The Martian Chronicles (1950)

Superb imagery and an intriguing concept, however, I would have like to have seen the story fleshed out more. ( )

I laughed, I was confused, I wanted more from some stories and less from others. This book is actually a series of short stories about colonization of Mars. The stories are mostly funny, usually in a misunderstanding kind of way. Some stories reminded me of Twilight Zone episodes, while others of romantic comedies. Considering when this was written, it’s held up amazingly well. ( )

Civilizations are born, they live, and then they die. Empires are raised, and then, in due time they are razed. From tall and glorious to a ruined and smoldering heap, these man-made inventions seem to all meet the same fate at some point. In-fighting, war, greed, hubris... all seem to be the usual symptoms and the pronouncement of death is nigh.

Bradbury shows us in this wonderfully dark and revealing collection of vignettes the repercussions of planet-leaping and technologically drunk humans and their deadly dance with war. Beautifully written in his usual poetic prose, it was a joy immersing myself in this brilliant book. ( )

So interesting to read this book now in the 3rd decade of the 21st C. This is a series of meditations on what it means to be a colonizer and the colonized. It is also a meditation on American disposable culture and the worldview that everything needs to be useful rather than simply exist for the sake of existing. It is a consideration of the human conceit that everything that is is for our consumption. Thus, it considers that black heart of sexism, racism, and anti-environmentalism and the fears of being left behind and dying alone. The stories contained herein are not always easy to read. But they are certainly worth reading - especially now after being forced to reckon with anti-black racism in the aftermath of George Floyd and the encroachment of humans on to the last vestiges of habitat for other life on Earth. An encroachment that likely produced the COVID pandemic. What are we doing to ourselves and to our planet? Using Mars as his canvas, Bradbury was asking these questions almost a century ago in the 1950s. It appears he was not that optimistic that humanity would come out on the other side unscathed. ( )

I had no expectations of this book but from the very first sentences I could see it is remarkable. Usually, I crank up the speed of audiobooks, but this time I played it as slow as recorded to let the words sink in and linger. And I'll surely do it again when I come back to it.

This book is beautifully written. The author can conjure an atmosphere with only one sentence, some phrases dance on a verge of poetry, and it's so easy to get carried away by the emotions. The short stories present a wide palette of genres - from philosophical contemplations, through satire and drama, to horror and grotesque. Sometimes they feel more like a Monthy Python sketch than anything else, and sometimes they tackle serious problems with all the respect they deserve. The author delivers across this spectrum with astounding grace.

Science in this book is often whimsical and feels retro, which shouldn't surprise anyone reading the book published in 1950. Luckily, there is much more fiction than science in this book, and some stories feel closer to magical realism than science-fiction. However, it touches on subjects that are very real: racial discrimination, colonialism, environmental issues, industrialization, and war. One can easily feel the memories of a recent II World War, the disillusionment of the American Dream, and the looming atomic threat of a Cold War, but the observations of the author are valid and maybe even more important than ever.

The author explores human psychology and morality that seem to be running wilder in the alien environment of Mars. The picture of humanity is rather unappealing, exposing its greed, vanity, ignorance, violence, and short-sightedness. Nevertheless, the author never gave up on us, always leaving a ray of hope that we can still make a different choice and do better.

I enjoyed this audiobook immensely. The excellent narration of Mark Boyett adds an extra dimension to the masterful prose of Ray Bradbury. Full 5 out of 5 with no hesitation! ( )