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The Toynbee Convector
From “one of science fiction’s grand masters” ( Library Journal ), a new reissue of Ray Bradbury’s The Toynbee Convector : a collection of twenty-two stories, including the continuing saga of H.G. Well’s time traveler and his Toynbee Convector, a ghost on the Orient Express, and a bored man who creates his own genuine Egyptian mummy.
The world’s only time traveler finally reveals his secret. An old man’s memory of World War I conjures ghostly parachutists. An Egyptian mummy turns up in an Illinois cornfield. A lonely Martian prepares to face his doom.
From the iconic author of Fahrenheit 451 , Something Wicked This Way Comes , The Martian Chronicles , and The Illustrated Man , The Toynbee Convector is a true cause for celebration. The twenty-two classic tales in this special Ray Bradbury collection begin in the familiar rooms and landscapes of our lives, in common thoughts and memories, and then take off into the farthest reaches of the imagination. “The fiction creates the truth in this lovely exercise in utopian dreaming” ( Publishers Weekly )—stunning stories that could only come from the brilliant mind of Ray Bradbury.
The world’s only time traveler finally reveals his secret. An old man’s memory of World War I conjures ghostly parachutists. An Egyptian mummy turns up in an Illinois cornfield. A lonely Martian prepares to face his doom.
From the iconic author of Fahrenheit 451 , Something Wicked This Way Comes , The Martian Chronicles , and The Illustrated Man , The Toynbee Convector is a true cause for celebration. The twenty-two classic tales in this special Ray Bradbury collection begin in the familiar rooms and landscapes of our lives, in common thoughts and memories, and then take off into the farthest reaches of the imagination. “The fiction creates the truth in this lovely exercise in utopian dreaming” ( Publishers Weekly )—stunning stories that could only come from the brilliant mind of Ray Bradbury.
272 pages, Paperback
First published May 12, 1988
139 people are currently reading
2282 people want to read
About the author
Ray Bradbury
2,583 books25.1k followersRay Douglas Bradbury was an American author and screenwriter. One of the most celebrated 20th-century American writers, he worked in a variety of genres, including fantasy, science fiction, horror, mystery, and realistic fiction.
Bradbury is best known for his novel Fahrenheit 451 (1953) and his short-story collections The Martian Chronicles (1950), The Illustrated Man (1951), and The October Country (1955). Other notable works include the coming of age novel Dandelion Wine (1957), the dark fantasy Something Wicked This Way Comes (1962) and the fictionalized memoir Green Shadows, White Whale (1992). He also wrote and consulted on screenplays and television scripts, including Moby Dick and It Came from Outer Space. Many of his works were adapted into television and film productions as well as comic books. Bradbury also wrote poetry which has been published in several collections, such as They Have Not Seen the Stars (2001).
The New York Times called Bradbury "An author whose fanciful imagination, poetic prose, and mature understanding of human character have won him an international reputation" and "the writer most responsible for bringing modern science fiction into the literary mainstream".
Bradbury is best known for his novel Fahrenheit 451 (1953) and his short-story collections The Martian Chronicles (1950), The Illustrated Man (1951), and The October Country (1955). Other notable works include the coming of age novel Dandelion Wine (1957), the dark fantasy Something Wicked This Way Comes (1962) and the fictionalized memoir Green Shadows, White Whale (1992). He also wrote and consulted on screenplays and television scripts, including Moby Dick and It Came from Outer Space. Many of his works were adapted into television and film productions as well as comic books. Bradbury also wrote poetry which has been published in several collections, such as They Have Not Seen the Stars (2001).
The New York Times called Bradbury "An author whose fanciful imagination, poetic prose, and mature understanding of human character have won him an international reputation" and "the writer most responsible for bringing modern science fiction into the literary mainstream".
