Book Description
For more than sixty years, the imagination of Ray Bradbury has opened doors into remarkable places, ushering us across unexplored territories of the heart and mind while leading us inexorably toward a profound understanding of ourselves and the universe we inhabit. In this landmark volume, America's preeminent storyteller offers us one hundred treasures from a lifetime of words and ideas. The stories within these pages were chosen by Bradbury himself, and span a career that blossomed in the pulp magazines of the early 1940s and continues to flourish in the new millennium. Here are representatives of the legendary author's finest works of short fiction, including many that have not been republished for decades, all forever fresh and vital, evocative and immensely entertaining.
Customer Reviews:
Not Free SF Reader.......2007-08-04
A large collection of quite short stories, published first in all sorts of places, some of them of the mundane variety, which I have taken out. A lot of these in past I have found dated and a bit twee, and it hasn't changed too much now. (3.34 average overall for around 70 of 'em, so not too bad).
Bradbury Stories : The Whole Town's Sleeping - Ray Bradbury
Bradbury Stories : The Rocket ["Outcast of the Stars"] - Ray Bradbury
Bradbury Stories : Season of Disbelief - Ray Bradbury
Bradbury Stories : And the Rock Cried Out ["The Millionth Murder"] - Ray Bradbury
Bradbury Stories : The Drummer Boy of Shiloh - Ray Bradbury
Bradbury Stories : The Beggar on O'Connell Bridge ["The Beggar on Dublin Bridge"] - Ray Bradbury
Bradbury Stories : The Flying Machine - Ray Bradbury
Bradbury Stories : Heavy-Set - Ray Bradbury
Bradbury Stories : The First Night of Lent - Ray Bradbury
Bradbury Stories : Lafayette Farewell - Ray Bradbury
Bradbury Stories : Remember Sascha? - Ray Bradbury
Bradbury Stories : Junior - Ray Bradbury
Bradbury Stories : That Woman on the Lawn - Ray Bradbury
Bradbury Stories : February 1999: Ylla ["I'll Not Look for Wine"] - Ray Bradbury
Bradbury Stories : Banshee - Ray Bradbury
Bradbury Stories : One for His Lordship, and One for the Road! - Ray Bradbury
Bradbury Stories : The Laurel and Hardy Love Affair - Ray Bradbury
Bradbury Stories : Unterderseaboat Doktor ["Unterseeboot Doktor"] - Ray Bradbury
Bradbury Stories : Another Fine Mess - Ray Bradbury
Bradbury Stories : The Dwarf - Ray Bradbury
Bradbury Stories : A Wild Night in Galway - Ray Bradbury
Bradbury Stories : The Wind - Ray Bradbury
Bradbury Stories : No News or What Killed the Dog? - Ray Bradbury
Bradbury Stories : A Little Journey - Ray Bradbury
Bradbury Stories : Any Friend of Nicholas Nickleby's Is a Friend of Mine ["The Best of Times"] - Ray Bradbury
Bradbury Stories : The Garbage Collector - Ray Bradbury
Bradbury Stories : The Visitor - Ray Bradbury
Bradbury Stories : The Man - Ray Bradbury
Bradbury Stories : Henry the Ninth ["A Final Sceptre, a Lasting Crown"] - Ray Bradbury
Bradbury Stories : The Messiah - Ray Bradbury
Bradbury Stories : Bang! You're Dead! [Johnny Choir] - Ray Bradbury
Bradbury Stories : Darling Adolf - Ray Bradbury
Bradbury Stories : The Beautiful Shave - Ray Bradbury
Bradbury Stories : Colonel Stonesteel's Genuine Home-Made Truly Egyptian Mummy - Ray Bradbury
Bradbury Stories : I See You Never - Ray Bradbury
Bradbury Stories : The Exiles ["The Mad Wizards of Mars"] - Ray Bradbury
Bradbury Stories : At Midnight, In the Month of June - Ray Bradbury
Bradbury Stories : The Witch Door - Ray Bradbury
Bradbury Stories : The Watchers - Ray Bradbury
Bradbury Stories : 2004-05: The Naming of Names - Ray Bradbury
Bradbury Stories : Hopscotch - Ray Bradbury
Bradbury Stories : The Illustrated Man - Ray Bradbury
Bradbury Stories : The Dead Man - Ray Bradbury
Bradbury Stories : June 2001: And the Moon Be Still as Bright - Ray Bradbury
Bradbury Stories : The Burning Man - Ray Bradbury
Bradbury Stories : G.B.S.-Mark V - Ray Bradbury
Bradbury Stories : A Blade of Grass - Ray Bradbury
Bradbury Stories : The Sound of Summer Running ["Summer in the Air"] - Ray Bradbury
Bradbury Stories : And the Sailor Home from the Sea ["Forever Voyage"] - Ray Bradbury
Bradbury Stories : The Lonely Ones - Ray Bradbury
Bradbury Stories : The Finnegan - Ray Bradbury
Bradbury Stories : On the Orient, North - Ray Bradbury
Bradbury Stories : The Smiling People - Ray Bradbury
Bradbury Stories : The Fruit at the Bottom of the Bowl ["Touch and Go"] - Ray Bradbury
Bradbury Stories : Bug - Ray Bradbury
Bradbury Stories : Downwind from Gettysburg - Ray Bradbury
Bradbury Stories : Time in Thy Flight - Ray Bradbury
Bradbury Stories : Changeling - Ray Bradbury
Bradbury Stories : The Dragon - Ray Bradbury
Bradbury Stories : Let's Play "Poison" - Ray Bradbury
Bradbury Stories : The Cold Wind and the Warm - Ray Bradbury
Bradbury Stories : The Meadow - Ray Bradbury
Bradbury Stories : The Kilimanjaro Device ["The Kilimanjaro Machine"] - Ray Bradbury
Bradbury Stories : The Man in the Rorschach Shirt - Ray Bradbury
Bradbury Stories : Bless Me Father for I Have Sinned - Ray Bradbury
Bradbury Stories : The Pedestrian - Ray Bradbury
Bradbury Stories : Trapdoor - Ray Bradbury
Bradbury Stories : The Swan - Ray Bradbury
