The Martian Chronicles & the 100-500 Word Short Story

Please read the following article: 100 Years of Martian Fiction.

Here's a few other authors who have written about Mars:
Authors who have written about life on Mars. And a few video clips about the red planet:

John Carter of Mars and the Mars books author: Edgar Rice Burroughs
Red Planet and its author: Robert Heinlein.
Life on Mars (David Bowie)
The Martians Discover a Telephone (Sesame Street)
Mission to Mars (Brian De Palma)

Now to the lab.

Please use the internet and these links to answer the questions on the participation/notes handout. Here's a little history to help you understand how Bradbury is using issues of his day and infusing them into his work:

• The Frontier in American History
• 1940's American History
• Sputnik
• 1950's

Please visit Bradbury's website and take some notes about the author and Martian Chronicles.

LAB WORK: Please complete the handout/research notes today and turn in by the end of class.
Then, get started on the next writing assignment:
"Nobody Got Time For That!"--short fiction is all the rage in post-modern lit. A short story of 25 words or fewer is called "Hint Fiction." But what about the other #'s?

• Dribble fiction: 25-50 words.
• Drabble fiction: 50-100 words.
• Micro fiction: 100-300 words.
• Flash fiction: 300-1000 words.
• Sudden fiction: between 1 and 5 pages of text.

During the second half of our lab time (or after you have completed your research) please watch the following videos/websites:

• 25 Insights on Becoming a Better Writer
• Daniel Radcliffe: 500 Words story
• David Walliams: 500 Words story
• Please read at least 2 500 word stories from this site. 

LAB WRITING: Write a dribble, drabble, or micro fiction story draft.

HOMEWORK: Please read the following stories in The Martian Chronicles: 1999: Ylla; 1999 The Summer Night; 1999 The Earth Men; (pp. 1-30); Complete your dribble, drabble, or micro fiction draft.