Fahrenheit 451
Bradbury's slim sci-fi/fantasy novel revolves around a fireman who hates his job set in the saddest of dystopian settings: a future with no books. Firemen start the fires in Bradbury's future, to burn any and all books as they are found. One of these books is the Bible, which is what most often triggers the censorship. The book has been repeatedly banned over the years, which is ironic, given that the book itself is about book-banning. When it was published, Bradbury was outspoken about the fact that he in fact had the growing influence of television over Americans in mind when he wrote it.
More info →Dandelion Wine
From the publisher: "Ray Bradbury's moving recollection of a vanished golden era remains one of his most enchanting novels. Dandelion Wine stands out in the Bradbury literary canon as the author's most deeply personal work, a semiautobiographical recollection of a magical small-town summer in 1928. Twelve-year-old Douglas Spaulding knows Green Town, Illinois, is as vast and deep as the whole wide world that lies beyond the city limits. It is a pair of brand-new tennis shoes, the distant clang of the trolley's bell on a hazy afternoon. But as young Douglas is about to discover, summer can be more than the repetition of established rituals whose mystical power holds time at bay. It can be a best friend moving away, a human time machine that can transport you back to the Civil War, or a sideshow automaton able to glimpse the bittersweet future."
More info →The October Country: Stories
Sometimes a title is sheer perfection. Covering everything from weird family folklore to classic monster horror stories, The October Country is truly meant to be read in October. Bradbury opens this classic collection: “October Country . . . that country where it is always turning late in the year. That country where the hills are fog and the rivers are mist; where noons go quickly, dusks and twilights linger, and mid-nights stay…” His stories reflect this mystical, gloomy time of year, and despite being written in the 50’s and 60’s, their themes remain poignant.
More info →The Stories of Ray Bradbury
From the publisher: "Experience the wondrous mind of Ray Bradbury through one hundred of his all-time greatest tales. Fly to Mars and explore the mysteries of the red planet. Journey through time to futures ruled by cold computers and hear the deafening roar of dinosaurs in the past. Sing the body electric and look into the mechanical eyes of androids that want to replace human life as we know it. Visit idyllic landscapes and nostalgic towns that hide sinister secrets. An extensive collection of imaginative short stories of science fiction, fantasy, horror, and suspense, featuring works thoughtfully compiled from the seminal short story collections that marked his illustrious career—as well as six additional stories available only in this collection—this is the best of Bradbury over numerous decades."
More info →Zen In The Art Of Writing
Bradbury is remembered for his inventive stories and fantastically creative mind. In this essential book for writers, he shares his process and spills his secrets. Bradbury dishes a surprising amount of practical advice for a book with the word "zen" in the title.
More info →The Martian Chronicles
Bradbury never disappoints, and this strange work is among his best. This collection, which Bradbury called "a book of stories pretending to be a novel," was written in 1950. At the time, Bradbury set it in the distant future—which means right about now. In a series of vignettes, he chronicles the collapse and ultimate destruction of earth, the repeated human attempts to find safety on the red planet, and the conflict between the new arrivals and the native Martians.
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