Customer Reviews

The Golden Apples of the Sun and Other Stories

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is the first collection of Ray Bradbury's stories I ever read, and it still rocks! I was only 13, and it immediately put me into his own, lyrical and yet dark world: lovelorn sea monsters, pining away for foghorns; time-traveling big-game hunters who accidentally change our history; spaceships dispatched to collect a piece of the sun; dictatorships that outlaw any form of eccentric behavior, such as *not* watching television---a scary premise, indeed, since we're practically in that world now; and more. Bradbury's delight in telling stories, inventing fabulous glimpses into other worlds as well as our own, radiates from every page. His work is warm, but it is not overly sentimental---he is unafraid to let a story end very badly for its characters, if it should help him to make the point he has in his mind. Nor are his tales all scary and dark---one or two are positively hilarious. This is not just highly recommended---it is urged that you rush out and purchase it...

I first read "The Golden Apples of the Sun" when I was in grade school, loving it then for the adventure and sense of wonder Bradbury always brings to his work. I have since read and reread it through the years until my tired old copy was so dog-eard and broken as to be almost unreadable. I'm glad to see it still in print.

No one can infuse so much tension, or wring as much drama out of a short story as can Ray Bradbury, and "Golden Apples," in my opinion, is his best collection, easilly rivalling "The Martian Chronicles" in sweep and vista. Just to read the classic time-travel story "The Sound of Thunder" is reason alone to pick up a copy.

I honestly think Mr. Bradbury could write ingrediant lists on cereal boxes and make them spell-binders.

You've probably heard a half a dozen Ray Bradbury stories without even knowing it. His tales of space flights, Martian expeditions, and strange occurences on our own planet are all classics. While "Martian Chronicles" is arguably the best collection of Bradbury stories, this book also shows the amazing talent of Bradbury. His ability to mix the human with the fantastic makes for incredible stories.

This book collects several of the best stories Bradbury ever created in one volume. There are several books that group Bradbury stories together, but few contain the raw number of stories as this one.

My own personal favorite Bradbury story is in this collection: "A Sound of Thunder." This short tale of a time-travelling dinosaur safari is an amazingly powerful look at the wonder and consequences of time travel and personal behavior. The story is easily consumed by the youngest reader and just as easily debated by science fiction scholars for hours. I first heard this story on an audio tape during a family car trip--hearing it inspired me to read other Bradbury stories. To me, Bradbury will always be "A Sound of Thunder" and that's quite a reputation to have.

One of Bradbury's longer shorts, "Frost and Fire," is also included. This is an amazing tale of the rapid development of humans on Mercury. Rapid in that everyone grows quickly and dies young. Set against the backdrop of a planet that allows only a few brief minutes of freedom on the surface before the residents must hide from the scorching heat or blistering cold. The story can be appreciated from a pure SF perspective or just from the human side--Bradbury creates realistic worlds in the most fantastic location.

Two other stories are also stand-outs: "The Fog Horn" and "Here There Be Tygers." Saying anything about the actual plots would give away the stories, but I will say they both present unexpected twists that will have you thinking twice about your own normal everyday lives.

As a first introduction to Bradbury this collection is excellent. It gathers together a wide variety of his stories from various sub-genres and has enough to keep readers busy for a while. Ultimately you'll want to read other story collections, but this book will give you a taste of things to come.

For Bradbury fans who haven't read some of these stories I probably don't need to recommend the book at all--by now you've already clicked on a purchase link and had the book sent to you.

For everyone else I can only urge that you try Bradbury. Even if you aren't a science fiction fan, Bradbury is a very approachable author and his works cross the traditional boundaries of science fiction. This isn't nerdy Star Trek or hard-core Neuromancer. His stories are human and that's what makes them universal. Rocketships are entirely optional.

If you have never read a Ray Bradbury story, I am almost envious of the treat you have in store. The word "genius" is tossed around all too frequently, but Bradbury really deserves the title. Since Isaac Asimov's death, he is the only consistently excellent short-story writer in any genre.

What makes Bradbury's work in general, and this collection in particular, so praiseworthy? For one thing, he is a completely original thinker. He can take something as mundane as a lighthouse or a summer flirtation and make it into an unforgettable gem. You do not forget Bradbury's stories, and you find something new each time you read them.

"Ah, but I'm not a science fiction fan," you say. Well, neither am I. But even when Bradbury takes you into the future, he does not lose sight of the humanity of his characters. Even his non-human characters are so fully created that your heart breaks for them. As a bonus, Bradbury is obviously well-read; if you are, too, you will appreciate his literary references. If you are not, don't worry - he'll make you that way, painlessly!

Since these are short stories, it is not really posible to discuss them fully without spoiling them (an offense for which the death penalty is not nearly severe enough). But any way you want to read them - one a day (and they'll do you more good than vitamins) or as an all-day orgy of the imagination - they are a treat.

This edition, which has twice as many stories as the original collection of the same name, is a generous gift for yourself, or for someone you really love. Then, especially if you are not already familiar with it, get his collection "I Sing the Body Electric," and read the title story. It may be about an electric grandmother, but it's about my grandma, too - who understood that "loving" and "paying attention" were really the same thing. The review for any Bradbury book, whether a novel or a collection of short stories, is t! he same - read it, then read it again.

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.

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.

Whenever people hear the name of Ray Bradbury, where they have heard it before they associate it with "The Martian Chronicles" mostly. But, they forget that Ray Bradbury doesn't only have an eye fixed fixed on the wonders of life on other planets. Ray Bradbury too, writes with an uncanny understanding of human nature and he has the ability to make the reader be a part of the story, too. I will just mention a few of the stories here which, in my view further complimented the reasons why Ray Bradbury is what he is today. "The Foghorn", "Here there be Tygers", "A sound of thunder","The murderer"... these show fear, direct confrontations with man against beasts he would never have encountered before, as well as man with his own internal beasts, the very ones which destroy his inner self. It is on the whole a brilliant, disturbing and beautiful compilation, to which five stars is not a sufficient evaluation.

Though there may be "nothing new under the sun," Bradbury is the closest of any to finding something new. These stories are some of the most beautiful, romantic stories to be found. I will never stop reading Bradbury. He is not only a science-fiction master, but he knows the human soul a good deal more than most. If you haven't read this, do! There are a couple of stories that could be omitted, but they take away nothing from this book.

I like just about everything that Ray Bradbury has written, and this is a collection of his short stories. I highly recommend it for anyone who likes Ray Bradbury or science fiction/fantasy. The book was in excellent condition and shipped promptly. Amazon Verified Product.

Ray Bradbury is one of the few writers I have read who has been able to successfully capture or draw out emotions every time, whether it be sadness, love, excitement, fear, the list goes on... He has mastered what it takes to write a short story that will affect the reader or make them think, not only in this book, but in all other collections of his I have read. His writing style should be one that all writers of any caliber strive to achieve.