Бредбъри е майстор на разказа, независимо дали пише фантастика или нещо съвсем реално и банално. Невероятно уоволствие е този сборник, в който има доволно количество и от двете, макар някои от текстовете да са леко наивни (може би от телескопа на времето, а може би и съвсем нарочно). Някои от разказите бях чел и преди в други издания, но до тази книга стигнах точно десет години, след като се сдобих с нея с голям ентусиазъм. Може би обемът ме е стряскал при изборите ми на ново четиво, може би подсъзнателно съм искал да мине време, за да видя дали с възрастта Бредбъри няма да поевтинее. Не е поевтинял - ни най-малко. Само е натрупал няколко слоя повече носталгия, но тя, в умерени количества и навлечена в изящен стил, е полезна.

I’ve been reading this book for since 2019. Slowly chunking through the stories when I get the time. It’s a big ass book so I can’t take it anywhere I want. Here are the stories I have read so far:

The whole town is sleeping- First time I ever felt fear while reading. Very impressed by the authors ability to give me chills with just words on a page. Good thriller for sure but nothing under the surface. 3.5/5

The rocket: wholesome as hell sorry about dreams and fatherhood. Read this to my 4th grade class and they seemed to like it! 5/5

Seasons of disbelief: really sad story about an old women trying to convince a few younger prettier girls that she too was at one point, young and pretty. Pretty Grimm and although not a women I do the sense of my body eventually falling apart and that scares the hell out of me. 3.5/5


And the rock cried out: one of my favorites in the book. Young white couple on vacation in 3rd world South American is trapped as the bombs fall on USA and Europe. To the dismay of the couple, the rest of the world celebrates as the time of western dominance is over. Very interesting book on politics, power and empathy. When this was written this was it was probably very shocking for readers, today though it is a touch heavy handed. 4/5

The drummer boy of Shiloh: round 1 of Bradburry writing about Ireland and losing the hell out of me. Maybe it’s cuz I’ve never been to Ireland, or I don’t know much of its history but I don’t find any of these Irish tales that compelling. Still, it’s clear that it’s well written. 1.5/5

The beggar on O’Connell bride- another Irish one. This time with some supernatural elements. Good themes of empathy and compassion but I prefer his sifi stuff. 1.5/5

The flying machine- quick one about a Chinese emperor whose subject invents flight. Pretty neat story on power and authority . 4/5

Heavy set- another banger. A child trapped in the body of a massive college aged kid with no social skills. He sinks himself into his massive fucking gains because he lacks the skills to be in a relationship with other young adults. Sad and freaky at the same time. Personally resonated with this one. Thinking you are better than everyone because you have different values and interests. Been there. Interesting looking at it from the authors pov 5/5

The first night of lent: Irish one that I didn’t have any connection too. 1.5/5

Lafayette, farewell: remember reading it and not feeling much. 1.5/5

Remember Sasha: remember reading it and not feeling much. 1.5/5

Junior- pretty weird one about an old dude who gets a bonner for the first time in years and tells all his pals. 2/5

That woman on the lawn- creepy one that I’m not sure I fully understood. A boy keeps seeing their Spector crying outside his house and after a long follow finds out it’s a younger version of his mom who laments her troubles to him. Interesting but I’m not sure I got the point. 2.5/5

February 1999: YLLA- this is why I read sifi. A chance to use a dope medium to tell stories about humans doing human shit. Compelling marriage drama on mars. 4/5

Banshee- something about Ireland I’ll probs skip it

One for our lordship and one for the road!- cool story about celebrating death rather than crying over it. Pretty tame tho. 2.5/5

Laurel and hardy love affair- wholesome but a bit much romance for my taste. 2/5

Unterderseaboat Dokor- confusing one about a German submarine worker having PTSD disassociation and talking to his therapist. Kinda lost tbh 1.5/5

Another fine mess- cool one about two ladies hearing ghosts of movie starts they like. I didn’t really get it tho 2/5

