The Martian Chronicles

In Ray Bradbury’s science fiction novel, The Martian Chronicles, he presents the colonization of Mars in a series of short stories. Similar to the first explorations of America, expeditions are sent out and contacts are made with the Martians, although only the Fourth Expedition succeeds. Also similar to European and Native American contact, relations between humans and Martians are often strained. The Martians are portrayed as an intelligent, beautiful people that truly succeeded in building a civilization; however, the arrival of humans brings destruction, particularly in the form of disease as chicken pox kills nearly all of the Martians. Similar events occurred in the colonization of America as Native civilizations were destroyed. The settlement of Mars also had similar motives as the settlement of America. Humans sought to escape nuclear warfare, and to start life anew without the constraints of civilizations on Earth.

The settlement of Mars did differ slightly from the colonization of America. Settlement in the New World continued to expand, destroy, and bring over many ideas and values of civilization from Europe. Settlement on Mars began this way. However, nearly all humans returned after the start of the wars. After the witnessed devastation of Earth, the few humans able to return to Mars realized that bringing over elements of the old civilization (Earth) would only lead to destruction. Instead, they must appreciate the civilization that was found.