Customer Reviews

Classic Stories 1: From the Golden Apples of the Sun and R Is for Rocket

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If anything this collection only reasserts what a treasure Bradbury is, probably the most American of our short story writers and one who can still speak to everyone with his stories. His tone is as calm as Arthur Clarke but you never really realize that you're reading something fantastic and outerworldly, he can make every event seem commonplace. This set is a collection of many of his best and most of the have become part of our consciousness, where we can barely envision a world where these stories had never existed. "The Foghorn" is probably one of his best known but there are others equally worthy. "R is for Rocket" is his best story by my counts, though "Frost and Fire" isn't too behind. The wealth of classic material in here is almost criminal, one person shouldn't be this creative. The only complaint is that a bunch of the stories in the R is for Rocket section were repeated in the Illustrated Man but that's a minor complaint really. They're just as good the second time. Go read this if you have any doubts about Bradbury's genius and you shall doubt no longer.

These stories are the most piognant I have ever read except in The Martian Chronicles. These stories are mind blowing. Bradbury is the greatest short story writer of our time and maybe all time.

Ray Bradbury is a genius-pure and simple. He is a great. Proof is his power to affect the heart while engaging the intellect.

I highly recommend this book to any fan of Ray Bradbury's work, or to anyone who wishes to introduce his classic works into their library. He is a passionate visionary that writes not only about sci-fi, but his colorful writing style encapsulates the sometimes ineffable feelings that each and every one of us have had about every possible situation in life, and dare I say, in death. I always feel like a kid again when I read his books, I am taken away to warm, sunny Saturdays when I was still in awe of the newness of life. I can hardly force myself to read the works of others as I am convinced that no one can do with words the magic that Ray Bradbury has done.

The first story that compelled me to become a reader of books was Ray Bradbury's Fire and Ice, a cool short story with a simple and exciting story. It can be found in R is for Rocket, a compilation of his stories. When Mr. Azimov passed away, I sent a note to Mr. Bradbury thanking him for the effect he had on my life. He even wrote back to me.

"Some say the world will end in fire, some say in ice..."
-- Robert Frost, "Fire and Ice"

Ray Bradbury's _R Is for Rocket_ (1962) may be considered a companion collection to his later _S Is for Space_ (1963). I remember that when these collections first were published there was mild critical disappointment. It was not over the quality of the stories. They were generally quite good. But none of them were new. They were recycled tales from earlier collections. Such concerns do not seem to be quite so important to readers nowadays.

There are seventeen stories in all. Two are not technically fantasies. They are episodes from Bradbury's autobiographical novel, _Dandelion Wine_ (1957). But even here, imagination and style give something of a fantastic flavor to these tales. They are "The Time Machine" (about the old attic) and "The Sound of Summer Running" (about a boy's love for new tennis shoes). Both are excellent.

Of the remaining fifteen fantasies, six are long-established classics: "A Sound of Thunder," Bradbury's adventure about time travel, T. Rex, and the butterfly; "The Golden Apples of the Sun," about the ship diving South into the sun to scoop its fire; "The Fog Horn," about the lovelorn monster and the lighthouse; "Uncle Einar," about the elderly gentleman with pea-green wings; "Frost and Fire," with its tragic account of creatures who have a life-span of only eight days; and "The Long Rain," a study of borderline madness in the jungles of Venus.

Not quite as well-known but still very, very fine are "R is for Rocket" (originally "King of the Grey Spaces"), "The Exiles," "Here There Be Tygers," and "The Strawberry Window". The first is a coming-of-age story about a future spaceman. The second is about worlds of fantasy on a distant planet and a man who would not see them. The third is about a living, passionate planet. Would you have stayed with her? The last is about bringing a touch of home to Mars.

Much more minor affairs are "The "Rocket Man," "The End of the Beginning," "The Dragon," and "The Gift". I have friends who are Bradbury lovers who would reel in horror at my saying this of these (or any) Bradbury tales. And they are not bad stories. But they are slight and forgettable, the least memorable pieces in the book.

Three of the stories-- "The Fog Horn," "A Sound of Thunder," and "The Long Rain"-- were the sources for three movies. The movies are: _The Beast From 20,000 Fathoms_ (1953), _A Sound of Thunder_(2005), and _The Illustrated Man_(1969). None of these movies may be said to match the quality of the original stories. But I would argue that the third is the best of the three. It made an honest effort to capture the spirit of Bradbury rather than a movie studio mogul's notion of how the story could be "improved".

If you are a sci-fi fan, you should like this collection of Ray Bradbury short stories. His early works often have the theme of human psychology, with ordinary people in extraordinary situations.

Some of my favorites in this collection include:
- The Great Wide World Over There
- A Sound Of Thunder (one of my all-time favorite Bradbury tales)
- Frost And Fire (where did this one come from? Great story)
- Uncle Einar

Easy to read. Bradbury couldn't have anticipated the communications and computer revolution we are now in (and will probably seem quaint 50 years from now!), and some stories seem dated because of that. However, for the most part, these stories have aged well, and are still as entertaining as they were 50 years ago.

Now that is saying something!

Read the other reviews for more in-depth opinion. I love me some Bradbury, so I love this book.

This book showcases some of Ray Bradbury's greatest short stories. His talent is to create a story that the reader is immediately able to sink into no mater how unbelievable the plot, the setting or the characters, and from time machines, to interplanetary adventures, this book is truly filled with the improbable which Bradbury makes seem imminently possible. This is truly is an enjoyable read.

This item came to me in worse shape than I was expecting. I was especially disappointed by that because it was for a gift. The shipping was quick though.