Shadow Show: Stories In Celebration of Ray Bradbury

Shadow Show: Stories In Celebration of Ray Bradbury #1-5

by Sam Weller (Editor), Joe Hill, Mort Castle

In Shadow Show, acclaimed writers and artists such as Joe Hill, Mort Castle, Audrey Niffenegger, Charles Paul Wilson III, Maria Frohlich, Eddie Campbell, Neil Gaiman, and more come together to pay tribute to the work of the one and only Ray Bradbury. In this collection are stories based on "By The Silver Water of Lake Champlain," "The Man Who Forgot Ray Bradbury," "Backward in Seville," "Weariness," "Live Forever!," "Who Knocks?," "Earth (A Gift Shop)," "Altenmoor, Where the Dogs Dance," and "Conjure."

Genres: Graphic Novels, Comics, Fantasy, Fiction, Horror, Short Stories, Science Fiction

128 pages, Paperback

First published July 7, 2015

About the author

Sam Weller is the author of The Bradbury Chronicles: The Life of Ray Bradbury (William Morrow, 2005) winner of the Society of Midland Author's Award for Best Biography of 2005. The book was also a finalist for the prestigious Bram Stoker Award. Sam is the former Midwest Correspondent for Publishers Weekly. He is a contributing writer for the Chicago Public Radio program, 848 and his work has appeared on the National Public Radio program, All Things Considered. Sam is a regular contributor to the Chicago Tribune Magazine, a frequent literary critic for the Chicago Tribune, Chicago Sun-Times, as well as Punk Planet magazine. During his tenure as managing editor of Columbia College's Gravity, the publication was given Newsweek magazine's Robert Sibley award for best college magazine. As a staff writer for the Chicago alternative weekly, Newcity, Sam was the recipient of the Peter Lisagor Award for arts criticism. Sam is also a frequent lecturer. In 2006, he spoke across the country as part of the National Endowment for the Arts "Big Read" initiative. He is the author of Secret Chicago: The Unique Guidebook to Chicago's Hidden Sites, Sounds & Tastes (ECW Press) and his short fiction has appeared in Spec-Lit. He received his MFA in Fiction from Columbia College Chicago. Sam lives in Chicago with his family.

Reviews

[Gareth Is Haunted · Rating 3 out of 5]

This does exactly what it says on the tin.
A collection of short graphic stories, all of which are an ode to the great Ray Bradbury.
In all I enjoyed reading through this collection. The artwork is on point as is the storytelling.
Worth checking out whether you're a fan of Bradbury's work or even if you're not.

[Kyra Leseberg (Roots & Reads) · Rating 4 out of 5]

A beautifully illustrated graphic novel based on selections from the short story collection Shadow Show. Several of today's notable authors (including Neil Gaiman & Alice Hoffman) who have been inspired by Ray Bradbury celebrate his life and work with stories of their own. Each author writes a short explanation of their story and the mark Bradbury has left on their lives and work.

[Ed Erwin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Graphic adaptations by various comics artists of stories written by various other authors in "celebration" of Ray Bradbury. Sometimes Bradbury is a character. Sometimes themes from Bradbury are evident. Sometimes, such as with the Harlan Ellison story, the connection is not obvious. (Ellison adds a "note" which tries, but mostly fails, to explain a connection. But that note is great. Typical Ellison going off on a rant!)

There are 3 great stories here, and a bunch of other OK ones. I'm not going to say which are which!

I didn't realize when I started this "comic" that it is based on the text anthology Shadow Show: All-New Stories in Celebration of Ray Bradbury by Sam Weller.

[Ain Ashura · Rating 4 out of 5]

Actual rating 3.7

[Maggie Gordon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Shadow Show the graphic novel is an odd collection. Originally, it was a novel without the pictures, until the creators decided that they needed to release an illustrated version? There are a few standouts in the volume (Alice Hoffman for one), but I feel like the stories were shortened too much to be as powerful as their predecessors, and many of them simply were not designed to be visual. In any case, it was an enjoyable enough read that has prompted me to consider reading the original stories.

[Amanda [Novel Addiction] · Rating 3 out of 5]

Like all books of short stories by different authors - some are absolutely amazing and some are just so-so. Overall, this was a three or three point five.

Review will be posted on my blog, Novel Addiction, in April 2015.

