The Million Year Picnic
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The Million Year Picnic
''The Martian Chronicles'' is a science fiction fix-up novel, published in 1950, by American writer Ray Bradbury that chronicles the exploration and settlement of Mars, the home of indigenous Martians, by Americans leaving a troubled Earth that is eventually devastated by nuclear war. Synopsis The book projects American society immediately after World War II into a technologically advanced future where the amplification of humanity's potentials to create and destroy have both miraculous and devastating consequences. Events in the chronicle include the apocalyptic destruction of both Martian and human civilizations, both instigated by humans, though there are no stories with settings at the catastrophes. The outcomes of many stories raise concerns about the values and direction of America of the time by addressing militarism, science, technology, and war time prosperity that could result in a global nuclear war (e.g., " There Will Come Soft Rains" and " The Million-Year Picn ...
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Ray Bradbury
Ray Douglas Bradbury (; August 22, 1920June 5, 2012) was an American author and screenwriter. One of the most celebrated 20th-century American writers, he worked in a variety of modes, including fantasy, science fiction, horror, mystery, and realistic fiction. Bradbury wrote many works and is widely known by the general public for his novel ''Fahrenheit 451'' (1953) and his short-story collections ''The Martian Chronicles'' (1950) and ''The Illustrated Man'' (1951). Most of his best known work is speculative fiction, but he also worked in other genres, such as the coming of age novel ''Dandelion Wine'' (1957) and the fictionalized memoir ''Green Shadows, White Whale'' (1992). He also wrote and consulted on screenplays and television scripts, including ''Moby Dick'' and ''It Came from Outer Space''. Many of his works were adapted into television and film productions as well as comic books. ''The New York Times'' called Bradbury "the writer most responsible for bringing modern ...
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The Musicians
''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things that are already or about to be mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the most frequently used word in the English language; studies and analyses of texts have found it to account for seven percent of all printed English-language words. It is derived from gendered articles in Old English which combined in Middle English and now has a single form used with nouns of any gender. The word can be used with both singular and plural nouns, and with a noun that starts with any letter. This is different from many other languages, which have different forms of the definite article for different genders or numbers. Pronunciation In most dialects, "the" is pronounced as (with the voiced dental fricative followed by a schwa) when followed by a consonant sound, and as (homophone of the archaic ...
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Publication History
To publish is to make content available to the general public.Berne Convention, article 3(3)
URL last accessed 2010-05-10.
Universal Copyright Convention, Geneva text (1952), article VI
. URL last accessed 2010-05-10.
While specific use of the term may vary among countries, it is usually applied to text, images, or other content, including paper (

Exposition (narrative)
Narrative exposition is the insertion of background information within a story or narrative. This information can be about the setting, characters' backstories, prior plot events, historical context, etc. In literature, exposition appears in the form of expository writing embedded within the narrative. Exposition is one of four rhetorical modes (also known as ''modes of discourse''), along with description, persuasion, and narration, as elucidated by Alexander Bain and John Genung. In essays An expository paragraph presents facts, gives directions, defines terms, and so on. It should clearly inform readers about a specific subject. An expository essay is one whose chief aim is to present information or to explain something. To ''expound'' is to set forth in detail, so a reader will learn some facts about a given subject. However, no essay is merely a set of facts. Behind all the details lies an attitude, a ''point of view''. In exposition, as in other rhetorical modes, deta ...
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Intercalary Chapter
An intercalary chapter (also called an inner chapter, inserted chapter, or interchapter) is a chapter in a novel or novella that is relevant to the theme, but does not involve the main characters or further the plot. Intercalary chapters often take the form of vignettes that offer a broader or alternative perspective to the experiences of the main character. They can also be used to provide social and historical background that can't be easily interwoven into the narrative chapters. Examples The following novels make use of intercalary chapters: * ''American Gods'' by Neil Gaiman * ''Cry, the Beloved Country'' by Alan Paton * ''The Grapes of Wrath'', by John Steinbeck * ''The Left Hand of Darkness'' by Ursula K. Le Guin * '' Moby-Dick; or, The Whale'' by Herman Melville * '' Tom Jones'' by Henry Fielding * ''War and Peace'' by Leo Tolstoy * ''The Ministry for the Future'' by Kim Stanley Robinson Kim Stanley Robinson (born March 23, 1952) is an American writer of science fiction. ...
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Vignette (literature)
A vignette (, also ) is a French loanword expressing a short and descriptive piece of writing that captures a brief period in time. Vignettes are more focused on vivid imagery and meaning rather than plot. Vignettes can be stand-alone, but they are more commonly part of a larger narrative, such as vignettes found in novels or collections of short stories. Examples of vignettes include Ernest Hemingway’s ''In Our Time'', Margaret Atwood’s ''The Female Body'', Sandra Cisneros’ ''The House on Mango Street'', and Alice Walker’s ''The Flowers.'' Vignettes have been particularly influential in the development of the contemporary notions of a scene as shown in postmodern theater, film and television, where less emphasis is placed on adhering to the conventions of traditional structure and story development. Etymology The word ''vignette'' means "little vine" in French, and was derived from Old French ''vigne'', meaning “vineyard”. In English, the word was first docume ...