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 223 reviews
January 5, 2019
مجموعة قصص متوسطة المستوى، من تلك النوعية التي لا تندم على قراءتها، لكنك لا تخرج منها بقصة مفضلة تتذكرها لاحقاً أو تضيف لك جديد
الترجمة ليست سيئة لكنها حرفية، ترجمة لا تشعر معها بسلاسة اللغة وتقلل من متعة قراءة العمل الأدبي، كما أن المترجم بحاجة لدروس في كيفية استخدام علامات الترقيم
الترجمة ليست سيئة لكنها حرفية، ترجمة لا تشعر معها بسلاسة اللغة وتقلل من متعة قراءة العمل الأدبي، كما أن المترجم بحاجة لدروس في كيفية استخدام علامات الترقيم
May 20, 2024
The title story (rather than the collection, which I have not read) I think superbly epitomizes Bradbury's humanistic sci-fi. When you get down to it, it's not really sci-fi at all, but in the same manner still perfectly evokes one's imagination and optimism for a future where humanity is able to conquer the many obstacles and despair we all face today.
May 5, 2019
Joining Green Town, Mars, and October Country for frequent Bradbury settings is Ireland.
This short story, first published in the September 1984 edition of Gallery magazine of all places, describes a scene where a young screenwriter has ventured to visit his director in an old manor house in Dublin. They hear the distant wailing and sobs of a woman and our hero is sent out into the wild gray night to investigate.
Recreating the mystery and horror of the old Irish tales with a modern twist, Bradbury again demonstrates his mastery by conjuring up a vision of haunted love and loss, with some humor added in for fun.
Merged review:
Another of Bradbury's later short works first published in Playboy Magazine, this time in the December 1987 edition.
A couple at a cocktail party in Los Angeles bump into each other. The man, a little overweight, fiddles his tie playfully at the woman, who is a little underweight, and in reply she tousles her hair. She tells him that she knows, only a short distance away, the exact location of where Stan and Ollie filmed the piano scene. They raced away from the party and drank champagne on the steps.
So begins one of Bradbury's most heart warming love stories. Ray was married to Marguerite for over 50 years and so is well met to tell a love story and this one, with the comic connection, is all the more entertaining. To say this is charming is understatement.
Perhaps not one of his best recognized, but a good story any RB fan will want to read.
This short story, first published in the September 1984 edition of Gallery magazine of all places, describes a scene where a young screenwriter has ventured to visit his director in an old manor house in Dublin. They hear the distant wailing and sobs of a woman and our hero is sent out into the wild gray night to investigate.
Recreating the mystery and horror of the old Irish tales with a modern twist, Bradbury again demonstrates his mastery by conjuring up a vision of haunted love and loss, with some humor added in for fun.
Merged review:
Another of Bradbury's later short works first published in Playboy Magazine, this time in the December 1987 edition.
A couple at a cocktail party in Los Angeles bump into each other. The man, a little overweight, fiddles his tie playfully at the woman, who is a little underweight, and in reply she tousles her hair. She tells him that she knows, only a short distance away, the exact location of where Stan and Ollie filmed the piano scene. They raced away from the party and drank champagne on the steps.
So begins one of Bradbury's most heart warming love stories. Ray was married to Marguerite for over 50 years and so is well met to tell a love story and this one, with the comic connection, is all the more entertaining. To say this is charming is understatement.
Perhaps not one of his best recognized, but a good story any RB fan will want to read.
February 21, 2022
مجموعة قصصية تضم مزيج لطيف ومتنوع من قصص الخيال والرعب والفانتازيا
July 17, 2023
The Toynbee Convector - 4
Trapdoor - 3
On The Orient North - 1
One Night In Your Life - 3
West of October - 4
The Last Circus - 2
The Laurel and Hardy Love Affair - 4
I Suppose You Are Wondering Why We Are Here? - 2
Lafayette, Farewell - 3
Banshee - 4
Promises, Promises - 3
Love Affair - 2
One for His Lordship, and One for the Road! - 1
At Midnight, in the North of June - 2
Bless Me, Father, for I Have Sinned - 3
By The Numbers - 4
A Touch of Petulance - 4
Long Division - 3
Come, and Bring Constance! - 2
Junior - 1
The Tombstone - 3
The Thing at the Top pf the Stairs - 3
Colonel Stonesteel's Genuine Home-made Egyptian Mummy - 2
Trapdoor - 3
On The Orient North - 1
One Night In Your Life - 3
West of October - 4
The Last Circus - 2
The Laurel and Hardy Love Affair - 4
I Suppose You Are Wondering Why We Are Here? - 2
Lafayette, Farewell - 3
Banshee - 4
Promises, Promises - 3
Love Affair - 2
One for His Lordship, and One for the Road! - 1
At Midnight, in the North of June - 2
Bless Me, Father, for I Have Sinned - 3
By The Numbers - 4
A Touch of Petulance - 4
Long Division - 3
Come, and Bring Constance! - 2
Junior - 1
The Tombstone - 3
The Thing at the Top pf the Stairs - 3
Colonel Stonesteel's Genuine Home-made Egyptian Mummy - 2
August 23, 2024
A story about time-travel, human destiny, and the stories we tell each-other.