Bradbury Stories : The Sea Shell - Ray Bradbury
Bradbury Stories : Once More, Legato - Ray Bradbury
Bradbury Stories : June 2003: Way in the Middle of the Air - Ray Bradbury
Bradbury Stories : The Wonderful Death of Dudley Stone - Ray Bradbury
Bradbury Stories : By the Numbers! - Ray Bradbury
Bradbury Stories : April 2005: Usher II ["Carnival of Madness"] - Ray Bradbury
Bradbury Stories : The Square Pegs - Ray Bradbury
Bradbury Stories : The Trolley - Ray Bradbury
Bradbury Stories : The Smile - Ray Bradbury
Bradbury Stories : The Miracles of Jamie - Ray Bradbury
Bradbury Stories : A Far-Away Guitar ["Miss Bidwell"] - Ray Bradbury
Bradbury Stories : The Cistern - Ray Bradbury
Bradbury Stories : The Machineries of Joy - Ray Bradbury
Bradbury Stories : Bright Phoenix - Ray Bradbury
Bradbury Stories : The Wish - Ray Bradbury
Bradbury Stories : The Life Work of Juan Diaz - Ray Bradbury
Bradbury Stories : Time Intervening ["Interim"] - Ray Bradbury
Bradbury Stories : Almost the End of the World - Ray Bradbury
Bradbury Stories : The Great Collision of Monday Last - Ray Bradbury
Bradbury Stories : The Poems - Ray Bradbury
Bradbury Stories : The April 2006: Long Years - Ray Bradbury
Bradbury Stories : Icarus Montgolfier Wright - Ray Bradbury
Bradbury Stories : Death and the Maiden - Ray Bradbury
Bradbury Stories : Zero Hour - Ray Bradbury
Bradbury Stories : The Toynbee Convector - Ray Bradbury
Bradbury Stories : Forever and the Earth - Ray Bradbury
Bradbury Stories : The Handler - Ray Bradbury
Bradbury Stories : Getting Through Sunday Somehow ["Tread Lightly to the Music"] - Ray Bradbury
Bradbury Stories : The Pumpernickel - Ray Bradbury
Bradbury Stories : Last Rites - Ray Bradbury
Bradbury Stories : The Watchful Poker Chip of H. Matisse - Ray Bradbury
Bradbury Stories : All on a Summer's Night - Ray Bradbury
Killer surprise.
3.5 out of 5
Nifty ride for the kids.
3 out of 5
Resigned to their new world.
3 out of 5
Grass ghost girl.
3.5 out of 5
Noisy dead woman waits for the obnoxious.
4 out of 5
Kaleidoscope periscope.
2.5 out of 5
Ghost return.
2.5 out of 5
Scary little dude.
3.5 out of 5
Unexpected airy visitor.
3.5 out of 5
Losing a dog in the science fiction age.
4 out of 5
Old women spaced.
2.5 out of 5
Nuke 'em, the garbos will clean it up.
3 out of 5
Hypnotist victim of Martian isolated projectile overenthusiasm.
3.5 out of 5
Locals not too impressed by space travellers.
3.5 out of 5
No longer have any use for that royalty rubbish or the country.
3.5 out of 5
Conversion of Martians a tall order.
3 out of 5
Midwestern Egypt.
3 out of 5
Old horror men on the red planet.
3.5 out of 5
Suspect woman.
3.5 out of 5
Insect phobia.
4 out of 5
Martian boot hill.
3 out of 5
Fat man's scary tattoos.
3.5 out of 5
Alive, maybe not, but definitely smelly.
3 out of 5
Chicken pox, and murder.
3 out of 5
Robot play dude.
3 out of 5
Organic life a no-no.
3.5 out of 5
Two hard up guys on Mars, smell woman, start shooting.
3 out of 5
Big spider, it seems.
3.5 out of 5
Ghost on train prefers English tastes.
4 out of 5
Cutthroat dinner.
3.5 out of 5
Dead art and little spiders.
3 out of 5
Dead president possibilities.
3.5 out of 5
Time kids.
2.5 out of 5
Replacement people.
3 out of 5
Iron monster.
3.5 out of 5
Defenestrating death kids.
3.5 out of 5
Complaining about the weather is for the sidhe.
3 out of 5
Time travel timing.
3.5 out of 5
Sensory stunning.
3.5 out of 5
2053 is pretty crime free.
3.5 out of 5
Vertical luggage overload, or really, really big rodents.
4 out of 5
Life tour with deadline.
3.5 out of 5
Sick kid's swimming disappearance.
3 out of 5
Beautiful bird noises.
4 out of 5
Mars trip not popular with all.
2.5 out of 5
Retirement, with a bullet.
3.5 out of 5
Book and ball people.
3.5 out of 5
Ship off the crazy people.
3.5 out of 5
Healing and leading can get you down.
3 out of 5
Well dead.
3.5 out of 5
Priests in space.
3.5 out of 5
Wanted: undead dad.
3.5 out of 5
Unexpected exhumation.
3.5 out of 5
Bad colors.
3 out of 5
Dead cyclist sightings.
3 out of 5
Good writing can be bad for reality.
3 out of 5
Electric people simulation.
4 out of 5
Get lost, Reaper.
3 out of 5
Martian kid games.
3.5 out of 5
Time traveler paradox interview fib pep talk function.
4 out of 5
Futurist writing is tricky.
4 out of 5
Undertaking revenge.
3.5 out of 5
Harping.
3 out of 5
Time travel benediction.
3 out of 5
Bradbury at his best.......2006-05-15
This is a wonderful collection of Bradbury's tales. There are stories here such as Trapdoor which I had read years ago and haven't been able to find since. It is clear that Bradbury loves his work. His stories have a certain characteristic about them that sets them apart from all other works. I would say it is hard to call Bradbury a science-fiction, drama, horror, or fantasy writer though because in truth he is all of these. In a lot of ways his work makes me think of Owen Crawfrod's work. His book The Death of Sara could be the sister of Bradbury's The October Country.
For any fans of Bradbury's work I would highly recomend Bradbury Stories. These truly are 100 of his most celebrated tales and will be around for a long long time.