[Satanakoga · Rating 3 out of 5]

3,5/5

[Zombieslayer⚡Alienhunter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Zombieslayer/Alienhunter's 31 Days of Hallo-reads:
The FINAL review.

I couldn't come up with anything better than this to close my own little shadow show with.

Nine stories inspired by an in celebration of one of the most loved and cherished American authors.
Nine authors- Joe Hill, Neil Gaiman, Audrey Niffenegger, Sam Weller, Harlan Ellison, (a close personal friend of the author on display) Dave Eggers, Charles Yu, Mort Castle and Alice Hoffman pen stories about their inspiration, every one of them does it with love.

You know the drill.

By The Silver Waters of Lake Champlain.
Joe Hill. Art by Charles Paul Wilson III.

Gail and her boy-who-is-a-friend, Joel, make a monumental discovery by the lake's shore.
What is it? A creature? A thing? Something to fear?
They make it their own, only to face terrible consequences.

It's Joe Hill, alright? There's a distinct possibility I would read the dude's grocery list.
His magic for story-telling, and his particular knack for depicting the lives of children, is unmatched.

The Man Who Forgot Ray Bradbury
By Neil Gaiman. Art by Maria Frolich.

Depicting a lonely old man's descent into madness- Or so it may seem.
He's actively forgetting the author...
But it seems everyone else already has.
The Firemen aren't using fire anymore.

I'm sitting there trying to form a coherent thought after finishing the story, and I realize it was my first Gaiman story.
I am dead serious.
I didn't even think about it when I picked up the book.
I've been meaning to read his work for years (*cough* and Bradbury's. *cough*) but I didn't exactly mean for this short story to be my first.
Happy accidents, right?
I met Joe Hill in a short story, too.
I have a feeling my and Mr. Gaiman's relationship may end up being similar.

Backwards in Seville
Audrey Neffengger. Art by Eddie Campbell.

On a small cruise ship, halfway through her life and watching a father face the end of his, a daughter sacrifices the unthinkable.

Haunting, with minimalistic art that captures the story.

Live Forever
Sam Weller. Art by Mark Sexton.

When sitting down to speak with his childhood hero, a writer sees cogs and springs everywhere, and wonders what's always been there.

Maybe my favorite story. Definitely my favorite art.

Weariness.
Harlon Ellison.
Boy, and I thought Backwards in Seville had minimalistic art.
A conversation at the end of the stars, with one man who was lucky enough to know one of them before he burned out.

Who Knocks?
Dave Eggers. Art by Matthew Dow Smith.

A dark night, a dark lake. A lonely rowboat, a young girl dreaming.
Knock, knock.

Earth (A Gift Shop)
Charles Yu. Art by Christine Larsen.
Earthlings on a destroyed planent try to sell you useless crap.

Honestly just frakking hilarious...
Until it's not.

Attenmore, Where The Dogs Dance
By Mort Castle. Art by S.L Gallant.
A little boy's faithful little companion leaves our world. To comfort him, his grandfather tells him stories about Attenmore, the magical land where animals go when they can't be with us anymore. How cats and dogs dance and sing, and pigs play Dixie.
It takes a bit of energy- a healing touch- to send an old friend there.
Grandpa did it for Rusty, the good old dog.

We've all lost a good pet or two. I have an old dog now. And when I think about what it'll be like when she's not here anymore, Attenmore, where the dogs dance, will be a comforting thought.
Without a doubt my favorite story presented.

Conjure
Alice Hoffman. Art by Chris Evenhius.

On a hot August night in a small American town, someone who isn't supposed to be there is.
Is he friend or foe?
Angel or demon?

Lovely story. Generic art that I didn't *love*. But nonetheless, gorgeously written, and unforgettable.


curtain fall

I feel just a little bit cheated. The only Bradbury work I've read is Fahrenheit 451. And even if I did love it, I did only read it so I wouldn't fail English.

Without a doubt, Shadow Show will sit on the coveted re-read shelf (on which sits about three books, counting this) to be experienced again after I've educated myself a little more.

Welp. That's all she wrote.
Thanks for reading, everybody.



keep it spooky...

[Maja · Rating 4 out of 5]

Strong collection of short stories based on Ray Bradbury's own stories, now in comic form. I loved the majority of the 9 stories. Each author also wrote a short afterword explaining their connection to Ray Bradbury and why they chose the story they wrote, and those were interesting and quite touching as well.