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Interstitial
An interstitial space or interstice is a space between structures or objects. In particular, interstitial may refer to: Biology * Interstitial cell tumor * Interstitial cell, any cell that lies between other cells * Interstitial collagenase, enzyme that breaks the peptide bonds in collagen * Interstitial cystitis * Interstitium, the contiguous fluid-filled space existing between the skin and body organs * Interstitial fluid, a solution that bathes and surrounds the cells of multicellular animals * Interstitial granulomatous dermatitis * Interstitial infusion * Interstitial keratitis * Interstitial lung disease * Interstitial nephritis * Interstitial pregnancy Other uses To describe the spaces within particulate matter such sands, gravels, cobbles, grain, etc. that lie between the discrete particles. * Interstitial art * Interstitial condensation, in construction * Interstitial site, in chemistry * Interstitial defect, in chemistry * Interstitial television show, in televisio ...
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Pulitzer Prize
The Pulitzer Prize () is an award for achievements in newspaper, magazine, online journalism, literature, and musical composition within the United States. It was established in 1917 by provisions in the will of Joseph Pulitzer, who had made his fortune as a newspaper publisher, and is administered by Columbia University. Prizes are awarded annually in twenty-one categories. In twenty of the categories, each winner receives a certificate and a US$15,000 cash award (raised from $10,000 in 2017). The winner in the public service category is awarded a gold medal. Entry and prize consideration The Pulitzer Prize does not automatically consider all applicable works in the media, but only those that have specifically been entered. (There is a $75 entry fee, for each desired entry category.) Entries must fit in at least one of the specific prize categories, and cannot simply gain entrance for being literary or musical. Works can also be entered only in a maximum of two categories, ...
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Usher II
''The Martian Chronicles'' is a science fiction fix-up novel, published in 1950, by American writer Ray Bradbury that chronicles the exploration and settlement of Mars, the home of indigenous Martians, by Americans leaving a troubled Earth that is eventually devastated by nuclear war. Synopsis The book projects American society immediately after World War II into a technologically advanced future where the amplification of humanity's potentials to create and destroy have both miraculous and devastating consequences. Events in the chronicle include the apocalyptic destruction of both Martian and human civilizations, both instigated by humans, though there are no stories with settings at the catastrophes. The outcomes of many stories raise concerns about the values and direction of America of the time by addressing militarism, science, technology, and war time prosperity that could result in a global nuclear war (e.g., " There Will Come Soft Rains" and " The Million-Year Picnic" ...
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Conformity
Conformity is the act of matching attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors to group norms, politics or being like-minded. Norms are implicit, specific rules, shared by a group of individuals, that guide their interactions with others. People often choose to conform to society rather than to pursue personal desires - because it is often easier to follow the path others have made already, rather than forging a new one. Thus, conformity is sometimes a product of group communication. This tendency to conform occurs in small groups and/or in society as a whole and may result from subtle unconscious influences (predisposed state of mind), or from direct and overt social pressure. Conformity can occur in the presence of others, or when an individual is alone. For example, people tend to follow social norms when eating or when watching television, even if alone. The Asch Conformity Experiment demonstrates how much influence conformity has on people. In a laboratory experiment, Asch asked 50 ma ...
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Philistinism
In the fields of philosophy and of aesthetics, the term philistinism describes the attitudes, habits, and characteristics of a person who deprecates art and beauty, spirituality and intellect.''Webster's New Twentieth Century Dictionary of the English Language – Unabridged'' (1951) p. 1260 As a derogatory term philistine describes a person who is narrow-minded and hostile to the life of the mind, whose materialistic worldview and tastes indicate an indifference to cultural and aesthetic values. The contemporary meaning of ''philistine'' derives from Matthew Arnold's adaptation to English of the German word ''Philister'', as applied by university students in their antagonistic relations with the townspeople of Jena, Germany, where a row resulted in several deaths, in 1689. About the riot, Georg Heinrich Götze, the ecclesiastical superintendent, applied the word ''Philister'' in his sermon about the social class hostilities between students and townspeople. Götze addressed t ...
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Ahistoricism
Ahistoricism refers to a lack of concern for history, historical development, or tradition. Charges of ahistoricism are frequently critical, implying that the subject is historically inaccurate or ignorant (for example, an ''ahistorical'' attitude). It can also describe a person's failure to frame an argument or issue in a historical context or to disregard historical fact or implication. The term can also describe a view that history has no relevance or importance in the decision making of modern life. In philosophy, some criticism has arisen because "the dominant school of philosophy in the English speaking world, analytic philosophy... has been trenchantly ahistorical, and indeed anti-historical". However, few view that to be a problem. A more abstract definition of ahistoricism is simply independence from time: removed from history. An example is the idea that some concepts are not governed by what is learned or has happened, but they come from an ahistoric power that is in ...
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