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3.86 AVERAGE
3.86 AVERAGE
An excellent collection of stories. A couple left me cold but they were mostly hugely engaging, beautifully written and impressively succinct.
Favorite stories so far:
"Heavy" by Jay Bonansinga
"Cat on a Bad Couch" by Lee Martin
"Little America" by Dan Chaon
"Earth (A Gift Shop)" by Charles Yu
Favorite of all:
"By the Silver Water of Lake Champlain" by Joe Hill
"Two Houses" by Kelly Link
"Heavy" by Jay Bonansinga
"Cat on a Bad Couch" by Lee Martin
"Little America" by Dan Chaon
"Earth (A Gift Shop)" by Charles Yu
Favorite of all:
"By the Silver Water of Lake Champlain" by Joe Hill
"Two Houses" by Kelly Link
Recently I have rediscovered my love for the medium that is the short story. One of the things I love about short stories is that the best ones tend to leave you with more questions then answers. A good short story leaves the wheels of your imagination spinning long after you have finished the last line.
Another bonus is that with a hectic schedule I can still often find time to start and finish a story in one sitting.
This collection contained many a story that were worth finishing in one sitting. It also contained many a story for which the adjective thought-provoking doesn't do justice.
I would not dare to lump these stories into any particular genre, as they are best described as stories. Stories that illuminate, question, or inspire, but nonetheless many stories that I'm glad I chose to expose myself to.
Among the best were "The Companions," "The Man Who Forgot Ray Bradbury," "Fat Man and Little Boy," "Reservation 2020," and "Children of the Bedtime Machine."
Another bonus is that with a hectic schedule I can still often find time to start and finish a story in one sitting.
This collection contained many a story that were worth finishing in one sitting. It also contained many a story for which the adjective thought-provoking doesn't do justice.
I would not dare to lump these stories into any particular genre, as they are best described as stories. Stories that illuminate, question, or inspire, but nonetheless many stories that I'm glad I chose to expose myself to.
Among the best were "The Companions," "The Man Who Forgot Ray Bradbury," "Fat Man and Little Boy," "Reservation 2020," and "Children of the Bedtime Machine."
You should always be just a little suspect when the editor(s) of a collection of short stories have work in it. You should be even more suspect when one of the editors' stories is merely okay and the other is quite bad (and seemingly way off topic/style).
Most of this book was mediocre genre pulp, with a few "literary" folks thrown in for good measure. The stories I liked the best (mostly from the "literary" folks) were too short--they often felt like drafts of stories, added in as a favor or afterthought. The stories I didn't care about all seemed to drag on for 20+ pages.
Fans of Bradbury think of him variously as both sci-fi and nostalgic/wistful. The editors both focus on the latter in their own stories, so it's not surprising that most of the stories in the collection are also more steeped in Bradbury-esque nostalgia (a al Dandelion Wine, say) than Bradbury-esque sci-fi (Fahrenheit 451, Martian Chronicles).
While none of the stories were bad, per se, the overall effect was kind of unpleasant. If this book is truly a reflection of Bradbury's style and content, was he a dimestore pulp hack? Have I totally misremembered the experience of reading Bradbury?
I think no, and that this book merely fails to sync up with my own experience of Bradbury. Given its largely positive reviews, it may be that my experience is the outlier. Still, in the spirit of writing reviews, I'd say not only that fans of Bradbury could skip this one, but rather that they should.
Most of this book was mediocre genre pulp, with a few "literary" folks thrown in for good measure. The stories I liked the best (mostly from the "literary" folks) were too short--they often felt like drafts of stories, added in as a favor or afterthought. The stories I didn't care about all seemed to drag on for 20+ pages.
Fans of Bradbury think of him variously as both sci-fi and nostalgic/wistful. The editors both focus on the latter in their own stories, so it's not surprising that most of the stories in the collection are also more steeped in Bradbury-esque nostalgia (a al Dandelion Wine, say) than Bradbury-esque sci-fi (Fahrenheit 451, Martian Chronicles).
While none of the stories were bad, per se, the overall effect was kind of unpleasant. If this book is truly a reflection of Bradbury's style and content, was he a dimestore pulp hack? Have I totally misremembered the experience of reading Bradbury?
I think no, and that this book merely fails to sync up with my own experience of Bradbury. Given its largely positive reviews, it may be that my experience is the outlier. Still, in the spirit of writing reviews, I'd say not only that fans of Bradbury could skip this one, but rather that they should.
Excellent stories all. Cool paperback copy signed by a handful of the contributing authors.
Read the Joe Hill story while in Burlington, VT and half expected to hear the “monster” calling out over the lake.
Read the Joe Hill story while in Burlington, VT and half expected to hear the “monster” calling out over the lake.
I bought this last Sunday and couldn't put it down all week. I loved it. Such a fitting tribute to be released the year Ray Bradbury died.
My only disappointment is that there was no story in the vein of Bradbury's Elliott family.
My only disappointment is that there was no story in the vein of Bradbury's Elliott family.
3.5. Some stories were amazing, some good, some didn't do anything for me. I listened to it, so now I wish I wrote down the titles that really were awesome.
This is a collection of short stories by some fine writers influenced by the inimitable and sorely missed Ray Bradbury . I savored these stories and was sorry to come to the end of them! As a lifelong Bradbury fan, I found these stories to be witty, chilling, stretching, beautiful, haunting, terrifying, and most of all imaginative -- the greatest of all Bradbury traits. One added pleasure is the author's notes after each one, which often refer back to RB stories that either directly or indirectly influenced the story at hand. So now I have reason to go back and delve into the master's work with new appreciation. You don't have to be a sci-fi fan to love Bradbury -- he is much larger than that simplistic label -- or to appreciate these stories by his heirs.
Joe Hill, Kelly Link, Charles Yu, and Gary A. Braunbeck carried this collection on their backs like pallbearers carrying a fallen planet. These stars are for them and them alone. Don’t get it twisted.