The visitor- my favorite in the the book thus far. Infected people from earth are sent to mars to die a slow and painful blood loss death. In this desolate environment a man shows up with the power to make people literally believe they are in a different place. When news comes of this people begin to fight over who gets to use him. The ending of this story is gut wrenching. It has some NYC imagery so you know I’m a sucker. Damn near in tears for a story that isn’t more than 15 pages. 5/5

The man- another banger. Two astronauts are to introduce themselves to an alien species for the first time but the aliens seem to not give a fuck. The astronauts find out that the day before Jesus Christ showed up and gave the planet salvation. This prompts some very interesting conflicts between the two astronauts who have differing views on the event. Very interesting read. Would love to get a more well versed religious perspective on this cuz I’m sure there is some subtext I missed 5/5

Darling Adolph- compelling story about a two Jewish directors filming a movie about Hitler. Their lead Actor wants to recreate a real life nazi rally in one of the old spots where they used to gather. He claims that if they ask the pubic, they would come out in droves even sporting their old Nazi uniform. As the story progresses it becomes clear that the actor wants a chance to really become hitler for a brief moment and reveals the deep rooted anti semitism that still plagues Europe. Really like how this story slowly built up to a climax. it left me wondering where the intentions of the characters were until it very abundantly clear. 4.5/5

The beautiful shave- sometimes you just gotta give the people what they want. 2 page story were the barber wins 3/5

Colonel stone-steels genuine homemade truly Egyptian mummy- cute one about balancing boredom with stability. Mildly hard to follow at times but I love an old guy and a young boy story. Later found out this was based on Bradburry’s life growing up in Illinois, having nothing to do everyday and having to make up his own stories to fill in the gaps. Dig it 3.5/5


The dwarf- really liked this one, though it’s pretty heart wrenching read. A little person uses a carnival mirror to make believe he is actually tall. Doesn’t end well when the villain fucks with the set up. Liked how the villain gets a moment of suffering that the dwarf feels at the end, as well as how the climax builds up pretty clearly but still hits hella hard thanks to some descriptive writing. 4/5

A wild night in Galway- this guy hates Ireland but talks about it a lot. Again didn’t really get it. Two dudes go out thinking they are gonna have the best night of their live but find pretty much nothing. 1.5/5

Henry the ninth- another Ireland one. This one with a bit of science fiction elements. In a distant future all of the worlds northern countries are abandoned for places where there is no winter. The story takes place with the last immigrant and one lone man refusing to leave his homeland. Some infesting stuff here but again mostly Ireland talk. 2/5

A little journey- dece and fast one. Man falsely sells finding god in the stars on a rocket to a bunch of old ladies. The charade breaks and the ladies take the rocket anyway- snake seller in tow. Not a religious man but it was pretty neat. 3.5/5


The messiah- another cool one about Jesus. 5 Christians of different denominations and a rabbi live together and talk about god n shit for most of it. It was clearly very well written, the passion for Him really spilled out onto the pages enough for a non believer to feel the emotion. The sci-fi element comes in when a Martian aliens have the ability to telepath man’s greatest desires to them. One of the dudes get the privilege to see Jesus in the this aliens analogy to transmit desires. Pretty neat concept, but again I didn’t connect to it on a personal level or anything. 3/5


I see you never- pretty short one about a landowner seeing her tenet get evicted over a visa. Nothing really went down tbh. 1.5/5

The exiles- very interesting one but a touch hard to read. In the future all honor books have been burned and the authors of such books, lead by Edgar Allen Poe, have been living in immortal live on mars. They are supplied their immortality by their books being read and valued- when the last book is burned they cease to exist. Basically Coco rules. Poe realized that man has now reached mars and again threaten their existence. It’s a super interesting idea and it’s filled with influences from these classic horror writers but I found it to be a bit confusing and lacking a clear conclusion. I also am not super well versed in these guys so I probs missed a bunch of references and writers. 2/5

Dear Mr. Bradbury,

I took a lot of time to finish your book. Not because the stories were complicated to read or because this collection was a big one, it was for the simple reason that I wanted to savor the aftertaste of each and every one of the tales. After I finished a tale, I closed the book and my eyes to relive those images you so vividly explained. You made me relive my childhood days of carefree wanderings and never ending hours of play. How as a child you never feel the sun as you play on and on for hours altogether and yet come back home still raring to go. As you grow up, an hour outside in the sun wrings you out like a dishrag and you wonder where did all that reserve of energy disappear to. Childhood was this magical glen and your words were time machines alighted me on those meadows yet again, even though it was only for a short while.

