The Martian Chronicles (1950)


A hard look at humanity...as seen through the lens of science fiction...

Perhaps we as a people, as a race, as a complex and thinking group of living beings need to take a long hard look at who and what we really are.  Ray Bradbury saw things for what they really were, disdained it and concealed valuable lessons in a cloak of fiction...a set of fun and fantastic stories meant to educate, and perhaps just maybe...bring about change.

The Martian Chronicles is a collection of stories woven together to make a cohesive tale.  Most of the stories were previous works published by Bradbury in various sci-fi pulp magazines, but a few of them are original to the book.  Overall, it is a brilliant piece of literature.  The story weaves a most complete picture of American injustice, from segregation to native depredations to the emergence of the police state and extreme censorship.

Published by Bradbury in 1950, The Martian Chronicles is not a free, public domain book.  You will have to buy it.  Fear not...a first edition copy of the book is not too terribly hard to find...and if you can't find a hardback, the 1951 first edition paperback is just as good and a bit more plentiful.

The Martian Chronicles ...First Edition

The British first edition is also available, and a bit cheaper...the title is different...it's named...The Silver Locusts...very apropos...

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