Prepare To Enter Another Dimension.......2005-11-08
Some may complain about the stories that were left out, and considering the author has penned a story a week for most of the last sixty years, there are sure to be many fine tales that didn't make the final cut. That said, this is an immensely satisfying collection of Bradbury's fiction, some of it recent, other pieces pre-dating the space age. Most of the best is here and whether this is someone's first introduction to Ray Bradbury, or this is bought by a longtime fan, this anthology is sure to provide hours of enjoyment for an imaginative reader.
Guy de Maupassant, the English Version.......2005-04-01
It may very well have been a novel by Ray Bradbury, though it could have been one by Zenna Henderson, Isaac Asimov, or any one of a dozen other authors, that I was holding that summer, long ago, when I heard my father mutter as he stomped out the door with the hoe in his hand, "You read too much!" Suffice it to say that I am no stranger to Ray Bradbury's longer works, but this was my first exposure to a collection of his short stories, and I was not disappointed.
When we describe this collection as one of short stories, we do mean short. Most of the stories here run from two to six pages in length, and it is to Bradbury's credit that he packs almost every one with significance and meaning far beyond the scope of the story itself. Here, the reader will find profound observations on the human condition, on the thin veneer of civilization that can be easily ripped asunder, on the human need for approbation, on the human need for love, on the human need for belief and spirituality, and on every other characteristic that makes one human. Do not misconstrue my comments: this not a book of essays preaching and pontificating on any of these profound things; this is a book filled with fascinating characters and wondrous interactions. Bradbury never beats his reader over the head with profundity; it is the reader himself who adds that to Bradbury's intriguing tales.
Tales-that's the word I've been searching for. This is a book of tales. Joseph Conrad's "The Secret Sharer" is a short story. Ray Bradbury's "The Man in the Rorschach Shirt" is a tale. In fact, let us use the French word "conte" as we would to describe the little slices of the world that we see in the contes of Guy de Maupassant. Bradbury is the English de Maupassant as de Maupassant is the French Bradbury.
I used to picture Bradbury as purely a writer of science fiction, but I was wrong to limit him to a specific genre. This collection of one hundred tales is proof irrefutable of Bradbury's broad range and scope. The book should take one quite a while to read, by the way. True, one could blast through it with all those remarkable speed reading techniques, but what a shame to do so. These tales need to be read one at a time and then pondered and mulled over as one would savor the taste of fine food and good wine. To gulp them down in a feeding frenzy is to forgo the pleasure of remembering them and of adding their implicit lessons to one's own repertoire of knowledge. In fact, the three months I spent on this book was too brief a period. I shall keep it at hand and reread these tales, perhaps one a week for the next one hundred weeks. This feast is incredible, and I would not have it fade from memory too quickly. Please join me at the table and dine on Bradbury's joyously creative wit and wisdom.
Wistful, Melancholic, Whimsical, Articulate.......2004-01-24
This is a great collection of Ray Bradbury's short stories, with 100 stories totaling 888 pages (gives you an idea of just how short they are). Some of these short stories are part of "The Martian Chronicles", some are set in the past, some are set in the future, and some are set in our-past-but-Bradbury's-future. While there is definitely a datedness to some of the details of the stories, it seldom interferes with enjoying them.
When one reads a collection like this, one gets a flavor for the writer's likes, dislikes, and beliefs, through repetitive themes. Ray Bradbury wanted to bridge the gap between the old and the young, and he saw children and the elderly, at times, as being more in touch with each other than non-elderly adults were in touch with anyone but themselves. Bradbury loved writing and reading, and believed in the power of imagination. He appears to have been a fan of Edgar Allan Poe, of Thomas Wolfe, and of Laurel and Hardy. Time travel intrigued Bradbury, as well. Ireland and the Irish were important to Bradbury and, not surprisingly, many of these short stories are melancholy and wistful. As much as Bradbury loved books, that's how much he seemed to loath television.
This is an excellent collection to have around, to read a bit at a time. If you read it straight through, though, watch out for overdoses of wistfulness, whimsy, and melancholy.
Book Description
With his disarmingly simple style and complex imagination, Ray Bradbury has seized the minds of American readers for decades.This collection showcases thirty-two of Bradbury's most famous tales in which he lays bare the depths of the human soul. The thrilling title story, A Sound of Thunder, tells of a hunter sent on safari -- sixty million years in the past. But all it takes is one wrong step in the prehistoric jungle to stamp out the life of a delicate and harmless butterfly -- and possibly something else much closer to home ...
Customer Reviews:
Critic should see the movie before they pan it........2006-07-26
I for one liked the movie well enough to come hunting for the short story. By this time next year I will have used both in my Language Arts class.
Bradbury: Common Man's Star Gazer.......2006-03-31
Ray Bradbury is one of the greatest American Science Fiction writers of all time. Yet he does not portray huge battle scenes and alien invasions. He rather, achieves something unique by enthralling the reader without the traditional flash of Science Fiction. Bradbury wrote the story "R" is for rocket about a family that has little money and dreams of one day riding in a rocket ship. It is the future and rocket travel is a reality, yet a large expense. The father knows he will never be able to give his children this gift. So he instead buys a broken old rocket and puts on an elaborate hoax to give his sons the gift of space travel. This is a very realistic style of science fiction. Bradbury takes you and gives you the common mans perspective from another age. This perspective is then used to drive home the moral of his sorted little tales. He uses low diction and familiar settings to allow the reader to bond with the characters. Then the reader is shown how the characters' lives are drastically different then theirs. The result is of this difference is usually technology. Now the reader experiences the effects first hand due to the relation to the characters. Relatable characters are the strong point of Bradbury's writing and it is what gives him the ability to entertain with simpler shorter stories.
An excellent book, but a dirty trick.......2005-12-08
This is indeed a wonderful collection of some of Bradbury's best short stories, but as pointed out by other reviewers, it is exactly the same collection as "The Golden Apples of the Sun", simply reissued under a different title as a movie tie-in (reputed to be one of the worst movies ever made).
If you already have "Golden Apples", don't be fooled by the publisher into thinking this is a new and different book. It's hard enough as it is to collect Bradbury stories without getting a lot of duplication.
