The Martian Chronicles by Ray Bradbury
The Martian Chronicles are a book of short stories that tells the tale of humans colonizing Mars. Written in the 1950s the post nuclear bomb pre-Moon landing country was crazy for stories about outer space. Bradbury obliged and was able to place his work in science fiction magazines. These now defunct publications would place Bradbury in the hands of many young and adventurous minds. Little did Bradbury know he was sowing the seeds of modern sci-fi. One of the stories, it's less than a full page, feels like the outline for Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Philip K Dick. (AKA Bladerunner)
Another vitally important aspect of this book as much as it is a mirror of the past, it is also a reflection of the future. Bradbury wrote women differently, he also did for other minority groups. Keep in mind this was all in comic books in the 50s the Civil Rights and Women's Equality movements were a good decade to twenty years away. Good science fiction always does this. It imagines the world as it could be, and reflects the past back to the reader at the same time. When I was growing up I could never find myself in regular fiction. Girls like me simply didn't exist. However, I did find myself in Science Fiction. Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451 was the first time I connected to a young woman in a book. Clarisse McClellan made me feel less alone in the world.
This is a great book to read as a family. It can be picked up, read, and passed around. Due to the nature of the material it is also helpful if one has a struggling. reader. Pick this one up, read it on a rainy day. I promise it is money well spent.
I'm moving onto my last book of January, Galore by Michael Crummey. I've had this on my TBR (to be read) shelf for ages. It's about time I get around to it.
The Martian Chronicles are a book of short stories that tells the tale of humans colonizing Mars. Written in the 1950s the post nuclear bomb pre-Moon landing country was crazy for stories about outer space. Bradbury obliged and was able to place his work in science fiction magazines. These now defunct publications would place Bradbury in the hands of many young and adventurous minds. Little did Bradbury know he was sowing the seeds of modern sci-fi. One of the stories, it's less than a full page, feels like the outline for Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Philip K Dick. (AKA Bladerunner)
Another vitally important aspect of this book as much as it is a mirror of the past, it is also a reflection of the future. Bradbury wrote women differently, he also did for other minority groups. Keep in mind this was all in comic books in the 50s the Civil Rights and Women's Equality movements were a good decade to twenty years away. Good science fiction always does this. It imagines the world as it could be, and reflects the past back to the reader at the same time. When I was growing up I could never find myself in regular fiction. Girls like me simply didn't exist. However, I did find myself in Science Fiction. Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451 was the first time I connected to a young woman in a book. Clarisse McClellan made me feel less alone in the world.
This is a great book to read as a family. It can be picked up, read, and passed around. Due to the nature of the material it is also helpful if one has a struggling. reader. Pick this one up, read it on a rainy day. I promise it is money well spent.
I'm moving onto my last book of January, Galore by Michael Crummey. I've had this on my TBR (to be read) shelf for ages. It's about time I get around to it.
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