The Martian Chronicles by Ray BradburyMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
Tie-in edition for The Martian Chronicles , a 1980 television three-episode miniseries based on Ray Bradbury's 1950 book dealing with the exploration of Mars and the inhabitants there. The series starred Rock Hudson, Darren McGavin, Bernadette Peters, Roddy McDowall, Fritz Weaver, Barry Morse, and Maria Schell. It was aired on NBC in January 1980 in three episodes with a total running time of just over four hours. I found the series available for streaming on Internet Archive. The series depicts Mars as having a "thin atmosphere" which humans can breathe, with water-filled canals and desert-like vegetation. The miniseries was directed by Michael Anderson and written by Richard Matheson.
The 1980 NBC three-part miniseries makes substantial structural, character, and plot changes to translate Ray Bradbury’s 1950 book—a loosely connected collection of poetic short stories—into a linear, six-hour television drama. This includes Martian physiology (probably more convenient, not having to hire short enough actors), and omitting such stories as "The Earth Men" (Second Expedition) where Martians assume telepathic astronauts are hallucinating and put them in an asylum.
Still reading this edition while enjoying the miniseries was enjoyable.
The book itself feels like an indictment of human greed, xenophobia/racism, and natural disrespect for others through creative science fiction.
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