The Martian Chronicles by Ray Bradbury

The book is something of a cross between a novel and a collection of about twenty chronological short
stories. 

Slowly they tell about how the first humans come to Mars and the reactions of the martians already living there. How expedition after expedition fails and the crews die, not by violence (the martians as a whole barely even notice they're there) but by situations that could have been completely avoidable. Until disease and apathy kills the martians leaving the planet open for human colonisation.

This is one of the most melancholic books I've read in a long time. About the collapse of two civilizations, the Martian, which have been slowly falling for a thousand years until, in a move reminiscent of the H.G Wells War of the Worlds, they are killed by chicken pox.

Or maybe it, like War of the Worlds, draws parallels to imperialism. Where the War of the Worlds draws parallels to how Europeans were long kept away from the interior of Africa by diseases like malaria. The Martian Chronicles refers to the colonization of the Americas where the indigenous population died of smallpox. 

While this is happening, people are fleeing Earth and the impending war there. A continuation of the cold war maybe the book was written in the 50's and takes place in the not too distant future. When the war erupts at the end only a few people manage to escape and settle on Mars becoming the new martians.

There is an interesting thought when old science fiction. books written in the 1950 set in the far of future of 2020 not just what they got write or wrong no space travel or aluminum foil clothes yet but the things they thought would remain unchanged. Or maybe things that was so common in their world that they didn't consider it. In the Martian chronicles gender roles is one such thing. Where the the women are mostly housewives something they interestingly enough share with the martian society. I find it interesting but I doubt the author considered it.

If you have read it what did you think? Leave a comment. If you haven't read it you can check it out here Martian chronicles. and since it's been around for so long so there's lots of different versions to pick from.