You did love autumn didn’t you ? The leaves the color of fire, the wind that comes down from the skies, Halloween and of mellow fruitfulness all make an appearance in these stories. I could practically see and feel the melancholy that the season inspires on the human mind. Beyond a set of stories, I was looking forward to just another tale set in autumn..and another…and another…I couldn’t have enough of them. Then there were the sci-fi stories which to me always meant a backbone of science (no matter how impossible it is !) atop which a story it built. What I found in your tales was a gossamer thin thread of science which was only one ingredient of a magnificent set of other constituents. Mars beckoned to me after these tales ! Mars with its glorious civilizations and never ending wonders and Mars which was left a broken land by the greedy humans who colonized it. It was a Mars of your imagination and yet those stories set on the red planet are tinged with a sadness which can never be fully explained. Those magic days of Mars are now past us, never to be regained !

A look at the future as seen from your eyes is at times a bleak one. True villainy in your future takes the form of ignorance and appears as men hell bent on burning and destroying all the books they can find. A later novel of yours had its entire premise on the topic of burning books and this was truly a horrifying glimpse at a future devoid of imagination, art and literature. A wide variety of characters make their cameos in your stories : Poe, Bierce, Melville, Thomas Wolfe and Hemingway came alive and talked to me. I walked with them and comprehended but a tiny glimpse of their majestic and intimidating world of words. A book can never be forgotten Mr.Bradbury, it can never be mishandled and can never be taken anywhere near a flame ! Books may be mortal but the ideas they plant inside our heads, those are immortal and those can never be burned or stamped away. I believe in this and it is my guiding light. There was also the odd horror story in between the others with the moment of terror slowly building up and creeping up to me in all its fiendish glory. Nothing bloody or gore filled, just the plain unsettlement of having been a witness to something quite extraordinary.

The feel of being in love is a spell that you can never fully recreate as you age. The first time you held hands with your love, the endless conversations on seemingly inconsequential subjects, the first hurried (and mostly awkward) kiss are all vivid memories you can never fully wipe out of your mind and yet you capture them perfectly. The naïve days of first love, the heartbreaks, the late bloomers in love, simple companionship : all of it find a place in your stories. A steady companion and a long conversation are rather blissful facts of life and sometimes we take them for granted, which we really shouldn’t ain’t it so ?

There is so much more I could write about your stories : Of Dublin, Heeber Finn’s pub, quiet towns in America, the fireworks on the fourth of July, time machines, cathedrals…. It is a long list of wonders.

I will close this letter with an apology to you Mr.Bradbury. I always thought of you as a writer of sci-fi and horror and now I realize how grossly off the mark I was. You are way beyond all these stereotypes for you are a wizard. Someone who weaves spells with your tales. A wizard with words. Where ever you are right now sir, here’s to you !

Yours Truly

My top picks from the hundred are these stories :

1.tThe Rocket
2.tThe Beggar On O’Connell Bridge
3.tThe Flying Machine
4.tBanshee
5.tThe Illustrated Man
6.tThe Dragon
7.tThe Kilimanjaro Device
8.tBless Me, Father, For I Have Sinned
9.tDeath & The Maiden
10.tAll On A Summer’s Night

Note : Read this book ! Just pick this up and start reading NOW !

The big thing that strikes me returning to Bradbury after nearly 20 years is how utterly conservative the dude is. Truly does not seem to get enough cred as being like Reverse Lovecraft convinced that Life and Art peaked in 1850 (hmm) and tortured by how the progress of time and society (hmm) will ultimately outlaw/burn/ignore Beauty and then people will just watch TV and screw and crush butterflies in their hands.

