This is the greatest book of all time by the greatest writer of all time. This is more than a book about space travel or colonization of a planet. This book is about humanity and humanity's innate impulses to explore, control, love, live, and just be human with all the deficiencies and spirit that comes with it. In the collection there comes many great gems including the story "There Will Come Soft Rains" which is a story that takes place back on Earth after a terrible nuclear war has taken place and left little standing. In the story there is a lone standing house that is automated with robot voices and robotic cleaners. On the side of the house there are the charred imprints of the family. A starving rabid dog limps its way into the house and promptly lies down to die. When the robotic cleaners disperse, a spark is ignited and the house catches fire and burns to the ground. It is a chilling story told and beautifully written in a way that only Ray Bradbury could do. I could go on and on about how this is the greatest book of all time but you'll never really know until you read it yourself.
Before the advent of space flight, Ray Bradbury had humankind cultivating planets. In "The Martian Chronicles", humanity discovers an ancient civilization on the verge of ruin. This classic work presents tales of human interaction with one another and with the Martians.