The Martian Chronicles

Back in 1981, I think, I took a literature class called Science Fiction. A great class for a high school student.

Ah, to remember the cute new girl in the tan and flannel jump suit. But I digress.

Anyway as part of the class, we read and analyzed Ray Bradbury 's The Martian Chronicles. One story therein stuck with me. "And the moon Still be as Bright" Jeff Spender was an archeologist that disappears, and comes back to kill the crew. What happened was he gained so much empathy for the martian culture, he "changed" and came back to protect the culture by extreem means.

Now while I did not condone his actions, there was a great debate as to whether one could totally adopt a new culture. I contended one could, and that Spender was a charter that could be understood, and that analogous people exist in reality.

I got the nickname Spender for the remainder of the semester.

So what does this have to do with Crossdressing. Maybe I still have that empathy, to the point of wanting, even for a moment, to live in existence of that which I was not born and raise to?

Ah indeed Megan, or should I call you Spender LOL yeah the Martian Chronicles was a fair science fiction story. I don't think he adopted a new culture, he was given data by the martians and the impact of that gave him knowledge and he knew man and they would kill the martians. He knew what he had to do. I think it was in reference on what we did to our Indian culture.

Have you read Stranger in a Strange Land? I think you might like it :)

Dana, yes and no, I still felt that he adopted a belonging to the Martian culture. But you are right, and it was an analogy to our treatment of the American Indian cultures. Ironically, one of the earth men he killed was Cherokee!

But a big portion of the story reminded me of stories of white people being adopted by Indian cultures. Little Big Man, Dances with Wolves. Stories that always spoke to my heart.

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Originally Posted by Meghan4now

Now while I did not condone his actions, there was a great debate as to whether one could totally adopt a new culture. I contended one could, and that Spender was a charter that could be understood, and that analogous people exist in reality.

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Sort of an extreme version of the Stockholm Syndrome...

DeeAnn

Megan, yes and these are the greats stories that has messages in them. If you like science fiction try one of my books as it is about the ascent of man, and I always seem to write about the conflict of man and how it always seems to go to war like it is in our destiny. Of course the hero does have crossdressing moment in the story.
Here is a link to it.
https://www.amazon.com/Humble-Giants...XKT3NN5GSH3KCF

Sounds more to me that a bunch of nanobots took him over and made him empathetic to the culture. :)

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Originally Posted by Nikki_P

Have you read Stranger in a Strange Land? I think you might like it :)

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I grok that!

Ellen

Exactly!