That said, for this being the top 10% or whatever of his work, a good 25% of these are just DOGS, like the 15 different riffs on Fahrenheit 451 or the Bazooka Joe jokes stretched out into ten pages (see: How Are Irish Fellas Like Gay Fellas, What If a Cowboy Was Mean to His Barber).

That said, when it works, goddammit he's good. "The Swan" ("lime vanilla ice") is one of my favorite short stories ever, and most of the horror is effortlessly chilling. Just uh maybe toss the Martian stories and the Irish stories and the What If An Old Author Guy Was Alive Today stories and the Censors Deserve to Die stories and the Surprise! They're a Robut stories and ...

It's taken me a few days to get around to writing this review. As soon as I completed the book, we went on a short vacation.

I don't think I'm old, but some of you may disagree. The last time I read a book by Bradbury was in High School back in roughly 19xx. So, it's been a while and I had forgotten when a great writer he was.

Bradbury stories is very long, almost 1,000 pages, including 100 of his best short stories. The reading is easy, quick and enjoyable. In fact, I have on only a few occasions in my life read a story where I can imagine the voice of the characters. There were several of his stories where I experienced that. If you have never "heard" a character in a story, you have not experienced a feeling that I cannot entirely describe. Suffice it to say that it was beautiful and all consuming.

A listing of all of the stories in the book can be found here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bradbury...

With 100 stories, I cannot go into specifics. But, the genres of the stories run the gambit from suspense to horror to science fiction to drama, and just about everything in between.

This was a great book. Can't say anything more.

Ray Bradbury is a great short story writer of not only fantasy, science fiction and horror, but also literature. The Lake is one of his short stories that is in my top ten favorite stories. But it's not even found in this collection. I think the problem with putting 100 of Bradbury's stories in a book is that there are just too many short stories to choose from. Which ones to pick? It will be subjective. The Lake is one of Bradbury's literary stories, and it was based on a true event that happened to Bradbury. It makes the story powerful and emotional.

But I won't go on with that. I mentioned The Lake because it shows that the reader can't get everything out of this collection. It has a lot, but not everything. It's diverse and I loved many of the stories, but disliked some too. That will happen with so many stories. I actually read this collection over years, savoring each story for a month or a week. I read it off and on. Stories like The Rocket are excellent. There's even one story, I believe, that gives respect to Hemingway's ghost.

Of course, the style is excellent. You know Bradbury by his unique style. It's exciting and uplifting. He has a big imagination. His writing has energy, a spark that lifts you up. I will say this collection is fair, but not excellent. There are good and bad stories here, but it's not all his best work. The book is 900+ pages, so you can't fit all the best stuff in there. But it was a pretty good read based on reading good stories here and there, such as the one about a civilization on mars. Even though we know there's no intelligent life on Mars, it's easy to read a story from Bradbury and nod your head as he tells you that there is life there, entire cities--and, for the entirety of the story, I believe him.

BIAS ALERT (which I have to put on all Ray Bradbury reviews): I'm a superfan. He's a sentimental favorite because he's the author who gave me my lifelong love for SciFi Fantasy. This is a stout collection, with 100 short stories (clocks in around 900 pgs) which I read at my leisure and with great pleasure. What can I say? Bradbury takes me along on his stories. I get immersed in that brilliant imagination of his and I could stay for hours. One of my favorite things about Bradbury is his characters are as interesting as they are diverse. I wanted this particular volume because I love that he chose the stories himself, and also wrote the introduction which was mainly about his inspiration for a number of these stories. This is an exceptional presentation of his work for those interested in this preeminent storyteller and celebrated author.

Las utopías son divertidas pero las distopías son más interesantes. 

El tema es bueno y sin embargo, creo que Ray no lo supo explotar. Para mi gusto se ha quedado corto

Look no further for Bradbury short stories. This book is comprised of 100 of Ray Bradbury's stories picked out by the author himself as his own favorites. This is the essential Bradbury collection to read. It contains many of the greatest stories from across his entire bibliography.

I started reading this collection on a chilly night in Yellowstone National Park. As the character's horror rises in the first story, the howls of coyotes began to rise on the night air. A physical chill swept through my spine. Bradbury is a master of evocation, and these stories deliver the full range of emotion and awe.

