The October Country

I had forgotten just how much I love Ray Bradbury and his writing. This collection of short stories has not one dud in the whole bunch. I don't think anyone can capture how it feels to be a child again like he does. A few of the stories I had read before, but simply read them as if they were new. Many awards have been given to Mr. Bradbury and his writing, and they are all completely deserved.

Perfect to read during October. I love Ray Bradbury so much

"The October Country" is often overlooked when fans and literary critics cite both "The Martian Chronicles" and "The Illustrated Man" as comprising some of Ray Bradbury's best tales of fantasy and science fiction. Without question, "The October Country" also merits ample praise for Bradbury's prodigious gifts as an elegant story teller and prose stylist. These stories were first written and published between 1943 and 1955, comprising his first major body of work devoted to horror and fantasy. It was truly a pleasure reading these tales after a long time; they remain as vivid and fresh as when I had encountered them for the first time years ago in high school. Ray Bradbury offers a fascinating look into how they were written in the Introduction that he has written for this edition. Bradbury's affection for small-town Midwestern United States - so readily apparent in his "The Martian Chronicles" - is an underlying theme in his book, especially in tales such as "Uncle Einar" and "Homecoming", which are, in part, inspired by his own youth. But yet another underlying theme is Bradbury's penchant for psychological horror, that is as terrifying as some of his best science fiction short stories (e. g. "The Illustrated Man"); three classic examples in this collection include the tales "The Next in Line", "The Small Assassin", and "The Scythe". Overall, Ray Bradbury's prose and storytelling skills certainly place him alongside Edgar Allen Poe as two of the United States' foremost masters of highly literate tales of horror. I certainly regard Bradbury as one of the finest writers of our time.

Ray Bradbury's name is synonymous with imagination and in this collection of short stories he proves that beyond a reasonable doubt. I know, I used to cringe at his name. That is before I learned that he didn't just write science fiction (a genre of which I am not too fond). These stories range from a bizarre account of one couple's visit to a Mexican town and the mummies that reside there (The Next In Line), a loyal dog that brings its young bed-ridden owner things from out in the world, even things from cemeteries (The Emissary), a baby born with an evil intelligence (The Small Assassin), a man who is the heir to Death's job (The Scythe), and an observant boy who deals with a tenant vampire in a very unique way (The Man Upstairs). The stories I have listed are of particualr impact and my favorites of the collection, but overall word for word, page for page each story is priceless. If you are a fan of horror fiction or just plain old imaginative writing in general invest in the works of Ray Bradbury, you won't regret it.

Every year just before I reread The Homecoming. It was the first Bradbury story I ever read, way back in 5th grade, and I fell in love with it immediately. When Bradbury writes about an apple pie, in a few quick words you smell it. I love this collection, as I love Farenheit 451, The Martian Chronicles, and The Illustrated Man. The stories in here range from the odd to the silly to the chilling, the kind of stories you want to tell in a tent by a flashlight on a camping trip with your old buddies. They are for the child and the terror in us all. May you all fly with Uncle Einar!

Bradbury, who had always wanted to write poetry was heartened when a collegue told him that he already was a poet, then read him some passages from Martian Chronicles. October Country,an edited version of his first collection called Dark Carnival, also shows this same promise. These are mostly tales of horror written for pulp magazines of the thirties and forties. They are frightening stories which resound with Bradbury's own unique poetic voice. These are tales that could easily have been told 'round the fire and that may be their best setting. Accompanied by Joe Mugnaini's lovely illustrations, it only leaves you wanting to know what the original edition was like. Unless you have great luck, or a large book buying budget, October Country will have to suffice.