The Quintessential Collection of Short Stories by Ray Bradbury.......2005-09-09
'A Sound of Thunder & Other Stories' is a collection of Ray Bradbury short stories published between 1943 and 1956. Originally published as 'The Golden Apples of the Sun,' the collection features 32 of Bradbury's best short stories. In 'The Fog Horn,' the inspiration for the 1953 black and white science fiction classic `The Beast From 20,000 Fathoms,' the nameless protagonist and his boss are putting in a night's work at a remote lighthouse when the resonating fog horn attracts one of many `mysteries of the sea.' In the futuristic tale `The Pedestrian,' Bradbury presents an eerie tale that might make you think twice before you step outside for an evening walk. And in `A Sound of Thunder' upon which the Peter Hyams film of 2005 is loosely based - very, very loosely - Time Safari, Inc. promises safaris anywhere in time to hunt prehistoric animals. Every precaution is implemented to avoid a time paradox and disturbing history, based on the principle that even the slightest change can cause major changes in the future. Travelers may only shoot animals already predestined for death by natural causes or circumstances at the exact moment and are required to stay on a path that hovers above the ground. Unfortunately for the protagonist, he unintentionally deviates from the path and takes one small errant step...
Ray Bradbury, perhaps best-known today for his work `Fahrenheit 451', had once seized the minds of American readers for decades and inspired many more to follow in his literary footsteps. His stories have been the basis of screenplays for the classic television series `The Twilight Zone' and `The Outer Limits,' and feature films such as François Truffaut's brilliantly visionary film `Fahrenheit 451.' His stories are at once imaginatively complex yet simplistic in literary style. If you love science fiction - the imaginative, visionary, thought-provoking, classic form of science fiction - Ray Bradbury is a must for your personal collection.
Made into a movie.......2004-09-26
I have not read the book yet, but I love Bradbury's writing. I saw a preview at the movies today for a movie "A Sound of Thunder" based on Bradbury's book. I plan on reading it before the movie comes out this year (2004)! I can't wait, the movie looks great, so I know the book will be also!
Average customer rating:
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The Dark Descent
Clive Barker ,
Ray Bradbury ,
John Collier ,
Shirley Jackson ,
Stephen King , and
Joyce Carol Oates
Manufacturer: Tor Books
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Similar Items:
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Great Tales of Terror and the Supernatural (Modern Library)
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Clive Barker's Books of Blood 1-3
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Alone with the Horrors: The Great Short Fiction of Ramsey Campbell 1961-1991
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On Writing Horror: A Handbook by the Horror Writers Association
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In the Flesh
ASIN: 0312862172 |
Amazon.com
If you could have only one anthology of dark stories, this would be the one to have. Having observed that "fans of horror fiction most often restrict their reading to books and stories given a horror category label, thus missing some of the finest pleasures in that fictional mode," David G. Hartwell assembles here 56 important tales within an insightful critical framework; his purpose is to "clear the air and broaden future considerations of horror." Several well-known classics are included, but there are also dozens of lesser-known horror tales, including many by science fiction and literary writers. Get one copy for yourself. Get another for that friend or relative who doesn't understand why you like to read horror.
Book Description
In The Dark Descent, hailed as one of the most important anthologies ever to examine horror fiction, editor David G. Hartwell traces the complex history of horror in literature back to the earliest short stories. The Dark Descent, which won the World Fantasy Award for Best Anthology, showcases the finest of these ever written--from the time-honored classics of Edgar Allan Poe, D.H. Lawrence, and Edith Wharton to the contemporary writing of Stephen King, Clive Barker, and Ray Bradbury.
Average customer rating:
- More than sap drips from this tree
- An impressive tome
- kitschy fun
- Poetic Prose that Makes a Great Read Aloud
- Love this book
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The Halloween Tree
Ray Bradbury
Manufacturer: Yearling
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Similar Items:
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The October Country
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The Halloween Tree
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From the Dust Returned
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The Illustrated Man (Grand Master Editions)
ASIN: 0375803017
Release Date: 1999-09-07 |
Amazon.com
Special indeed are holiday stories with the right mix of high spirits and subtle mystery to please both adults and children--Charles Dickens's "A Christmas Carol," for example. Or Ray Bradbury's classic The Halloween Tree. Eight boys set out on a Halloween night and are led into the depths of the past by a tall, mysterious character named Moundshroud. They ride on a black wind to autumn scenes in distant lands and times, where they witness other ways of celebrating this holiday about the dark time of year. Bradbury's lyrical prose whooshes along with the pell-mell rhythms of children running at night, screaming and laughing, and the reader is carried along by its sheer exuberance.
Bradbury's stories about children are always attended by dread--of change, adulthood, death. The Halloween Tree, while sweeter than his adult literature, is also touched at moments by the cold specter of loss--which is only fitting, of course, for a holiday in honor of the waning of the sun.
