Bradbury's writing still evokes the magical escapism that was exciting as a pre-pubescent. ( )

This collection, first published in 1959 collects stories published in a variety of publications between 1948 and 1959 as well as many stories original to this collection, such as the title story. It is one of many collections of Bradbury's short fiction. Quite a few, probably most of these stories, are simply stories - neither science fiction nor fantasy.

There are several true gems by Bradbury in here, such as"The Smile" and "Dark They Were, and Golden Eyed" which a friend of mine summarizes as "The colonizers colonized. The quiet, patient persistence of indigenous culture. The power of place.". This same friend tells me she read this in 8th grade and was immediately under the spell of it. I remember my daughter's middle school English text had a selection of Bradbury stories in it which quite pleased me. Me being me I of course had already introduced her to Bradbury's stories via audiotapes from our library that were read by Bradbury, including at least one that appears in this collection.

With 22 stories there is pretty much something for everyone, even though a few are lesser creations among the great ones. The opening story about a man and Picasso on a beach captured me immediately.

•1 • In a Season of Calm Weather • (1957)
•7 • The Dragon • (1955)
•11 • A Medicine for Melancholy • (1959)
•21 • The End of the Beginning • (1956) (orig title: Next Stop: The Stars)
•27 • The Wonderful Ice Cream Suit • (1958) (Orig title: The Magic White Suit in the Saturday Evening Post)
•51 • Fever Dream • (1948) • (aka Night Lights)
•59 • The Marriage Mender • (1954)
•64 • The Town Where No One Got Off • (1958)
•73 • A Scent of Sarsaparilla • (1953)
•80 • Icarus Montgolfier Wright • (1956)
•85 • The Headpiece • (1958) •
•95 • Dark They Were, and Golden-Eyed • (1949) (orig title: The Naming of names)
•110 • The Smile • The Time Vault • (1952)
•116 • The First Night of Lent • (1956)
•124 • The Time of Going Away • (1956)
•131 • All Summer in a Day • (1954)
•138 • The Gift • (1952) •
•141 • The Great Collision of Monday Last • (1958) (orig title: Collision of Monday)
•148 • The Little Mice • (1955)
•154 • The Sunset Harp • (1959)
•164 • The Strawberry Window • (1955)
•173 • The Day It Rained Forever • (1957) ( )

A wonderful collection of short stories from the Master. Sometimes melancholic and lyric, sometimes suprising and thought-provoking but always Bradbury at his best. My favourites are 'Dark They Were, and Golden Eyed' and 'The Smile'. ( )

Here is a group of stories by one of the masters of the science fiction field.

A young woman is bedridden with a baffling illness. Her family decides to bring her, and her bed, outside, on the street, to take advantage of the human tendency to give unsolicited medical advice to complete strangers. A group of male friends, of the same physical size, pool their resources to purchase an expensive white suit, which they will share. It is the sort of suit that is guaranteed to attract the ladies. A young boy is sick with what his doctor is certain is nothing more than scarlet fever. The boy fears that his sickness is much more serious.

An after-the-apocalypse story is about an America where everything, and anything, from the past is to be hated and destroyed, including a famous painting that is based on a woman's smile. A group of human colonists are stuck on Mars because of a war on Earth. A colony ship is sent, five years later, after the war, and finds several hundred Martians, with no knowledge of any human colonists. Traveling across America by train, a businessman impulsively decides to get off at the next stop, whatever it is. He learns why there are some small towns where no one ever gets off the train. A couple of men who wander California beaches looking for coins or dropped jewelry find something really interesting. A real mermaid washes up on shore. Their thought is to pack it in ice, and eventually sell it, but the tide is coming in.

This book shows why Bradbury was such a great author. The stories aren't just science fiction, or fantasy, or horror. They feel like the sort of stories that could happen to anyone. If a copy can be found, this is a gem of a book. ( )

Another fine collection of Bradbury stories, from his best period of creativity. I loved "All Summer in a Day", but again, not a single note here rings false. The man is touched by genius and the wisdom to best use it. ( )