Seminar paper from the year 2004 in the subject American Studies - Literature, grade: A, San Diego State University, course: Science Fiction - Alternate Worlds, Near Futures, 1 entries in the bibliography, language: English, abstract: Centuries ago, the colonization of the New World represented one of the major aims of European nations and has been praised or criticized ever since. In The Martian Chronicles, Ray Bradbury repeats the past by depicting the conquest and colonization of another planet rather than another continent. Settling on Mars is the only escape left for the population on Earth, which has become a decaying planet facing major environmental, social and political problems. As people have destroyed their former basis for living, they try to find a new one on the foreign planet Mars. History repeats itself during the colonization of Mars, as native populations are decimated and strangeness is familiarized by cultivating the foreign land in order to suit the colonizers’ desires. In his novel, Bradbury questions and criticizes the concept of colonization, thereby drawing on Mars as a symbol of America after its discovery by Columbus, and its inescapable ‘cultivation’ through the Pilgrims. However cruel the history of colonization might be, it is also regarded inevitable for the rest of the world as increasing populations long for more territories and resources. The criticism in the novel primarily centers on how this expansion takes place, namely in a destructive and exploitative way. Bradbury reveals the tensions between inhabitants of Earth and those of Mars, thus questioning the Earthmen’s reckless behavior towards native Martians which serve as a symbol for Native Americans. Moreover, the author criticizes mankind’s irresponsible exploitation of the resources they have been given on Earth, and their ability to destroy nature without even realizing or considering the terrible outcome. The issues to be discussed in the following are those of imperialism, environmental destruction and racism, all being rooted in the mythology of the American westward expansion and the Frontier spirit. By large, Bradbury’s novel also reflects the anxieties of the early 1950s, namely the fear of a nuclear war and the emergence of the Civil Rights movement. A significant basis for the interpretation of The Martian Chroniclesis the approach to the story as an allegory for man’s immoral blindness in the light of the ‘manifest destiny’ and the frontier spirit. [...]

The tranquility of Mars is disrupted by humans who want to conquer space, colonize the planet, and escape a doomed Earth.

Rendered in gorgeous, full-color art by Dennis Calero, Ray Bradbury's The Martian Chronicles: The Authorized Adaptation graphically translates fourteen of Bradbury's famous interconnected science-fiction stories, turning an unforgettable vision of man and Mars into an unforgettable work of art. The Earthmen came by the handful, then the hundreds, then the millions. They swept aside the majestic, dying Martian civilization to build their homes, shopping malls, and cities. Mars began as a place of boundless hopes and dreams, a planet to replace an Earth sinking into waste and war. It became a canvas for mankind's follies and darkest desires. Ultimately, the Earthmen who came to conquer the red-gold planet awoke to discover themselves conquered by Mars. Lulled by its ancient enchantments, the Earthmen learned, at terrible cost, to overcome their own humanity.

This essay collection explores the life and work of science fiction doyen Ray Bradbury from a variety of perspectives. Noting the impact of the Southwest on Bradbury, some of the essays analyze Bradbury's southwest metaphors: colonial pollution of a pristine ecology, the impacts of a colonial invasion upon an indigenous population, the meeting of cultures with different values and physical aspects. Other essays view Bradbury via the lens of post-colonialism, drawing parallels between such works as The Martian Chronicles and real-life colonialism and its effects. Another essay views Bradbury sociologically, analyzing border issues in his 1947 New Yorker story "I See You Never," written long before the issue of Mexican deportees appeared on the American literary horizon. From the scientific side, four essays by astronomers document how Bradbury formed the minds of many budding scientists with his vision. On August 22, 2012, the Martian landing site of the Curiosity rover in the Gale Crater was named "Bradbury." This honor shows that Bradbury forms a significant link between the worlds of fiction and planetary science.

What should we learn from Martian Chronicles, this seminal classic of science fiction? Find everything you need to know about this work in a complete and detailed analysis. You will find in particular in this sheet: - A complete summary - A presentation of the main characters such as Captain Wilder and Jeff Spender - An analysis of the specificities of the work : The science fiction as a total literary genre; An acerbic rereading of the colonization of America; A pacifist and humanist novel A reference analysis to quickly understand the meaning of the work.

The first Earth people to attempt the colonization of Mars try to build their new world in the image of the world they had left.