By The Silver Waters of Lake Champlain – Joe Hill. Art by Charles Paul Wilson III.
The Man Who Forgot Ray Bradbury – Neil Gaiman. Art by Maria Frolich.
Backwards in Seville – Audrey Neffengger. Art by Eddie Campbell.
Live Forever – Sam Weller. Art by Mark Sexton.
Weariness. – Harlon Ellison.
Who Knocks? – Dave Eggers. Art by Matthew Dow Smith.
Earth (A Gift Shop) – Charles Yu. Art by Christine Larsen.
Attenmore, Where The Dogs Dance – Mort Castle. Art by S.L Gallant.
Conjure –Alice Hoffman. Art by Chris Evenhius.

[Dimitris Papastergiou · Rating 4 out of 5]

Do you like mystery? Great artwork? Fantasy? Stories that will leave you endlessly wondering what happened? Chills all over your body when you reach that last page? Bradbury's books? How about Neil Gaiman and Joe Hill? Well, you're in for a good read.

So many great little stories. Some of them amazing, some of them great, and some of them good. Also had one or two that didn't do it for me, but still. A Great little collection of mysteries that will have you wanting for more when you're done reading.

I especially loved the "Who knocks?" story. That was just pure darkness. Everything about this story was completely over the top. Many congratulations to the team. I'll definitely give it a second read in the future and recommend the graphic novel for THIS STORY ALONE to everyone. Goosebumps everywhere!

Hill's story was great with lots of sadness and Gaiman's story was just brilliant, I also listened to his audiobook of the same story, but seeing it in comicbook form is just wonderful. It really is a next-level storytelling about reading and books. Truthfully, I don't really have adequate language to describe the whole thing. You just need to read it and be there without any disturbance. It was really deep and it was something that you need to read twice while agreeing with everything our "character" is saying.

Totally recommend this collection!

[Sara Thompson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can't say that I have read Ray Bradbury but I have loved the movies made from his books. I love the authors that contributed to this collection. With that in mind, I'd recommend this graphic novel.
I don't know how it compares to Ray Bradbury's stories but I enjoyed the majority of the stories in this collection.
As it goes with collections, it's difficult to judge this as a complete book. The art varies from story to story. Most of the art is pleasant and easy on the eyes. I didn't love all of it, just as I didn't love every story.
But you have Joe Hill and Alice Hoffman who make me feel this is a worthwhile read. The fact that they bookend the book is even better.

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

In this book is a treasure-trove of stories to pay tribute to Ray Bradbury. The editors managed to have stories that remind me of Bradbury's stories.

It was interesting to read this as it is a graphic collection of these stories. It is illustrated by excellent top-notched artists. I recommend this book if you like short stories and even if you don't!

Disclaimer: I received an arc of this book free from the author/publisher from Netgalley. I was not obliged to write a favorable review, or even any review at all. The opinions expressed are strictly my own.

[Wyatt · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a little hit-or-miss for me, but the highs were good, and it made me... cry???

I didn't particularly love Joe Hill or Neil Gaiman's contributions to the collection, but I did love their afterwards which explained their connection to and reverence for Ray Bradbury. I was disappointed that not all of the stories here contained the same insight! As somehow who has only read Fahrenheit 451, this made me seriously consider reading more of his stuff.

Reading this has left me really curious as to how the short story compilation compares. I think that some stories might benefit from the additional context, especially the ones by Hill and Alice Hoffman. Others, like the Mort Castle, Sam Weller, and Charles Yu stories, are perfectly tailored to this format. As referenced above, I have to give a special shoutout to Castle for his story for making me cry... it just hit different!

[Jon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very nice collection. Charles Yu’s “Earth (A Gift Shop)” was perhaps my favorite, capturing that jubilant yet absolutely scathing humor that Bradbury frequently delivers with ease. Joe Hill and Neil Gaiman’s words regarding Bradbury’s influence are as engaging as the stories showcased here. Audrey Niffenegger’s offering is quietly touching, while Eggars offers a delightfully spooky campfire tale in the vein of urban legends passed down since forever. All together this is indeed a nice tribute to a singular voice in American literature. No one is like Bradbury, and the range of tales herein reiterate that truth. We’re damn lucky to have had him.

