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by: Ray Bradbury  Amazon.com's Price: $7.99 Prices subject to change.Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours
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Binding: Mass Market PaperbackDewey Decimal Number: 813.54 EAN: 9780553278224 Edition: Grand Master Ed ISBN: 0553278223 Label: Spectra Manufacturer: Spectra Number Of Items: 1 Number Of Pages: 192 Publication Date: June 01, 1984 Publisher: Spectra Release Date: June 01, 1984 Studio: Spectra Related Items:
Browse for similar items by category: Click to Display Editorial Review: Amazon.com Review: From "Rocket Summer" to "The Million-Year Picnic," Ray Bradbury's stories of the colonization of Mars form an eerie mesh of past and future. Written in the 1940s, the chronicles drip with nostalgic atmosphere--shady porches with tinkling pitchers of lemonade, grandfather clocks, chintz-covered sofas. But longing for this comfortable past proves dangerous in every way to Bradbury's characters--the golden-eyed Martians as well as the humans. Starting in the far-flung future of 1999, expedition after expedition leaves Earth to investigate Mars. The Martians guard their mysteries well, but they are decimated by the diseases that arrive with the rockets. Colonists appear, most with ideas no more lofty than starting a hot-dog stand, and with no respect for the culture they've displaced. Bradbury's quiet exploration of a future that looks so much like the past is sprinkled with lighter material. In "The Silent Towns," the last man on Mars hears the phone ring and ends up on a comical blind date. But in most of these stories, Bradbury holds up a mirror to humanity that reflects a shameful treatment of "the other," yielding, time after time, a harvest of loneliness and isolation. Yet the collection ends with hope for renewal, as a colonist family turns away from the demise of the Earth towards a new future on Mars. Bradbury is a master fantasist and The Martian Chronicles are an unforgettable work of art. --Blaise Selby Product Description: Leaving behind a world on the brink of destruction, man came to the Red planet and found the Martians waiting, dreamlike. Seeking the promise of a new beginning, man brought with him his oldest fears and his deepest desires. Man conquered Mars—and in that instant, Mars conquered him. The strange new world with its ancient, dying race and vast, red-gold deserts cast a spell on him, settled into his dreams, and changed him forever. Here are the captivating chronicles of man and Mars—the modern classic by the peerless Ray Bradbury. Average Rating:
 Rating:  - Timeless!I first heard about "The Martian Chronicles" when I read Bradbury's "Fahrenheit 451" a number of years ago. Back then, I was under the impression that the "Chronicles" was actually a series of books, or at least a very long book. This is not so. The "Chronicles" is a fairly brief collection of short stories that fit into an overarching fictional history, starting in 1999 and ending in 2026. The book was initially published in 1946 - right after WWII - a time in which the year 2000 must ... Read More Rating:  - not even close to Bradbury's best formAs with most early science fiction efforts, with 'The Martian Chronicles' it is best to accept its overall preposterous aspects and enjoy it for other qualities, such as astute observations and criticisms of mankind. But in 'The Martian Chronicles', a somewhat loose collection of short stories involving humans (from Earth) colonizing Mars, this reader was left wanting for something insightful or special. Instead I found this collection of stories to be very readable, at times interesting, but also ... Read More Rating: - Youthful PerspectiveI loved F451 by Bradbury and wanted to read more of his work. Being a huge sci-fi buff, I figured "The Martian Chronicles" would be a great place to start. The book is definitely well worth the read, and its effects are surprising. I have to admit that I had trouble with the story at first. Because of the lack of knowledge on the "Red Planet" when the story was written, I had to forget quite a bit of facts (I'm 25). Luckily enough, the story grabs you and keeps you turning pages so that ... Read More Rating: - Classic BradburyI read the Martian Chronicles growing up in the early 70's. Bradbury was on of my favorite authors. The book does not disappoint if you love Sci Fi. I purchased this book for my 18 yr old son. He couldnt put the book down and read it through in 3 days. Very unsual for him to stick with a book like that. He raved about the book and is asking for Bradbury's other works. Rating: - more twilight zone than anything elseNot sure how this qualifies as sci-fi. A collection of short stories, criticism of the government, wars, racism, relation with foreign creatures. Ghost stories, horror, and everything but science. Of course, I'm writing this on the 50th anniversary of NASA, and some of the stories in this book outdate that by 10 years. Worth looking into, but not for everyone. If there is any science, it's the ugly side (atom bombs, etc). 
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