The Martian Chronicles, by Ray Bradbury

The Martian Chronicles

Publisher: Bantam
Page Count: 182
Fiction Genre: Sci-Fi, Fantasy, Short Stories, Classic
Dates Read: January 12, 2016

Reading Challenge: 2016 Reading Challenge
Topic: A book title that begins with the same letter as your first name; "M".
Series: N/A

Good Reads Summary
The strange and wonderful tale of man’s experiences on Mars, filled with intense images and astonishing visions. Now part of the Voyager Classics collection.

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 fist. They felt they had never been born. Those few that survived found no welcome on Mars. The shape-changing Martians thought they were native lunatics and duly locked them up.

But more rockets arrived from Earth, and more, 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.

Contents:
Rocket Summer
Ylla
The Summer Night
The Earth Men
The Taxpayer
The Third Expedition
-And the Moon Be Still As Bright
The Settlers
The Green Morning
The Locusts
Night Meeting
The Shore
Interim
The Musicians
Way in the Middle of the Air
The Naming of Names
Usher II
The Old Ones
The Martian
The Luggage Store
The Off Season
The Watchers
The Silent Towns
The Long Years
There Will Come Soft Rains
The Million Year Picnic 

Review
Wow!  This was amazing!  Bradbury wrote a series of short stories that were connected, yet not connected.  I don't know how to fully explain it, except that it was wonderful.  Bradbury perfectly puts us in the place of what it might be like to be a stranger arriving on a distant planet, only to be greeted with fear and uncertainty by its natural inhabitants.  He also puts us in their shoes and what their lives might be like.  Described with brilliant imagery and outstanding narratives, The Martian Chronicles is by far one of the greatest Sci-Fi masterpieces to ever grace our bookshelves.  A true classic.

Ratings (based on a 10 point scale)
Quality of Writing - 9
Pace - 7
Plot Development - 8
Characters - 9
Enjoyability - 9
Insightfulness - 8
Ease of Reading - 8
Photos/Illustrations - N/A
Overall Rating - 5 out of 5 stars

---