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Ray Bradbury Message Board


Tamara posts on 11/2/2009 8:53:20 PM This book really confused me; I felt like it was a bunch of different stories all rolled into one. I enjoyed the concept though and applaud the author for his creativity. He came up with a lot of different situations about what would happen if we went to Mars. Even though I was confused; I really enjoyed this book and the places it took me to.
jocylne posts on 10/25/2009 12:11:10 AM Wow! This was a great book. The middle sagged a bit for me, but Bradbury pulled it all together nicely. I'm intrigued by its ideas of experience and perception, and its moral that life is a blessing and one shouldn't ask too many questions. I liked the first seven chapters the best, especially the tax payer because of its overall purpose. Thanks. Jocylne
Jason Hakly(UMD) posts on 10/20/2009 9:28:06 PM Is this book/movie a metaphor for where human beings are headed. Are we becoming overrun with a lust for machines? Also, if we did colonize other planets would we make the same mistake there? I believe we are where we are because of our instinctual need to survive and be at the top of the food chain. All animals strive for the same.



Joshua C (UMD) posts on 10/20/2009 3:15:52 PM The Martian Chronicles was a very interesting book. It reminded me of I, Robot in that it has many interconnected stories that are related but not connected, and then end up telling a complete story. Instead of being exclusively about robots, however, the book is about life on Mars, and how it is destroyed and reborn over and over again. The original Martians get destroyed by humans, after the first human explorers are killed by Martians. The later human colonists desert the planet in favor of a war torn Earth. The final colonists are determined to do it the right way, and civilization on Mars will be reborn.
Wayne S UMD posts on 10/7/2009 5:19:09 PM I think it is remarkable how Bradbury is able to make a novel where each chapter can stand alone but is able to integrate them into one common story. What makes this so interesting is the fact that his writing is integrated inside the readers head and not just on paper. The ability to introduce such diverse themes without affecting the flow of the book is quite remarkable. His stories are very philosophical and each chapter has its own moral to the story. I have seen that many people have had the question of what Bradbury’s message was for this book. I believe that it is not a message but that it is a purpose and that purpose is for self reflection and the development of our own messages.
Dan Wine UMD posts on 10/4/2009 5:22:57 PM An anthology of atrocity. In reading the Martian Chronicles, it was an unsettling and interesting experience, although neither occurred simultaneously. The author, Bradbury, does a fine job in telling the various tales and perspectives of a colonizing Earth trying to interact with a foreign species on the red soil of Mars. The various entries follow the general feel of science fiction, of implementing otherworldly concepts and technology with the nature of humanity and the deep unknown. Each entry however is a bit chilling when one considers it a recollection of what has past, and what is to come. The civil rights movement that attempted to lift minorities out of inequality, the imperialism of European countries to the brave new world, the usage of infection to rid the lands of native populace, the government's tendencies to employ censorship and restrictions on liberties, all culminating to the one misfortune that has yet to arise; the systematic destruction and razing of the world itself. A recollection of the past, an expression of his own era, or a premonition of a grisly future, the Martian Chronicles are indeed a timeless tale of our very existence, in both the good and the bad.
Lisa Mattson posts on 10/1/2009 8:13:41 PM I really enjoyed reading The Martian Chronicles. I read The Illustrated Man, which has the same style of short stories woven together, but this one flows a lot better. Bradbury does an amazing job of painting a picture of man colonizing mars from many different perspectives. Each short story has its own themes, but they also always add a piece to the major story.
James Norby posts on 9/23/2009 8:29:04 PM I think the book shows the flaws of human character. Spender knows the destructiveness of the human race and wants to protect Mars from being destroyed. He knows the destruction of Mars is unenivitable but he kills members of the crew anyway knowing it will stave off the humans for only a few years. He thought the Martians were equals, if not superior, to humans because of the way they lived in harmony with art, religion, and the environment. But even Spender, wanting to save remnants of this great civilization, resorted to killing those crew members. It shows that someone with good intentions still resorts to doing something they themselves do not agree with but do it anyway for the larger cause. Spender did not want to kill those people, he got sick over it, and couldn't do that anymore. I think that is why he let them kill him on top of that hill.
Dustin Plinski - UMD posts on 9/19/2009 3:38:25 PM I really enjoyed this book. It was short, sweet, and very well written. I got a lot of themes coming through the book as I read it. A few being censorship (the house of Usher II)- pollution (- and the moon be still as bright) and of course racism. Want I want to know is, what was Ray Bradbury trying to accomplish with this book? He doesn't necessarily spell out mankinds doom (although we see the Earth burn near the end). But he does have certain things to say about the way we run our planet. How we mold, change, and eventually destroy everything we come in touch with. I think this a cautionary tale about how the Earth may end up if we don't take a stand against the change we keep inflicting. Although Ray Bradbury doesn't state specifically what the problem is, it seems from his book that there are a whole host of things that come together to lead to Earth's demise. Either way, perhaps we should heed his warnings.
Casey Geissler posts on 9/17/2009 5:53:25 PM What is Bradbury's take on religion? Does he believe in a higher power? The only chapter I can remember him incorporating religion was in The Fire Balloons. I understand the priests went up to Mars to purify the martians of their sins, but when they get up there they discover the "Old Ones." The "Old Ones" had evolved into blue fiery orbs that needed nothing, live in happiness and in God's grace. But ulimately they tell the priests that they do not even need the church that they had built for them. It's as if the martians had reached this point in evolution where they worship God but not through any type of organized religion. Is Bradbury saying that God can be worshiped without an organization (i.e. the Roman Catholic Church) or that we do not even need religious organizations?
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