Ahmed and the Oblivion Machines: A Fable

I was a bit surprised at all the low reviews this book has received so far. Then again, it is a book about dreams and dreaming and imagination, and while the plot and message are there and easy enough to discover, they are not spelled out in a neat, easy way. Artists and children could particularly love this book, but anyone wanting a nice, straightforward, proper story might be a bit lost and disappointed with this book. I would really love to see what images artists could come up with to illustrate the scenes from this book.

A children's book by the master, not one of his more engaging works. Ahmed is the 12-year-old son of a desert caravan leader who falls from his camel and is lost. His tears awaken an ancient god, Gonn-Ben-Allah, Keeper of the Ghosts of the Lost Names, and the two embark on a series of adventures through space and time, and Ahmed learns some life lessons. The book is a bit too wrapped in mystic ambiguity for my tastes, and Bradbury's considerable skills are not enough here to make this a book that would appeal to children as much as the diehard Bradbury completist... like me.

Cuando Ahmed, de doce años, hijo del jefe de una caravana, se cae una noche de su camello, se encuentra solo y perdido entre las dunas desérticas y se echa a llorar. Las lágrimas de Ahmed caen y despiertan al antiguo dios Gonn-BennAlá, Guardián de los Fantasmas de Nombres Perdidos, que dormía bajo las arenas. Resucitado por primera vez en docenas de miles de años, el majestuoso Gonn le cuenta al niño la historia que los ha unido, y le concede el don de volar. Juntos se elevan en el aire nocturno, y a través del tiempo y el espacio Gonn muestra al fascinado Ahmed las maravillas -y las penas- del mundo. Con cada sorprendente revelación, Ahmed encuentra un poco más de sabiduría y terminará por aceptar lo que la vida le ofrece.