The Martian Chronicles

The Martian Chronicles

• Genre: Fiction; futuristic science fiction
• Originally Published: 1950
• Reading Level/Interest: Lexile 740L; college/adult
• Structure/Length: 15 stories and 11 vignettes; approx. 220 pages; approx. 7 hours, 43 minutes on audio
• Protagonist and Central Conflict: As humans seek to colonize Mars, different views play out, with Jeff Spender and Sam Parkhill locked in ideological battle. Both commit atrocities for different extreme ideas, with the Martians and many humans caught in the middle.
• Potential Sensitivity Issues: War, self-harm, violence, colonization, racism, sexism

Ray Bradbury, Author

• Bio: 1920-2012; born in Waukegan, Illinois; began writing daily after a childhood encounter with a carnival magician; known for imaginative fiction written in poetic prose; published his first collection of short stories, Dark Carnival, in 1947; wrote novels, stories, and screenplays, including scripts for The Twilight Zone; awarded the National Medal of Arts (2004) and a Pulitzer Prize Special Citation (2007) “for his distinguished, prolific and deeply influential career as an unmatched author of science fiction and fantasy”
• Other Works: “Dark They Were, and Golden-Eyed” (1949); "The Veldt" (1950); Fahrenheit 451 (1953); Dandelion Wine (1957)

CENTRAL THEMES connected and noted throughout this Teaching Unit:

• The Trap of Nostalgia
• The Nature of Colonialism
• The Destructiveness of Human Nature

STUDY OBJECTIVES: In accomplishing the components of this Unit, students will:

• Explore information on Bradbury and colonialism in science fiction to increase their engagement with and understanding of The Martian Chronicles.
• Study paired texts and other brief resources to deepen their understanding of themes related to The Trap of Nostalgia, The Nature of Colonialism, and The Destructiveness of Human Nature.
• Evaluate the text’s views on humanity by engaging in a silent debate.
• Analyze the significance of various elements of the novel, such as allegory, allusion, structure, and irony, and construct essay responses tying these to the novel’s meaning.