europe optimisitcally viewed the discovery of life on Mars as inevitable, Bradbury's 1940s short stories of a brutal, stark and unforgiving martian landscape were as shocking and visionary as they were insightful. 'The Martian Chronicles' tells the story of humanity's repeated attempts to colonize the red planet. The first men were few. Most succumbed to a disease they called the Great Loneliness when they saw their home planet dwindle to the size of a pin dot. Those few that survived found no welcome. The shape-changing Martians thought they were native lunatics and duly locked them up. More rockets arrived from Earth, piercing the hallucinations projected by the Martians. People brought their old prejudices with them -- and their desires and fantasies, tainted dreams. These were soon inhabited by the strange native beings, with their caged flowers and birds of flame.

Customer Reviews

Not a classic, just very weird
I know I seem to be in a minority but I really don't understand what all the fuss is about with this book as I found it a very incoherent and, at times, nonsensical read. The title promises much, I was expecting a fascinating account of life on Mars from the point of view of newly arrived colonists. But what I got is a bunch of surreal and disjointed short stories that I struggled to make any sense of. The book's certainly not the traditional sci-fi storytelling you'd expect from a book of this era, I found it very weird and not particularly enjoyable.

Mars is heaven.
The Martian Chronicles is a genre classic that details mankind's numerous attempts to colonise the red planet. From the outset, you are drawn into Ray Bradbury's charming yet heartbreaking allegory of the conquest of the New World. As in the historical Americas, many of Mars' native inhabitants succumb to the diseases brought by the human settlers, who themselves fall prey to their own greed and loneliness. These stories are both beautiful and tragic and I defy anyone not to be quietly moved by 'The Martian', a wonderful tale of love and loss. Bradbury has the uncanny ability to reach into your chest and play with your heart.

As spell binding now as it ever was.
The Martian Chronicles has stood up well to the test of time. The issues it deals with such as war and human angst are as relevant today as they ever were. I'd read the first 100 pages before I even realised what time it was! I'd recommend this book to anyone who enjoys not only science fiction, but also to anyone who enjoys reading a book that will make them think. It's a good read although sometimes Bradbury's observations into human nature will have you squirming uncomfortably.

Be warned, don't start to read this late at night, it'll be early morning before you put it down.