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urikastov's review
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
bark's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
annabolson's review
dark
funny
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.0
mburnamfink's review
4.0
Ray Bradbury is an odd duck. Claimed by science fiction on the eternal strength of Fahrenheit 451 and The Martian Chronicles, his heart was always with another genre entirely: a nameless thing that I can best approximate as 'weird stories' or perhaps 'slipstream.' Bradbury is obsessed with that liminal moment where the mundane becomes the supernatural, where ordinary life touches some transcending strangeness. This anthology is his collection of writers working in that field--primarily mid-century Americans, spiced with major names like Kafka, Steinbeck, E.B. White and Roald Dahl.
As with most anthologies, the quality of the stories is a little uneven, ranging from quite good to trite and forgettable. There's a kind of genteel shabbiness to the book (perhaps amplified by my rather battered nth-hand copy), with the general tone being mordant rather than macabre. One thing that strikes me, based on my other reading, is in some ways the richness of the literary scene. There weird tales come from dozens of sources, with grand old New Yorker leading the charge. To think a 'serious magazine' would publish strange fiction!
As with most anthologies, the quality of the stories is a little uneven, ranging from quite good to trite and forgettable. There's a kind of genteel shabbiness to the book (perhaps amplified by my rather battered nth-hand copy), with the general tone being mordant rather than macabre. One thing that strikes me, based on my other reading, is in some ways the richness of the literary scene. There weird tales come from dozens of sources, with grand old New Yorker leading the charge. To think a 'serious magazine' would publish strange fiction!
0hfortheloveofbooks's review
3.0
3.5 stars
Honestly I didn't even realize Bradbury didn't write these stories until I actually picked up the book to begin reading. But I would have read this book regardless for his introduction alone. Not many introductions blow me away but then again, not many introductions are written by Ray Bradbury. There is something in his words that I just find so comfortable, not to mention, eloquent. So I decided to keep reading. I figured if I'm not going to read a story written by Bradbury, I want to read a story deemed fantastic by Bradbury.
None of these stories really screamed fantasy in the way I always assumed was "fantasy;" which is probably for the best as I never have been a fan of the high fantasy genre. Instead, these stories have hints of darkness, of the horrors of everyday life, peppered with a few well placed fantastic events and situations. As Bradbury mentions in his introduction, he really sought out stories to prove there is fantasy in our everyday life.
Like most short story collections, there were stories I loved, stories I enjoyed, and stories that just missed the mark for me. A few stand outs include: The Portable Phonograph by Walter van Tilburg Clark, a melancholy post apocalyptic story about finding joy. None Before Me by Sidney Carroll, a story about obsession in the most ultimate terms. The Demon Lover by Shirley Jackson, this one was a slow burn and really didn't do much for me until I really thought about it. It went in a completely different direction than I was anticipating. The Laocoön Complex by J.C. Furnas, a strange story about a man and a snake; a concept I had never thought of before! And finally, The Pedestrian by the name himself, Ray Bradbury. This story felt very reminiscent of Fahrenheit 451 and that alternate future that might not be all that far off.
All in all, they were fun, enjoyable stories. I just wish Bradbury had written them! Haha
Honestly I didn't even realize Bradbury didn't write these stories until I actually picked up the book to begin reading. But I would have read this book regardless for his introduction alone. Not many introductions blow me away but then again, not many introductions are written by Ray Bradbury. There is something in his words that I just find so comfortable, not to mention, eloquent. So I decided to keep reading. I figured if I'm not going to read a story written by Bradbury, I want to read a story deemed fantastic by Bradbury.
None of these stories really screamed fantasy in the way I always assumed was "fantasy;" which is probably for the best as I never have been a fan of the high fantasy genre. Instead, these stories have hints of darkness, of the horrors of everyday life, peppered with a few well placed fantastic events and situations. As Bradbury mentions in his introduction, he really sought out stories to prove there is fantasy in our everyday life.
Like most short story collections, there were stories I loved, stories I enjoyed, and stories that just missed the mark for me. A few stand outs include: The Portable Phonograph by Walter van Tilburg Clark, a melancholy post apocalyptic story about finding joy. None Before Me by Sidney Carroll, a story about obsession in the most ultimate terms. The Demon Lover by Shirley Jackson, this one was a slow burn and really didn't do much for me until I really thought about it. It went in a completely different direction than I was anticipating. The Laocoön Complex by J.C. Furnas, a strange story about a man and a snake; a concept I had never thought of before! And finally, The Pedestrian by the name himself, Ray Bradbury. This story felt very reminiscent of Fahrenheit 451 and that alternate future that might not be all that far off.
All in all, they were fun, enjoyable stories. I just wish Bradbury had written them! Haha
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