This is a superb book for adults to read to children, a way to teach them, quite painlessly, about customs and imagery related to Halloween from ancient Egypt, Mediterranean cultures, Celtic Druidism, Mexico, and even a cathedral in Paris. (One caveat, though: Bradbury unfortunately perpetuates a couple of misconceptions about Samhain, or summer's end, the Halloween of ancient Celts and contemporary pagans.) This beautiful reprint edition has the original black-and-white illustrations and a new color painting on the dust jacket. --Fiona Webster
Book Description
"A fast-moving, eerie...tale set on Halloween night. Eight costumed boys running to meet their friend Pipkin at the haunted house outside town encounter instead the huge and cadaverous Mr. Moundshroud. As Pipkin scrambles to join them, he is swept away by a dark Something, and Moundshroud leads the boys on the tail of a kite through time and space to search the past for their friend and the meaning of Halloween. After witnessing a funeral procession in ancient Egypt, cavemen discovering fire, Druid rites, the persecution of witches in the Dark Ages, and the gargoyles of Notre Dame, they catch up with the elusive Pipkin in the catacombs of Mexico, where each boy gives one year from the end of his life to save Pipkin's. Enhanced by appropriately haunting black-and-white drawings."--Booklist
Customer Reviews:
More than sap drips from this tree.......2007-04-07
Never being a rabid fan of science fiction Ray Bradbury never appealed to me as a novelist.In fact, I don't read science fiction at all.Growing up with Star Trek and The Twilight Zone were my main exposures to this area and aside from Campbells 'Who Goes There' which manifested itself into The Thing, I've never read much of the genre.The Halloween Tree intrigued me as a novel and its briefness and the unique subject matter always stuck in my mind.I knew it was considered a childrens book but I read it anyway,so what, right?In the few short hours it took to read it I can honestly say it was an enjoyable read and it was, dare I say,FUN!It involves a mystery to solve with a ragtag group of kids ala Scooby Doo but with a little more class.It is a good little story which I understand was made into a sort of video cartoon thing but I cant find it anywhere.If done right this could probably make a good movie what with all the special effects available today.The gist of it is a journey throughout various cultural representations of Halloween in search of their missing friend and the kids follow instruction from a mysterious old man who lives in a mysterious old house with a mysterious old tree with pumpkins and such hanging from it.VERY mysterious ehh? He even goes by the name of Carapace Clavicle Moundshroud of all things. If that doesn't whet your appetite for a good old fashioned Halloween tale than nothing will.All kidding aside, this Halloween night adventure is pure enjoyment and as I say, fun.Just that and nothing more.Encourage the kiddies to read it or read it to them for discussion at the dinner table or at bedtime when the nights get cold.Read it for yourself to help remember your own innocent past and youthfull,nocturnal excursions on Halloween night.Bradbury departs from his usual here but his heart's in the right place.I think you'll enjoy it.
An impressive tome.......2007-03-16
Gauntlet has a proud tradition of reissuing Ray Bradbury's books in impressive limited editions, starting several years ago with such stellar works of fantasy as The October Country and Something Wicked This Way Comes, and recently venturing into more esoteric realms with a fascinating tome presenting several incarnations of what eventually was filmed as It Came From Outer Space. Their latest tribute to the legendary Mr. Bradbury comes in the form of a massive offering dealing with a television script turned novel, The Halloween Tree.
First, let's cover the novel. At its most basic, The Halloween Tree is an attempt to answer questions about the origins of Halloween and the monsters which have come to be associated with it over the centuries. Bradbury painlessly conveys his lesson in between telling the story of eight boys who take a fabulous journey through history one Halloween night, courtesy of the mysterious Mr. Moundshroud, a recluse who lives in an old mansion on the outskirts of town.
The journey is a welcome distraction for the boys, who are concerned about the welfare of their best friend Pip, who took ill earlier in the evening. In each place they visit, whether it be a pyramid in Egypt, or the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, they encounter their friend's spirit in various forms. At first he is a mummy, then a gargoyle, then a skeleton. Later, the boys are told that Pip may die, unless they all agree to give Mr. Moundshroud one year of their life. Vaguely aware of the enormity of what they are doing, they agree, returning home to find their friend safe and sound.
A book probably best read in one's pre-teens, The Halloween Tree still contains much for more mature readers. Although it's not one of Bradbury's stronger works, there are moments, such as when Bradbury describes Moundshroud's house as "special and fine and tall and dark" when you know you're in the hands of a master. Older readers can also better appreciate the magnitude of the sacrifice the boys make at the end of the novel a little better than the average twelve year old, which adds poignancy to later readings. So, while it's not on the level of Something Wicked This Way Comes, let's face it--lesser Bradbury is still better than the best of many other working writers in the genre.
Now, to the bells and whistles.
Nearly five hundred pages in length, the Gauntlet edition contains, among other things, the original 1967 screenplay, a spirited joint interview with Bradbury and animator Chuck Jones discussing that screenplay, an early draft of the novel from 1971, the final draft of the novel submitted in 1972, a table of galley changes for the first edition, the new teleplay from 1992, and a 2004 interview with Bradbury. Obviously a labor of love for Editor John Eller and Compiler and Designer Donn Allbright, the companion materials enhance the final text, presenting an exhaustive, detailed look at the evolution of the material from the glimmerings of an idea to screenplay to novel and then back to screenplay. Although its steep price tag will insure that the book will be read mostly by Bradbury fanatics with deep pockets, hopefully some more casual (or more thrifty) fans will be able to experience the wonders inside this tome by borrowing it from their local libraries.
kitschy fun.......2007-03-16
I thought the plot was implausible, events contain historical errors, but the book is still a fun, short read, particularly for tweens and early adolescents. RB always leaves me wanting to read more or keep writing. There is a lot of magic in these pages.
Poetic Prose that Makes a Great Read Aloud.......2007-02-20
Ray Bradbury's THE HALLOWEEN TREE is a great choice to read aloud to kids ten and up during the autumn season. The lyrical language lends itself to being read aloud and the slim volume has some interesting discussion points. The story is even at least somewhat educational as it traces the history of Halloween and how other cultures have dealt with death. Some striking black and white illustrations help set the dark mood. Great introduction to Bradbury for upper elementary, middle school and beyond.
Love this book.......2007-01-10
This has been a favourite of mine since I was a kid and a rereading has proven it's still just as good as I remember.
Book Description
Illustrated classics for adults! Here, Collins Design's WISP series pairs two legendary creators–writer Ray Bradbury and artist Dave McKean–to create an irresistible package perfect for Halloween and all year 'round.
The WISP series (Wonderfully Illustrated Short Pieces) represents an ingenious marriage of two creative forces: the artistry of today's foremost illustrators and the literary legacy of beloved authors of popular short works for adults. The resulting offspring of this union are captivating, full–color illustrated editions of timeless classics that readers will want to savor and collect.
For the first time ever, the series makes selected popular short works previously offered only in collections available in a unique, stand–alone format. Also for the first time, WISPs harness the talents of top illustrators for the benefit and delight of a new, older audience.
This WISP presents Ray Bradbury's The Homecoming, a little boy's tale of his family reunion of vampires. This story was initially published in 1946 and later refashioned into further stories. Bringing this story to life are the wondrous illustrations of Dave McKean, whose delightful artwork perfectly matches the tale.
These one–of–a–kind, attractively priced and invitingly formatted illustrated editions will make a great impulse buy and appeal to a broad audience.
Average customer rating:
- Decent collection, but not Bradbury's best
- Not Bradbury at his Best
- Ray Bradbury -- untalented, or merely incompetent?