[Quentin Wallace · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a graphic novel adaptation of the short story collection of the same name (which I haven't read.)

I thought the stories did a great job of capturing the essence of Ray Bradbury and his writing. The settings, the characters, the art, even the language used reminded me of Bradbury. It was also interesting to see how the different writers picked up on different parts of Bradbury's storytelling, showing that his writing can influence writers in a variety of different ways.

If you're a Ray Bradbury fan and also enjoy graphic novels, I'm sure you'll enjoy this.

[Fenko · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book should contain things I like, but most stories are thoroughly underwhelming. Two stood out: an old writer and a young boy talking about imagination in the face of death; and two girls' future impacted by a stranger visiting their town and one girl's decision. I can't recommend the others, for to me they lacked emotion, too short to make any impression, pages not used wisely enough.

I learned that this was originally a book of prose. It makes sense that short stories, already an art of leaving things out, are hard to summarise in few comic pages without losing their charm.

[Dewi · Rating 3 out of 5]

My halloween treat!
Sudah lama ngintip-ngintip previewnya. Kumcer tribut untuk Ray Bradbury ada tersendiri, lalu beberapa cerita dibuat bentuk grafis. Ada yang cakep tapi ada juga yang di bawah rata-rata. Saya bilang di bawah rata-rata karena membingungkan, lebih mudah mencerna kumcer aslinya.
Favorit saya di kumcer ini adalah karya Joe Hill, Charles Yu, Alice Hoffman, Sam Wellers & Dave Eggers.
Ada Gaiman juga sih, tapi lebih menarik kata pengantar dibanding ceritanya sendiri.

[Dawn · Rating 3 out of 5]

(3.5*)
I really wanted to love this book, as I love the work of Ray Bradbury, but I found it very much a mixed bag; and was disappointed with a few of the sories.
In my mind the best stories are: 'Conjure' by Alice Hoffman & 'Live Forever!' by Sam Weller. Both of which, I think, show the style of stories Bradbury himself wrote.
And the artwork overall is pretty great, especially the story opening pictures by Shawn Pierce.

[Rob · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't usually review comic books, (I'd have thousands to review) but I only found this one because it was linked to authors I enjoy on this site. Short story books are my favourite because of the variety, and in this case both in artists and writers-but themed on Ray Bradbury. I enjoyed all of them, and I think most people would!

[Wilde Sky · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book contains a series of short graphic stories.

The vast majority of these stories didn't really go anywhere and read like ideas rather than complete works.

Overall rating 2.5.

Reading time roughly an hour.

[Ashley · Rating 2 out of 5]

Very sad to say I didn't care too much for this graphic collection. As much as I loooooove Ray Bradbury, I'm a bit disappointed with how these stories turned out and was sadly not a big fan of the majority of the art. Joe Hill's story might have been my favorite, both in tone and artwork.

[Matthew Boyette · Rating 5 out of 5]

The beauty of Ray Bradbury’s work is finely illustrated by some of the top tier writers this world has to offer. Each story resonated differently as each writer was affect by Bradbury in equal difference.

[Art · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a Ray Bradbury fan, I enjoyed these stories.

[Ralph Carlson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Graphic adaptations of stories celebrating Ray Bradbury.

[Ben · Rating 3 out of 5]

A little hit and miss, but that's how I felt about the anthology also. There's definitely artistry here, both in the visuals and the text, but it's not an essential tribute to the man.

[Will Cooper · Rating 3 out of 5]

Anthology series with various authors and the best ones dealt with immortality via memory and stories. Some fun horror ones in here, but nothing extraordinary.

[Christian · Rating 3 out of 5]

Three-and-a-half. Really great stories in celebration of the GOAT, Ray Bradbury, but, honestly? It just made me want to revisit The October Country or The Illustrated Man.

[Josh Newhouse · Rating 4 out of 5]

Brilliant at times if uneven...

[Jonathan Roberts · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was good but I am sure it would have been better if I was more familiar with Bradbury

[Federica · Rating 4 out of 5]

Alcune storie sono eccezionali, altre sono solo nostalgiche. Lo consiglio anche a chi non conosce R.B. perché le sue storie sono per tutti e le storie a lui ispirate non possono essere altrimenti