The stories of The Martian Chronicles take place parrallel some of the stories from The Illustrated Man (1951) and Fahrenheit 451 (1953). For example, the background is one of extreme racism. This can be seen in the story "Way In The Middle Of The Air," in which the African Americans from the south escape to Mars, and in the story "The Other Foot" from The Illustrated Man. This story takes place after the end of the war on Earth, when the only people left on Mars are the African Americans. When they learn that a rocket is coming from Earth, they institute a reverse of the Jim Crowe laws. Also, the story "Usher II" mirrors Fahrenheit 451, in both of which books have been outlawed because they make people think, causing unhappiness, and because they could offend someone. So the Moral Climates group sends "Firemen" around to burn the offending books.