- "I Sing The Additional Grip/Electric!"
- Wonderful!
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I Sing the Body Electric! And Other Stories
Ray Bradbury
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ASIN: 0380789620 |
Book Description
The mind of Ray Bradbury is a wonder-filled carnival of delight and terror that stretches from the verdant Irish countryside to the coldest reaches of outer space. Yet all his work is united by one common thread: a vivid and profound understanding of the vast seet of emotionsthat bring strength and mythic resonance to our frail species. Ray Bradbury characters may find themselves anywhere and anywhen. A horrified mother may give birth to a strange blue pyramid. A man may take Abraham Linkoln out of the grave--and meet another who puts him back. An amazing Electrical Grandmother may come to live with a grieving family. An old parrort may have learned over long evenings to imitate the voice of Ernest Hemingway, and become the last link to the last link to the great man. A priest on Mars may confront his fondest dream: to meet the Messiah. Each of these magnificient creations has something to tell us about our own humanity--and all of their fates await you in this new trade edition of twenty-eight classic Bradbury stories and one luscious poem. Travel on an unpredictable and unforgettable literary journey--safe in the hands of the century's great men of imagination.
The mind of Ray Bradbury is a wonder-filled carnival of delight and terror that stretches from the verdant Irish countryside to the coldest reaches of outer space. Yet all his work is united by one common thread: a vivid and profound understanding of the vast set of emotions that bring strength and mythic resonance to our frail species. Ray Bradbury characters may find themselves anywhere and anywhen. A horrified mother may give birth to a strange blue pyramid. A man may take Abraham Lincoln out of the grave--and meet another who puts him back. An amazing Electrical Grandmother may come to live with a grieving family. An old parrot may have learned over long evenings to imitate the voice of Ernest Hemingway, and became the last link to the great man. A priest on Mars may confront his fondest dream: to meet the Messiah. Each of these magnificent creations has something to tell us about our humanity--and all of their fates await you in this new trade edition of twenty-eight classic Bradbury stories and one luscious poem. Travel on an unpredictable and unforgettable literary journey--safe in the hands of one the centurys great men of imagination.
Customer Reviews:
Decent collection, but not Bradbury's best.......2007-01-20
I have read many sci-fi short stories, and by far Bradbury's are often my favorites. This collection though, I consider sub par. It is jumbled and some of the stories aren't even sci-fi are seem out of place. The collection has many great stories, but I don't recommend it to people new to Bradbury; if you haven't read "The Illustrated Man", I suggest it over this collection.
Not Bradbury at his Best.......2005-09-12
I would like to note, as have some other reviewers, that I am working from the 18 story collection. It saddens me to say this, but these stories are a far cry from some of Bradbury's other material, and hardly worth the time for modern readers. Bradbury has an unnerving tendancy in his short stories to be one-dimensional, hokey, and heavy-handed; all these characteristics are on display in this collection. Also, I am willing to forigive his portraits of women in some of his earlier work, but these stories date as late as the 1960s, and Bradbury has to learn to write women in ways that are not hysterical or conniving.
While there are moments when Bradbury is able to recapture some of the awe and beauty of his earlier work, much of this is, sadly, sentimental hackery. Stories like "Any Friend of Nicholas Nickleby's is a Friend of Mine" and "The Man in the Rorscharch Shirt" are so obvious and dull as to be difficult to finish reading. "Tomorrow's Child" is so absolutely ridiculous and wrong-headed that is almost makes a person angry. I've read quite a bit of Bradbury, and this was the first book of his where I have had trouble reaching the end. "The Inspired Chicken Motel" is the one bright spot, I felt, where Bradbury manages to stumble into a father and son's shared sense of wonder, and their desire to believe in some kind cosmic meaning, revealed in an omen. Other than that, the stories are rote and uninspiring.
There is plenty of great Bradbury out there; I love Dandelion Wine, Fahrenheit 451, The Martian Chronicles, and Something Wicked This Way Comes. All those books are worth owning. But not everything Bradbury ever wrote is genius, and certainly not _I Sing the Body Electric!_
Ray Bradbury -- untalented, or merely incompetent?.......2005-07-10
In the fifth edition of "Grove's Dictionary of Music and Musicians", the article on Rachmaninov affirms that the popularity of his works is proof they aren't very good. By that reasoning, Bach, Mozart, Beethoven, and Brahms must be even worse composers.
But there is _some_ truth to the idea that popularity and "quality" are inversely related. Ray Bradbury, arguably the most popular 20th century writer of fantasy and science fiction, is a perfect example. Bradbury is a writer for people who have no imaginations of their own.
I read a lot of science fiction when I was young. (Fantasy had not become as popular as it is today.) By a wide margin, no writer struck me as consistently awful as Bradbury.
Why? None was quite so _obvious_ -- Bradbury telegraphed his punches in the titles of his stories! His treatment of any idea was often heavy-handed and sentimental. And he claimed priority for any work with even the least resemblance to one of his (qv, "The Foghorn" and "Beast from 20,000 Fathoms"). I don't know whether "Boys, Grow Giant Mushrooms in Your Basement!" predates Philip K. Dick's "The Father-Thing", but if it had, Bradbury surely would have sued.
It's about time (while Mr. Bradbury is still alive) to proclaim him the semi-competent mediocrity he is. There, I said it. He also needs a kick to the knees for his inane use of Whitman's "I sing the body electric", a reference to human sensuality and sexuality, to title a story about an asexual, unsensual android.
I sing the body electric;
The armies of those I love engirth me, and I engirth them;
They will not let me off till I go with them, respond to them,
And discorrupt them, and charge them full with the charge of the Soul.
Was it doubted that those who corrupt their own bodies conceal themselves;
And if those who defile the living are as bad as they who defile the dead?
And if the body does not do as much as the Soul?
And if the body were not the Soul, what is the Soul?
I find it amazing Ray Harryhausen has put up with him for 70 years.
"I Sing The Additional Grip/Electric!".......2003-05-15
(Please note that the edition I am reviewing is the older publication that contains only the original 18 works that make up I SING THE BODY ELECTRIC!.)
