We earth men have a talent for ruining big, beautiful things.

Over the decades, numerous authors have explored the concept of colonizing Mars, yet in 1950, Ray Bradbury emerged as one of the pioneers in challenging this notion. In this rendition, The Martian Chronicles, Bradbury challenges the idea of colonization with a vibrant portrayal of humanity’s interaction with the Red Planet.

This book really paints the tale of destruction in a way that feels very believable. It starts with space travel - multiple expeditions of various groups, and devolves into civilization’s worst instincts: war, censorship, ignorance of other cultures, and greed. Rather than adapting to the foreign terrain, the Earth men quickly destroy Mars by turning it into what they want it to be - a clone of the Earth before they destroyed it.

The stories are told in a disjointed fashion, where each story could be a spinoff on its own. Even though it’s labeled as a sci-fi novel, it doesn’t lean too heavily into the technology or the interaction with the Martians. It more so exposes the human condition, carrying a rather dark tone - warning us of the danger we could create with our illusion of hope. In a way, it’s a lot more fantasy than sci-fi.

My favorite chapter is easily There Will Come Soft Rain, which reads a Sara Teasdale poem, which symbolizes the fate of the Earth. It’s eerie, but feels realistic, kind of in the way The Last of Us presents the world after the virus spreads. It reminds me that our technology is not built to outlast us, and that nature is the true winner in the end. Human achievement is temporary, in the greater scheme of history.

It feels like a crime to criticize this book, but it just didn’t really click with me. The set up chapters were excellent, but the writing kind of falls flat. Despite the relatively short runtime, it just felt like it would never end. It was clear what picture Bradbury was aiming to paint, and I found myself continuously looking for the message in between the language. I left the book wondering - is human civilization doomed no matter what we do?

Overall Rating: 6/10

I’m going to take a short break from reading to focus on another (writing adjacent) project!