Customer Reviews

The Stories of Ray Bradbury

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If there is a master of the short story with a twist, it would have to be Ray Bradbury. These stories are all magnificent, and there is not one that will disappoint you. They will sadden you, make you laugh, make you think, horrify you and please you, but they will NEVER disappoint you.

If you were a fan of the series "The Twilight Zone", you will love these stories. If you like science fiction in general you will love these stories. If you are a devotee at literature at its best, you will never forget these stories. Add this to your collection today!

I pay particular attention to Ray Bradbury as an author, having read him since I was a pre-teenager. Now I'm a philosophy student in college, and despite having become much, much more 'sophisticated' in my literary tastes, I still enjoy Bradbury. I suppose you could think of me as a collector of sorts, and through the years, I have not found a better collection of his work. Bradbury is famed in the general public for "Farenheit 451," or perhaps his "Something Wicked This Way Comes," or even, occasionally, for "The Martian Chronicles." But the reader who would like to see Bradbury at his finest should pick up this collection. An eclectic, self-taught writer, Bradbury's stories carry a tremendous appeal level for me. All literary considerations aside, Bradbury surely must be the greatest living storyteller. Occasionally, he will even wax philosophical with some tremendous insights. The only difficulty with being a Bradbury fan is that he has written SO MUCH that it's tough to even begin to keep track of. But, if I had to recommend one starting point, I'd choose this anthology. And it's at a reasonable price, to top it off.

I bought a first edition in the US in 1980. It is both my favourite book and most travelled - being an essential component of my personal baggage on numerous international business trips. For someone who grew up in the golden years of science fiction and as a lover of the short story literary form, for me there is only one writer that constantly delivers fresh insights into the possible worlds around us. That writer is Ray Bradbury. He brilliantly spins a lyrical web of simple, singular ideas across the incredible landscape of his mind to captivate his readers. And this collection of stories, spanning 3 decades, reflects the multi-facets of his work. Most of my favourite stories are here. Uncle Einar. The Scythe. Marionettes,Inc. The Small Assasin. The Wonderful Ice Cream Suit. The Day It Rained Forever. The Anthem Sprinters. I am sure that new buyers will enjoy reading the stories in this collection for many years to come. As a retrospective anthology of a great genre author, it's a veritable tour de force.

What can I say about this collection, except that is essential reading for anyone serious about Science Fiction or Fantasy as a form of literature (that's right I said it-the dreaded "l" word) Bradbury has piled up enough superlatives in his life that I don't think I need to go into them.

Anyway, this is a book of Ray Bradbury's greatest stories, which means that these are some of the best stories that imaginative literature has to offer. Why not make it a two-fer and get the "Bradbury Stories" collection with it? Both are worthy, think of "The Stories of Ray Bradbury" is the top shelf A-list stuff, and "Bradbury Stories" is the Solid B list collection. Still great, and best of all, no repeat stories in the two collections! The man was so prolific that he could probably fill up a third volume with no repeats as well...

I've been a Ray Bradbury fan for 23 years, since I first read my brother-in-law's copy of Something Wicked This Way Comes and it scared the living daylights out of me. This fantastic anthology encompasses the best of his work, including stories from the Martian Chronicles, works on the wonderful, truly fly-by-night Family, his Mexican mummy stories, and one of the most heartwrenching sea monster stories ever written, The Fog Horn. Readers of Dandelion Wine will be interested in preliminary and alternate versions of some of those stories, which also appear here. This book would be a wonderful gift for any Bradbury fan anywhere.

Traditionally, science fiction has been fascinated by technology and that which is alien. By contrast, Ray Bradbury's science fiction portrays humanity in different and unusual settings. Whether he is telling us a story about a man's persistent love for a woman long dead, a winged man who can no longer fly as before, the encounter between the last man and woman on Mars after the human race is destroyed, or four shipwrecked men seeking shelter in a never ending downpour on Venus, he emphasizes that although each of us exists in a shell and as such must face our fears and doubts alone, the fact that we all have these feelings is what unites us. This refreshing perspective stands in contrast to the science fiction of fast ships, ray guns, and hostile aliens. It also makes Ray Bradbury a compelling author.

This is an outstanding book full of wonderful short stories. Even if you are one of those people who says "Bradbury? Oh I don't like science fiction", trust me if you have any sense of taste whatsoever you will like this book! It contains 900 pages, all of them good.

I was not dissapointed with any of the stories. There's nothing like the science fiction Ray Bradbury writes. Each short story kept me captivated and wanting more from the characters. A real good read for thought provoking conversation.

There are many other compilations of Bradbury's wonderful work, including a recent one, "Bradbury Stories," but this book, originally published in 1980, is the best by far. It has over 900 pages, 100 selections by the master himself, and several previously uncollected works. Unfortunately out of print, it is still available used at a low price from a number of Amazon Marketplace sellers.

"The Stories of Ray Bradbury" brings together the most intriguing, moving, frightening, and haunting tales from the many story collections the author has assembled over his career. Stories come from "The Martian Chronicles," "The Illustrated Man," "Dandelion Wine," "Something Wicked This Way Comes," "The Golden Apples of the Sun," "R Is for Rocket," and other books. Nearly all of your favorite tales are here: "A Sound of Thunder," "The Veldt," "There Will Come Soft Rains," "The Fog Horn," "The Long Rain," "I Sing the Body Electric," and many more. My highest recommendation.

The man is the best. I don't read as much as I used to, but when i read Bradbury, I always have the time. This collection contains almost EVERYTHING!!! My absolute most favorite story I would have to say is "A Sound of Thunder." It is scary as hell, and yet so intriguing. The best, people.