MovieChat Forums > The Martian Chronicles (1980) Discussion > Breathable atmosphere?

Breathable atmosphere?

posted 8 years ago by dcavalli
2 replies | jump to latest

I never read the original Ray Bradbury book. I saw parts of the episodes when they were broadcast in 1980 and not too long ago on YouTube. The first two astronauts land without space suits as do the subsequent ones.

Did Bradbury, in the stories, believe that Mars had a breathable atmosphere for humans? About 95 percent of the atmosphere is carbon dioxide, http://www.space.com/16903-mars-atmosphere-climate-weather.html

Wasn't it known when the series went into production that the humans cannot walk freely around Mars without space suits because of the atmosphere's composition?

[–] Owlwise (1535) 5 years ago

Well, this really isn't about the Mars of science, it's about the Mars of poetry & metaphor, a landscape to examine the human condition in general & to comment on the destruction of a more lyrical, holistic civilization by a more aggressive, consumerist one. An ode to the highest of human qualities & aspirations, so often threatened by the worst one. So we're meant to accept the breathability of the atmosphere, because it's not important to the theme of the work.

[–] trevorh321 (5495) 5 years ago

This was written at a time when Mars was still mostly a mystery. Much like Joe Biden's brain today.