The Sword and Laser discussion
Name your favorite Ray Bradbury book
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I've only read two of his books sadly. Of the two I've read, Fahrenheit 451 was my favorite but he did a unbelievable job with atmosphere and suspense with Something Wicked This Way Comes.
The Martian Chronicles is my top favourite, and I remember loving Dandelion WIne and I Sing the Body Electric when I was a kid.
For those who loved Fahrenheit 451, you should read A Pleasure to Burn. It is a compilation of short stories and novellas in the Fahrenheit 451 world, and it just came out about a year ago.
I've only read Fahrenheit 451, but I was just thinking about putting The Illustrated Man on my reading list. Now I definitely will.I never read the book of Something Wicked This Way Comes, but I saw the film adaptation, featuring a wonderfully creepy Jonathan Pryce.
Arkham House, the printer founded by H.P. Lovecraft collaborator August Derleth, got in the habit of issuing small runs of well bound weird fiction. One of their number was "Dark Carnival," a short story collection, and the first book by then unknown Ray Bradbury.For years, I made a habit of checking all bookstores, Goodwill shelves, and yard sales for a copy. It was a bit of a joke, of course: there were only 3,000 copies printed, and there was no chance one would turn up in a junk bin. But it was an amusing way to pass the time while I bought other books. And I saw Bradbury a few times at conferences and talks and signings over the years, even handed him a letter and received a gracious reply while I was in grad. school at UVA. He hadn't seen a copy in years, he noted.
Then, unfortunately, my mother heard about this habit, and ruined it all for me by contacting Powells, which had a copy in their rare books room, and getting it for me as a graduation present when I earned my Ph.D.
Last year, Bradbury came to the University where I now teach (scifi and fantasy, among other subjects) and write. He was being honored by the Eaton Collection, the largest public archive of speculative fiction in the world, housed on my campus. I dumped the kids on my tolerant wife and made my way to the ceremony and talk. The man was clearly tired, and I got anxiously into the terribly long line for signings. Just a few people short of my position, they announced that they would have to cut the signing off, as Mr. Bradbury needed to rest.
I grabbed the nearest organizer and told him I *had* to get this book signed. They tried to shrug me off, but I got up to Mr. Bradbury's assistant and explained the situation. He hustled me up to the table.
"Ray? There's something kind of special here you'll want to see."
I held out the book. It seemed to take him a moment before he realized what it was. "I haven't seen one of these in...years."
"I know," I said. "You told me that in a letter once. You forgot to sign this one."
He nodded gravely. He had to fumble at the pen a few times before he got it firmly in hand, but then signed with a flourish familiar from the two other times I'd been to signings. He handed the book back carefully. "This is special," he said. "You take good care of this."
I nodded, unable to speak. As the organizers for the conference helped him to stand, Bradbury's assistant shook my hand. "Thank you for that. I think that really made his day." I carefully rewrapped the now doubly-precious volume in its plastic and paper covers and held them tightly as I made my way out of the auditorium.
On the way out the door, one of the Eaton Collection reps came over and casually asked whether I might be interested in selling it. I told him to go to hell.
P. Aaron wrote: "Arkham House, the printer founded by H.P. Lovecraft collaborator August Derleth, got in the habit of issuing small runs of well bound weird fiction. One of their number was "Dark Carnival," a shor..."Great story P.Aaron...
My favourites are The Martian Chronicles, The Illustrated Man and Dandelion Wine. I liked a bunch of his others including Machineries of Joy, S is for Space and R is for Rocket. Something Wicked was good.Suddenly very sad. I think I'll put The Martian Chronicles on top of my read pile.
@Aaron That was a nice story.I'm with Nick. I've only read Fahrenheit 451 and Something Wicked this Way Comes, both among my favorite books.
Robert wrote: Suddenly very sad. I think I'll put The Martian Chronicles on top of my read pile.Same here.
The short story 'There will come soft rains'. I once found dandelion wine at a small winery in New York. It did taste like summer with every swallow.
Glad I got both
and
signed by Ray Bradbury about a year after I was born from the local library book sale last October. I will always have his signature to remember him by.
Definitely Something Wicked This Way Comes. Lots of conflict and has that sense of dread while still being optimistic in the end.
Now Stories of Ray Bradbury is staring down at me from the shelf giving me the same look my cats do when they feel I haven't fed them recently enough.
Something Wicked This Way Comes It fueled my imagination & set me on the path to a lifetime love of reading.
I've been watching the old Twilight Zone episodes on Netflix and just watched "I Sing the Body Electric". I know it was based on a short story by Bradbury. What a great and touching story about how loss affects children.I Sing The Body Electric
Frankly,Most of Rays books were so d@mn depressing, that I pretty much ended up disliking almost everything he wrote.
But, if I had to pick - I'd choose the The Illustrated Man
I read a lot of Bradbury way back in JR High (over 30 years ago). No one title stands out in my mind now, perhaps I'll have to see what's on the shelves at the used book store. Maybe we should make a Bradbury novel the july laser pick?
I just spent $23 at the used book store for 7 Bradbury novels in paperback, only 2 of which I had read in my youth.
The Sword and Laser
Books mentioned in this topic
Fahrenheit 451 (other topics)Something Wicked This Way Comes (other topics)
The Martian Chronicles (other topics)
A Pleasure to Burn: Fahrenheit 451 Stories (other topics)
Something Wicked This Way Comes (other topics)
More...
My favorite stories from him are:
The Martian Chronicles
Something Wicked This Way Comes
Sound of Thunder