The Ispian...Un lugar en común - N° 4 - Marzo 2015 | Page 26

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In addition to copying the excerpt, you might like to give some background information on it.

I’ve borrowed the facts below from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Martian_Chronicles:

The Martian Chronicles is a 1950 science fiction short story collection by Ray Bradbury that recounts the colonization of Mars by humans fleeing from a troubled and eventually atomically devastated Earth, and the conflict between aboriginal Martians and the new colonists. The stories, complete in themselves, come together as episodes in a larger sequential narrative framework.’

‘The stories start in January 1999, with the blasting off of the first rocket. Rocket Summer is a short vignette which describes Ohio's winter turning briefly into "summer" due to the extreme heat of the rocket's take-off.’

You might also like to explain when and why you read the book and what about the excerpt particularly appeals to you:

How did Ray Bradbury burst into my life? Two years ago, shortly before Bradbury’s death, our former director, Graciela Castelli, shared the following link with the teaching staff. If you watch it, you’ll understand why I’ve used the phrasal ‘burst into’ and why, ever since, I’ve shared the video with colleagues and students.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sLuDOEuwwso

Right after watching it, I had a hunch that, if Bradbury aroused so much passion for reading in an interview, his writing was bound to be inspiring. I followed my hunch and read The Martian Chronicles and Fahrenheit 451. I was not disappointed in the least! And mind you, science fiction isn’t really my cup of tea! Rocket Summer, the first vignette in The Martian Chronicles, took me by storm. So concise, so rich! Such a gem! Re-reading it, I spotted all the theoretical contents that my students learn in the subjects I teach at our institute.

I dare you to re-read Rocket Summer and uncover the treasure that Bradbury has bequeathed to us... and – why not? – read The Martian Chronicles and Fahrenheit 451 into the bargain.