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Title: I Sing the Body Electric! And Other Stories by Ray Bradbury ISBN: 0-380-78962-0 Publisher: Perennial Pub. Date: 01 May, 1998 Format: Paperback Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $12.95 |
Average Customer Rating: 4.55 (11 reviews)
Rating: 5
Summary: Wonderful!
Comment: When I was about 14, I went through a several year phase of reading every science fiction book I could get my hands on. And now, fifteen years later, I decided to go back and try to read a few of the books I remembered. I especially remember enjoying books by Asimov, Bradbury, Dick, Wells and a few others. This was the first one I happened to read, and I was amazed. The first few stories were kind of 'iffy', but I was quickly pulled into each and every story. Ray Bradbury has a writing talent that few today can replicate. His mastery of words and his imagination are amazing.
I've read a few 'modern' sci-fi, and they've all failed to impress me. The true wonder of sci-fi is in books like this. Sure some of the ideas are out-dated, but who cares? It is science-fiction. Stephen King and the others I read didn't seem to capture the wonder that is in books like this.
I know that some prefer modern sci-fi, but for me, the 'oldies' are where the great science-fiction lies.
Rating: 5
Summary: A book of magic and wonder
Comment: I remember reading this collection for the first time about 25 years ago. I was in maybe 7th or 8th grade and was going through a Bradbury period, reading everything of his I could get my hands on. To this day, Mr. Bradbury's writing touches me as few other writers ever have or will. Right now, as I write this small review, I can remember vividly, as if I were there right at this moment, lying in my bed and reading the title story. I remember the grace and humanity at its core and I remember reading the final sentence and weeping.
This is a magnificent book. I highly recommend it to anyone who loves stories and life.
Rating: 4
Summary: "I Sing The Additional Grip/Electric!"
Comment: (Please note that the edition I am reviewing is the older publication that contains only the original 18 works that make up I SING THE BODY ELECTRIC!.)
I usually adore Ray Bradbury short story collections, but I think it would be more honest of me to say that I "merely" very much enjoyed I SING THE BODY ELECTRIC!. While I wouldn't rank this as his best work, it contains a number of seductively powerful moments. It's a wonderful set of quite varied fiction, however not all of the stories gave me the same emotional charge that I get out of other selections of Bradbury's writing. It's still a compilation worth reading, of course, since even Bradbury on a mediocre day is still better than the vast majority of short story writers.
As with other Bradbury collections, it is difficult to characterize the feel of this. The stories cover a smorgasbord of topics; included are stories about Mars colonies, Irish peasants, supernatural chickens, electric grandmothers, and a host of other mind-bending fictions. You have to admire his creativity if nothing else. And he has a fantastic way of making even the most bizarre of artifacts seem as familiar as apple pie and the smell of freshly cut grass. His characters are painted with broad strokes, but they're so carefully crafted that you'll feel as though you've known them all your life.
Some of my favorite Bradbury stories are his most basic and uncomplicated ones, I SING THE BODY ELECTRIC! being no exception. THE KILIMANJARO DEVICE is a simple tribute to Ernest Hemmingway written with a deceptive elegance. The science fiction overtones of DOWNWIND FROM GETTYSBURG, THE LOST CITY OF MARS and the titular story mask some very real human emotions. In some stories, youth and old age are brought together, with childlike enthusiasm touching characters at all points during their lives. In other stories, depression and gloom are all-encompassing and inescapable.
On the other hand, there are a few stories that I just didn't care for. And I must admit that the poem at the end (CHRISTUS APOLLO) did very little for me. Still, it's testament to Bradbury's ability as a writer that the poorest stories can only fill me with mild indifference. Very little here blew me away in the manner of his DANDELION WINE book, but there is nothing that I would refuse to read again.
I enjoyed I SING THE BODY ELECTRIC! during my initial read. But I found myself appreciating the stories even more the second time around. Bradbury excels at painting the whole spectrum of humanity, from the most noble to its most pathetic. And he turns both extremes into very compelling stories. This is probably not his greatest collection, but it is definitely not one to be skipped.
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Title: The Illustrated Man (Grand Master Editions) by Ray Bradbury ISBN: 055327449X Publisher: Spectra Books Pub. Date: 01 June, 1989 List Price(USD): $7.50 |
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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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Title: Golden Apples of the Sun, The by Ray Bradbury ISBN: 0380730391 Publisher: Perennial Pub. Date: 01 November, 1997 List Price(USD): $12.95 |
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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 April, 1985 List Price(USD): $7.50 |
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