I usually adore Ray Bradbury short story collections, but I think it would be more honest of me to say that I "merely" very much enjoyed I SING THE BODY ELECTRIC!. While I wouldn't rank this as his best work, it contains a number of seductively powerful moments. It's a wonderful set of quite varied fiction, however not all of the stories gave me the same emotional charge that I get out of other selections of Bradbury's writing. It's still a compilation worth reading, of course, since even Bradbury on a mediocre day is still better than the vast majority of short story writers.
As with other Bradbury collections, it is difficult to characterize the feel of this. The stories cover a smorgasbord of topics; included are stories about Mars colonies, Irish peasants, supernatural chickens, electric grandmothers, and a host of other mind-bending fictions. You have to admire his creativity if nothing else. And he has a fantastic way of making even the most bizarre of artifacts seem as familiar as apple pie and the smell of freshly cut grass. His characters are painted with broad strokes, but they're so carefully crafted that you'll feel as though you've known them all your life.
Some of my favorite Bradbury stories are his most basic and uncomplicated ones, I SING THE BODY ELECTRIC! being no exception. THE KILIMANJARO DEVICE is a simple tribute to Ernest Hemmingway written with a deceptive elegance. The science fiction overtones of DOWNWIND FROM GETTYSBURG, THE LOST CITY OF MARS and the titular story mask some very real human emotions. In some stories, youth and old age are brought together, with childlike enthusiasm touching characters at all points during their lives. In other stories, depression and gloom are all-encompassing and inescapable.
On the other hand, there are a few stories that I just didn't care for. And I must admit that the poem at the end (CHRISTUS APOLLO) did very little for me. Still, it's testament to Bradbury's ability as a writer that the poorest stories can only fill me with mild indifference. Very little here blew me away in the manner of his DANDELION WINE book, but there is nothing that I would refuse to read again.
I enjoyed I SING THE BODY ELECTRIC! during my initial read. But I found myself appreciating the stories even more the second time around. Bradbury excels at painting the whole spectrum of humanity, from the most noble to its most pathetic. And he turns both extremes into very compelling stories. This is probably not his greatest collection, but it is definitely not one to be skipped.
Wonderful!.......2003-04-10
When I was about 14, I went through a several year phase of reading every science fiction book I could get my hands on. And now, fifteen years later, I decided to go back and try to read a few of the books I remembered. I especially remember enjoying books by Asimov, Bradbury, Dick, Wells and a few others. This was the first one I happened to read, and I was amazed. The first few stories were kind of 'iffy', but I was quickly pulled into each and every story. Ray Bradbury has a writing talent that few today can replicate. His mastery of words and his imagination are amazing.
I've read a few 'modern' sci-fi, and they've all failed to impress me. The true wonder of sci-fi is in books like this. Sure some of the ideas are out-dated, but who cares? It is science-fiction. Stephen King and the others I read didn't seem to capture the wonder that is in books like this.
I know that some prefer modern sci-fi, but for me, the 'oldies' are where the great science-fiction lies.
Book Description
From the winner of the National Book Foundations' 2000 Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters comes a "sweet, funny . . . thought–provoking" (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel) collection of short stories.
As in his most recent major fiction collections, One More for the Road (1999) and Driving Blind (1997), Ray Bradbury has once again pulled together a stellar group of stories sure to delight readers of all ages. In The Cat's Pyjamas we are treated to a treasure trove of Bradbury gems old and new –– eerie and strange, nostalgic and bittersweet, searching and speculative –– all but two of which have never been published before. The Cat's Pyjamas is a joyous celebration of the lifelong work of a literary legend.
Average customer rating:
- christmas present
- excellent homage to the landmark science fiction movie Forbidden Planet
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Forbidden Planets
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The Space Opera Renaissance
ASIN: 0756403308 |
Book Description
An anthology of science fiction short stories by some of today's top authors to commemorate the fiftieth anniversary of the science fiction film classic Forbidden Planet. Filled to the brim with provocative tales of worlds where humans were never meant to go.
Customer Reviews:
christmas present.......2007-01-19
This was from my husband's wish list. He could not find this book in any of the local stores. He was very pleased to get it for christmas.
excellent homage to the landmark science fiction movie Forbidden Planet .......2006-11-19
Paying homage to the landmark science fiction movie Forbidden Planet on the fiftieth anniversary of its release, these twelve tales focus on humans visiting other worlds or dimensions where they are unwelcome and unwanted. Each tales is fun to follow as humans bravely go where they should not. The original movie is loosely based on Shakespeare's The Tempest so the twist of using King Lear (Jay Lake's "Lehr, Rex") is a fascinating spin; others are just as good as mechanical sidekicks like Robert the Robot (see "Forebearing Planet" by Michael Moorcock) and "The Singularity Needs Women" by Paul Di Filippo are fun twists from the film. The remaining tales, all new, are quality contributions that make for a fine collection. In addition to a dozen terrific entries, Ray Bradbury in the Introduction provides two shockers about the movie and Stephen Baxter in the Afterward analyzes the impact on his work. This is an excellent short story collection that reverently salutes a movie that many Trekkies know that Kirk and company should journey where no one did before except Forbidden Planet.
Harriet Klausner
Book Description
Ray Bradbury is a modern cultural treasure. His disarming simplicity of style underlies a towering body of work unmatched in metaphorical power by any other American storyteller. And here, presented in a new trade edition, are thirty-two of his most famous tales--prime examples of the poignant and mysterious poetry which Bradbury uniquely uncovers in the depths of the human soul, the otherwordly portraits of outrÉ fascination which spring from the canvas of one of the century's great men of imagination. From a lonely coastal lighthouse to a sixty-million-year-old safary, from the pouring rain of Venus to the ominous silence of a murder scene, Ray Bradbury is our sure-handed guide not only to surprising and outrageous manifestations of the future, but also to the wonders of the present that we could never have imagined on our own.Ray Bradbury is a modern cultural treasure. His disarming simplicity of style underlies a towering body of work unmatched in metaphorical power by any other American storyteller. And here, presented in a new trade edition, are thirty-two of his most famous tales--prime examples of the poignant and mysterious poetry which Bradbury uniquely uncovers in the depths of the human soul, the otherwordly portraits of outre fascination which spring from the canvas of one of the centurys great men of imagination. From a lonely coastal lighthouse to a sixty-million-year-old safari, from the pouring rain of Venus to the ominous silence of a murder scene, Ray Bradbury is our sure-handed guide not only to surprising and outrageous manifestations of the future, but also to the wonders of the present that we could never have imagined on our own.
