is a collection of interlinked short stories published in 1950. The
Chronicles, which made Bradbury famous, and are set between 1999 and 2026, focus on human attempts to colonise the planet Mars, a project which results in the near extinction of both Earth and Mars. In contrast to earlier Mars stories like H. G. Wells’s
The War of the Worlds(1898),
The Martian Chroniclesdoes not portray Martians as malignant aggressors. Instead, the human “invasion” of Mars – which is analogous to the European colonialization of America – has a devastating impact on the Martian natives. Some stories were published individually prior to their inclusion in
The Martian Chronicles. A 1997 edition of the work advances all the original dates by 31 years, and excises “Way Up…
2358 words
Citation: McLean, Steven. "The Martian Chronicles". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 29 January 2018 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=215, accessed 25 November 2024.]