This book is very enjoyable, but it’s probably best to break it up into smaller chunks instead of reading it altogether. It got a bit daunting towards the end. There are, of course, a few duds, but I found the majority of the stories to be interesting, haunting, and often times moving.

The book starts out strong with “The Whole Town’s Sleeping”, but the stories don’t quite keep up the same momentum after that one. That one in particular made me feel sick to my stomach and gave me the creeps which is perfect. Bradbury is a master of sci-fi but also human connection and nostalgia. His writing often leaps off the page and gets right into the action. This may not be the strongest collection, but it would be a shame to miss out on it completely.

Ray Bradbury has been one of my favorite authors since I was assigned to read Dandelion Wine in high school, and I’ve long wanted to tackle this collection. I struggle with story collections though (investing myself in new worlds and characters every five pages is a demand), so I gave myself the year to read it. There was still some struggling, but that’s not the worst thing. Like all collections, some of the stories are hit and miss even if you happen to adore the writing style. Most of my favorites I had already read before, and there were only a couple others I felt in my soul. Altogether, there were 20/100 of stories I’d like to reread v. ones I probably wouldn’t, but that seems a little higher than a lot of collections.

My absolute favorite stories were “The Kilimanjaro Device,” “The Swan,” and “April 2005: Usher II,” all of which I’d read multiple times before. The first two are breathtakingly beautiful and sad as they wrangle with “right” deaths and love that comes in all forms regardless of timing. I always cry through them, but there’s a kind of rightness in the sadness that only Bradbury can manage. “Usher II” is a delightfully ironic revenge story for book and horror lovers, and I enjoy all the fun cameos of Edgar Allan Poe stories. Some other favorites were “No News, or What Killed the Dog?” (a story that has comforted me in the past when I lost my own beloved pets), “The Finnegan” (a delightfully well-plotted horror story), and “The Pedestrian” (Bradbury’s dystopia at its best). In general, I tended to love the horror stories, the small town Dandelion Wine-style stories, and the ones that bring a kind of rightness to otherwise sad life events. (For a more complete list, see below.)

There were plenty more I had to drag myself through though. Occasionally, Bradbury gets fixed on a rather silly concept that doesn’t get less silly by digging deeper into it. I found most of the stories that take place in Ireland difficult to get through too. Although there’s a palpable sense of place and culture in them, the plots typically end up being a bit ridiculous. There’s also a theme of space and Mars-related stories that I enjoyed more but also, mostly, weren’t my favorites (sci-fi still isn’t really my genre). Another theme is the old Hollywood stories, which are often fun and, again, give an excellent sense of time and place.

Collections like this show a great array of Bradbury’s range, interests, and common themes, things that recur over and over again throughout his work. (I did notice a couple well-loved favorites that were missing, such as “There Will Come Soft Rains,” “All Summer in a Day,” and “A Sound of Thunder.”) I highly doubt all the stories would appeal to everyone, but the nice thing about it is that there’s likely something in here for everyone. While I found it satisfying to finish, I don’t really recommend reading it cover to cover like I did. Instead, I found it more fun to do as I’d been doing when I was younger and choose titles that sounded interesting to me at random, and to skip anything that doesn’t catch my interest on the first page. I’m glad I read them all, but I’ll probably just return to my favorites in the future.

I review regularly at brightbeautifulthings.tumblr.com.

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Favorites (in order they appear in the book)
“The Whole Town’s Sleeping”
“The Rocket”
“Lafayette, Farewell”
“No News, or What Killed the Dog?”
“Colonel Stonesteel’s Genuine Home-made Truly Egyptian Mummy”
“The Witch Door”
“The Watchers”
“The Sound of Summer Running”
“The Finnegan”
“On the Orient, North”
“The Kilimanjaro Device”
“The Pedestrian”
“The Swan”
“April 2005: Usher II”
“A Far-away Guitar”
“Bright Phoenix”
“April 2026: The Long Years”
“Death and the Maiden”
“Last Rites”
“All on a Summer’s Night”