Customer Reviews:
The Highlights are the True Science-Fiction Tales.......2007-03-16
Ray Bradbury's skill as a storyteller permits him to paint beautiful pictures of the otherwise mundane. A lot of his tales sound rather ordinary by their descriptions, and rarely like science-fiction; his gift is to enchant you anyway, whether by offering a fresh perspective or just using his beautiful command of language as his artist's palette.
Golden Apples isn't the best example of this, though. With a few exceptions, the best stories in this collection are those which could never happen, and which truly are science-fiction (or at least fantasy), and the forgettable ones have the least going on. In addition to perhaps the greatest known Bradbury short ever ("A Sound of Thunder," about time-traveling big game hunters who alter the future), the best tales depict an ageless boy wandering the earth in search of new parents; a dinosaur emerging from the ocean's depths to heed the call of a fog horn it mistakes as kin; a ghost inhabiting a real girl's body to experience falling in love; and, in Tell-Tale Heart-like fashion, a man goes insane while covering his post-murder tracks.
Of the non-science-fiction stories, the predominant themes are nuclear apocalypse, media and technology's intrusion in our lives, and ethnic pride and race relations. Some work ("The Big Black and White Game," "The Murderer"), and some don't ("Sun and Shadow," "Embroidery"). It struck me that those tales offering the most social commentary entertained the least.
Strong Collection, but Not Extraordinary.......2004-04-18
I've read mostly all of Bradbury's lengthier fiction repretoire, and have only begun dipping into his collections of short stories. As a writer during the "Golden Age" of science fiction, Bradbury is unsurpassed: All at once, he manages to show the reader a future of hope, of surprise and of brightness. His writing style is simple and terse, and it takes some time to get used to the cadance with which he writes.
One of the aspects I've always appreciated about Bradbury's writing is that his stories extend beyond the "science fiction" genre. Encapsulated within the SF exterior, Bradbury manages to capture portraits of humanity - throughout all of his stories, it is apparent that he prescribes to the idea that the more things change, the more they stay the same. Thus, while he writes about space travel and other fantastical subjects, he retains a sense of humanity which transcends the differences in environment.
Without a doubt, my favorite story in this anthology is "R is for Rocket." This story alone is worth buying the book for...I am enraptured with the way Bradbury tells of the carefree summers the boys enjoy, and then juxtapose it to the pressure of a career in space exploration.
Generally, I find Bradbury's fantasy to be somewhat boring (though this can also be attributed to my lack of enthusiasm for fantasy as a whole). Don't let this faze you - this is a very strong collection, and excellent introduction, to Bradbury's short story abilities. About 90% of the stories in this book are really excellent..But the other 10% almost seem like simple writing exercises and are no way indicative of Bradbury's true talants as a writer.
Another Bradbury Treat.......2004-01-15
I'll admit I haven't finished this book but what I've read has taken my breath away. The writing is classic Bradbury, poetic and enticing. The stories themselves surprised me a little since I don't think I'd yet read a Bradbury story that wasn't science fiction or fantasy. "The Fruit at the bottom of the bowel" is one of these and is fantastic. Of course, it seems to me that Bradbury's preoccupation has always been with people rather than magic or technology. Thus it makes sense that his "realistic" fiction would be just as effective as his other. In any case, Bradbury is a masterful storyteller and anyone would deprive themselves if they didn't read his work, including this collection.
great book!!!.......2003-05-07
i read this book so many times by now and i still fall in love with it every time i read a story in it!!!
he is really one of the best writers, and this is one of his best books!!
buy it and see for youself.
Not up to Bradbury's high standards.......2002-08-20
Short story master Ray Bradbury presents 22 offerings variously set in ancient times, in out-of-the-way rustic hills, and in modern cities of Europe and the Americas, but never really seems to hit his stride. While best known for such science fiction classics as The Martian Chronicles and the short novel Fahrenheit 451, a significant portion of Bradbury's output is not very sci-fi, and sometimes scarcely even qualifies as fantasy. First and last, Bradbury's stories are about human emotion, and the setting (be it Mars, Hollywood, or ancient China) merely facilitates the drama for the disturbingly familiar players.
The few science fiction stories in this collection are not very notable. "The Pedestrian" is probably the best, with its strong statement about the rights of the individual. "Embroidery" shows three elderly women trying to create beauty in a world that is crashing around them and so demonstrates Bradbury's penchant for female characters as well as mature ones. Women's inner strength is also the subject of "The Wilderness" which would fit nicely into the Martian Chronicles collection except that it isn't quite powerful enough. "A Sound of Thunder" is a very conventional time travel tale that reads like Bradbury imitating Asimov, while "The Golden Apples of the Sun" is the re-telling of an ancient fable in the style of Arthur C. Clarke. The few fantasies are an odd mixture, but only the lonesome sea monster of "The Foghorn" makes any real impression.
Combined, the sci-fi and fantasy pieces make up only about half of this volume's 22 stories; the other half consists of Bradbury's brief glimpses of the real world. The most memorable is probably "The Fruit at the Bottom of the Bowl" in which a murderer tries to clean up the stain of his crime, but most of the others are all-too forgettable. Readers will page through tales of bureaucratic indifference, racial bigotry, the tragedy of illiteracy, but always the main theme is loneliness, loneliness, loneliness. Bradbury's hushed narrative voice is perfect for these kinds of stories, but readers of sci-fi and fantasy may come away less than delighted. This book feels like a grab bag of stories that didn't make it into any other collections, and really isn't quite up to the author's usually high standard. Devoted fans will surely enjoy these stories, but few will be impressed by the strength of this collection alone. Those anxious to discover this fine writer's work would do better to look into the above-mentioned novels, or else the wonderful Machineries of Joy, which shows the author's skill with short stories to much better advantage.
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Dandelion Wine
