The Martian Chronicles is an unusual book in many ways. Most obviously, its form is hard to classify: is it a novel? A collection of short stories? It's somewhat of a combination of the two: the stories were originally disparate, and Bradbury wove them together with a grand narrative, changing the dates and characters of some of the stories to make them fit in with the whole. In that sense, this work is a collection of stories tailored and molded into an episodic novel.
That alone is unusual, but its contents are even more so. Bradbury is generally considered a "science fiction" writer, but his work does not fit into the mold of typical science fiction. Usually, works of science fiction concern some lofty philosophical issues while utilizing fictional advancements in technology to excite the reader and advance the plot. At the very least, most science fiction makes extensive use of fictional science. The Martian Chronicles, on the other hand, seems to be actively taking a stand against this aspect of science fiction. There is very little discussion of actual science in the novel, and instead of writing about futuristic scientific instruments, Bradbury forgoes it in favor of writing about such normal subjects as racism and imagination, simply transposed into the wondrous setting of space. Rather than using planetary travel as an end in itself, Bradbury uses it to bring a sense of wonder to the reader. Space travel is merely a device he uses to illustrate the earthly qualities of man in a setting that exposes his flaws more dramatically.
As a science fiction author who values art more than science, Bradbury is famous for his style of "poetic science fiction." In "Rocket Summer," instead of describing any of the science behind the rocket, or even its actual takeoff, Bradbury simply describes the wave of heat it spreads over the world it leaves behind. In the next several stories, Earth men begin to arrive in different areas on Mars, where various fates befall them. The Martians are characterized as having many of man's flaws, such as jealousy ("Ylla"), mental illness ("The Earth Men"), and even deception and murder ("The Third Expedition"). Despite this, Bradbury also describes aspects of their civilization that are good beautiful in their own right in stories such as "The Summer Night," " – And the Moon Be Still as Bright," and "Night Meeting." Bradbury forms this race of Martians as a sort of counterpart to humanity: they have their flaws, but they are inherently the same as men, who have the potential for goodness as found through bonds of love, friendship, and principles. When the Earthlings inadvertently destroy Martian civilization with chicken pox (" – And the Moon Be Still as Bright"), the effect is even more devastating because of the Martians' similarity to humans.
Unlike most science fiction novels, The Martian Chronicles does not ask questions to which it does not provide an answer. Man is essentially greedy and selfish ("The Taxpayer," " – And the Moon Be Still as Bright," "Usher II"), and he ends up destroying everything he uses ("The Locusts," "The Silent Towns," "There Will Come Soft Rains"). There is, however, a deeper and better side to man that can be nurtured: he loves vibrant life ("The Green Morning"), forms bonds with others regardless of their differences ("Night Meeting"), does not abandon his fellow man in times of need ("The Watchers"), and is willing to leave everything in order to start again ("The Million-Year Picnic"). The message of The Martian Chronicles is sometimes pessimistic and depressing, but it also illustrates hope for mankind.
