Immediately, this one struck me like my first reading of "Fahrenheit 451", a book I was so enthused about I was determined to teach it to my seventh grade students this past year despite the level of difficulty it posed to them thematically as well as semantically. "The Martian Chronicles" comes at you in waves, describing the first expeditions coming into contact with a species of Martians that have seemingly evolved parallel to the Earthlings. Then we have the Earthlings overcoming the Martians, unwittingly, to eventually colonizing the planet of Mars. Then the great war breaks out, human beings come to the brink of extinction, and return to Mars to, perhaps if they're lucky, start over.
It's been a week since I've read it, considering how I've been behind on releasing my random ponderings here, I don't intend to say too much. So here's two bits and I'm gone:
1) The majesty of the Martians mirrors our own majesty, but considering we did not know them long enough to examine their faults, their abrupt end was indeed melancholy. The invasion of Earthling germs was nothing they could come back from, and it left me wishing to know more about them, but was also a witty and scientifically possible end to them. And considering the reaction of the Earthlings when it came to the abrupt downfall of the native species -- the collective unconcern -- the greed and tyrannical qualities of homo sapien were fully exposed. Thus the majesty of homo sapien is ripped through, especially as the book develops and their technology and greed drive them near their own extinction.
2) It is easy to make connections from "The Martian Chronicles" to the soon-to-be-published "Fahrenheit 451". For one, both have their main plot severely effected by looming nuclear war. Another: the "Usher II" episode, which shows a brand of Thought Police being exported to Mars, explicitly follows the function of the firemen in "Fahrenheit 451", as these "police" come to burn the house dedicated to literature and imagination. Further, Bradbury believes heavily in the positive traits in humanity, but worries they will be overtaken by the greed or ignorance (or a combination) of the majority. In "451", Faber and Montag represent the virtues of intellect and curiosity in the face of a world on the brink of nuclear disaster; in "Chronicles", compassion for loved ones and family are exposed in the face of not only the conquest of another planet, but yes, nuclear disaster.
I loved this book, and I love Ray Bradbury. He rocks!
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