The Martian Chronicles [Mass Market Paperback] [2012] (Author) Ray Bradbury

A wonderful set of short stories. Not for everyone: Although they are arranged in a sequence, they really are short stories and tell a fragmented history, sometimes a bit inconsistent in style and story line. Also some of the stories take their time.

But I loved them because the writing is wonderful and it's a treat to see stories written in the early days of science fiction, before the rules and stereotypes were set down.

I first read Martian Chronicles at age 12, and find them just as compelling at age 59. It's important to remember that Bradbury wrote these stories in the late 40s, LONG before we had any idea what Mars was actually like (atmosphere, etc.) and long before we entered the space age. Considering that, his vision is extraordinary, particulary regarding how humans might view Mars and if we'd respect what might be there or take it over and ruin it.

This was my third time reading the Martian Chronicles and the reading I have enjoyed the most. First time I was preteen, next in my twenties, now I have another forty years of perspective and experience.
Excellent story and reaches beyond the scifi genre.

I began reading a fantasy and was willing to overlook the obvious errors in fact - but somewhere along the way, I came to realize that the message was very true. A lovely book that leaves one with a ray of hope tempered by history.

Although dated, he wrote it in 1949 I believe, the story is timeless and still very much applicable to today's concerns about nuclear war and climate change, i.e. destruction of Earth by human hands. The copy I got was very tatty but still readable. I do think that sellers of used books ought to have some standard of book condition below which they should not go. This one fell a bit below my standards.

As a writer, I thought this book was everything I expected and more. I saw the movies as a child. But the book is much better. The emotions and experiences of each character are superbly described. This is a classic no writer should ignore.

I also like this edition. Though a paperback, the cover is sturdier than a regular "trade" book. It's also slightly larger. Text is clear and easily readable.

This short stories are as powerful today as they were when they were first published. They have been seen on the TV screen and even a few have appeared in school books of mine. They deal with racism, life, death, love, and even the environment. Are we being shown the future or a reflection of our past? Do the stories hold important truths or are they just stories? No matter how you look at them, they are powerful, touching and, sometimes, ugly in how they show us ourselves.

A must for ANY library.

I bought this recent edition of Ray Bradbury's "The Martian Chronicles" as a gift, having enjoyed my copy long ago. But I looked through it and found, comparing this to my older book, one story eliminated and two new ones added. So it was an education and extra bit of entertainment for me as well as the recipient. The "dates" of the various chronicles have been updated, too, since the older edition had us landing on Mars and setting up colonies in the 1990s. It's still a great read.

This book is so different from anything I have ever heard and so it took me a minute to really get into the stories. This book was recommended to me by a close friend so I ordered it and I am glad I did. This was written years ago but you would not know it from the various stories in it. I found this book to be exciting, strange and most entertaining!

This was an interesting series of short stories about what might happen if there were Martian beings and Americans landed there. The tendency of the Americans was to impose their own culture on the world, with little appreciation of the existing culture and the beauty of Martian creations. In a way, it was a retelling about 'how the west was won'.

CRT has really done the impossible....they have brought the complete table of contents of the book to life, and maintained faithfulness to the stories (it's not really a novel) and to Bradbury's poetic prose, and that is no mean feat. It's spread over 6 discs and runs nearly six hours. Jerry Robbins and the CRT have numerous productions under their belt and are the most prolific of production companies in the genre of "theater of the ear". Give them a try, you won't be sorry.

I liked this book. It reminded me of the Twilight Zone TV show when reading the stories. Each story could be a episode. The stories are different from one another, but they are in chronological order and many characters return in later stories. 4 stars.

A classic. Some of the most vivid science fiction stories you will ever read. Some of the images I have remembered since first reading this book as a youth. But, these stories are not space operas. They are meditations, reflections on being human, philosophy in the form of fantasies. In a word, beautiful.

I liked this book. It reminded me of the Twilight Zone TV show when reading the stories. Each story could be a episode. The stories are different from one another, but they are in chronological order and many characters return in later stories. 4 stars.

A classic. Some of the most vivid science fiction stories you will ever read. Some of the images I have remembered since first reading this book as a youth. But, these stories are not space operas. They are meditations, reflections on being human, philosophy in the form of fantasies. In a word, beautiful.

Bradbury offers another insightful look into man's need to dominate, often badly, wherever he goes. So many parallels can be drawn between the world he creates within Martian Chronicles and the world we live in--men and women with (hopefully?) good intentions plowing their way into uncharted territories, wielding religion and politics in order to help the heathens. Alas, the outcome does not bode well...

I'd heard virtually my entire life that THE MARTIAN CHRONICLES was a great book. After a buildup like that, it's not surprising that I was disappointed. I was expecting a novel, but it's really a lot of vignettes that are loosely related in that they take place on Mars in the early 21st Century. Time has not been kind to THE MARTIAN CHRONICLES. It may have seemed fresh and original when it was written, but after hundreds of viewings of The Twilight Zone episodes, most of it looks pretty hackneyed today. There is more than a little whimsy and a considerable amount of preaching. What may have seemed like cutting edge technology in the 1950s is laughably clunky today. (Watches still tick on 21st Century Mars.) The setting may be the Twenty-first Century Mars, but the sensibilities are 1950s American. These characters never experienced the sexual revolution, womens' liberation, the civil rights movement, or 9/11. They seem so naïve, like Howdy Doody and Jack Paar. It has a certain charm, and one of the episodes, about the last man on the planet meeting the last woman on the planet, I found truly hilarious. Nostalgia fans will probably like it more than science fiction fans. Three stars.

Although this book was written around 70 years ago, the truth of how mankind acts in a new world rings true today. It is science fiction but has the depth of an intellectual story in it. An interesting read from start to finish.

This is an interesting collection of tales which explore Bradbury's America through the lens of settlers on Mars. It is thought-provoking satire that highlights several problems with modern attitudes.

Timeless and relevant even today. Bradbury will amaze you if you let him. I admit the stories start off slow and a little cheeseball but when he hits his stride in Usher 2 and never lets you forget why he is the heavy hitter of sci fi. Funny, tragic, ridiculous, and poignant.

Amazing book dealing w humanity, loneliness, desire for exploration and more. To be exact, this is a collection of short stores - with stories being mixed between 15-20 page in-depth short-stories and 1-2 page mini-stories, covering humanity visit and colonization of Mars as well as longing to return back to earth.
Stories vary for amusing and whimsical to sad and emotional. While the science and technology components may seem outdated (after all Bradbury wrote this in 1940's), Ray Bradbury is a master story-teller and can convey a sense of wonder through human characters and environs, so it does have a true feel of science fiction.
Bradbury was also able to masterfully intertwine political and social commentary into his stories. Usher II and a Million Year Picnic are two great stories dealing with human need to get away from bureaucracy, oppression and general blight of government control.
"There will come soft rains" is another great story, unique in that it takes place on Earth, but dealing with the monstrosity that is nuclear war.
I could not find a single story here that I did not enjoy thoroughly. Just like w the Illustrated Man, Bradbury is able to take a reader on a wonderful journey through short stories that can stand on their own or as part of a collection. 5 stars

Sometimes a little flowery ,but otherwise well done. This is a loosely connected group of stories,about Earthlings landing on Mars and how events begin to spin out of control on Earth and Mars. This is a must for everyone's science fiction collection.

This is the ultimate Bradbury--lyrical, haunting, enchanting, insidiously terrifying. The violence isn't graphic and is most often simply implied, chilling rather than shocking. I first read The Chronicles more than 45 years ago and, for me, they've never lost their magic.