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Title: Golden Apples of the Sun, The by Ray Bradbury ISBN: 0-380-73039-1 Publisher: Perennial Pub. Date: 01 November, 1997 Format: Paperback Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $12.95 |
Average Customer Rating: 4.42 (12 reviews)
Rating: 5
Summary: Another Bradbury Treat
Comment: 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.
Rating: 5
Summary: Bradbury's SF strength is in the humanity...
Comment: 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.
Rating: 4
Summary: Strong Collection, but Not Extraordinary
Comment: 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.
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Title: A Medicine for Melancholy and Other Stories by Ray Bradbury ISBN: 0380730863 Publisher: Perennial Pub. Date: 01 February, 1998 List Price(USD): $12.95 |
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Title: Dandelion Wine (Grand Master Editions) by RAY BRADBURY ISBN: 0553277537 Publisher: Bantam Pub. Date: 01 March, 1985 List Price(USD): $7.50 |
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Title: Quicker than the Eye by Ray Bradbury ISBN: 0380789590 Publisher: Avon Pub. Date: 01 October, 1997 List Price(USD): $5.99 |
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Title: I Sing the Body Electric! And Other Stories by Ray Bradbury ISBN: 0380789620 Publisher: Perennial Pub. Date: 01 May, 1998 List Price(USD): $12.95 |
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Title: The October Country by Ray Bradbury, Joe Mugnaini ISBN: 034532448X Publisher: Del Rey Books Pub. Date: 01 June, 1993 List Price(USD): $6.99 |
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