A reporter is interviewing a 130 year old man, and the first and only known time-traveler. A century has passed since his trip, and Stiles has one last chance to tell the world more about what his journey was like and why he was so excited about what he saw in humanity’s future, destroying his time-machine so no one else would use it.
The title references a quote by a historian named Toynbee"... any group, any race, any world that did not run to seize the future and shape it was doomed to dust away to the grave, in the past."
A hundred years later, the perfect world of Stiles' visions has come to pass, just as he saw in his time travel. Now 130 years old, Stiles admits "I lied." Since he knew the people of the world had it in them to create a utopia, he created the illusion of one, to give humanity a goal, and hope. Civilization must respond to a challenge in order to flourish.
Bradbury’s writing has always tapped into emotions, and love and regret are two that we all come across in our lives.
4/5 Some have criticized the story for not having enough "charecter driven" narrative and they aren't diverse representation.
But to me?
It's a charming twist. It's hope with awareness.
And asks questions like can one person make a difference?
If one person isn’t capable of improving the world, how many willing participants do you need in order to change things?
What do you do when nothing seems to work?
To me, it makes you think, and hope. This is what makes science-fiction great, and why I have spent much of my life reading the genre.
A reporter is interviewing a 130 year old man, and the first and only known time-traveler. A century has passed since his trip, and Stiles has one last chance to tell the world more about what his journey was like and why he was so excited about what he saw in humanity’s future, destroying his time-machine so no one else would use it.
The title references a quote by a historian named Toynbee"... any group, any race, any world that did not run to seize the future and shape it was doomed to dust away to the grave, in the past."
A hundred years later, the perfect world of Stiles' visions has come to pass, just as he saw in his time travel. Now 130 years old, Stiles admits "I lied." Since he knew the people of the world had it in them to create a utopia, he created the illusion of one, to give humanity a goal, and hope. Civilization must respond to a challenge in order to flourish.
Bradbury’s writing has always tapped into emotions, and love and regret are two that we all come across in our lives.
4/5 Some have criticized the story for not having enough "charecter driven" narrative and they aren't diverse representation.
But to me?
It's a charming twist. It's hope with awareness.
And asks questions like can one person make a difference?
If one person isn’t capable of improving the world, how many willing participants do you need in order to change things?
What do you do when nothing seems to work?
To me, it makes you think, and hope. This is what makes science-fiction great, and why I have spent much of my life reading the genre.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 17, 2018
I paid $1 for a signed copy of this book. I'm still in shock.
In terms of the stories themselves, as a dedicated Bradbury fan, my official statement on this one is that it's not a great intro to his work-- for that, I'd honestly recommend The Illustrated Man, which seems much more well-rounded in terms of scifi/fantasy/realistic content and overall seemed much higher quality.
On the other hand, if you're just looking for new stories... The Toynbee Convector has a lot of stories I've seen in other collections-- in fact, despite never having read this before, I recognized most of the stories-- but I'd still recommend giving it a read for the title story and a couple other greats (personal favorite? By The Numbers!. Honestly one of his best works; think a darker realistic fiction The Veldt).
Overall: Pretty good stories, almost entirely realistic fiction (which I will admit is simply not my favorite Bradbury style). Some great underrated short stories, but not something that would be my top priority rec for Bradbury.
In terms of the stories themselves, as a dedicated Bradbury fan, my official statement on this one is that it's not a great intro to his work-- for that, I'd honestly recommend The Illustrated Man, which seems much more well-rounded in terms of scifi/fantasy/realistic content and overall seemed much higher quality.
On the other hand, if you're just looking for new stories... The Toynbee Convector has a lot of stories I've seen in other collections-- in fact, despite never having read this before, I recognized most of the stories-- but I'd still recommend giving it a read for the title story and a couple other greats (personal favorite? By The Numbers!. Honestly one of his best works; think a darker realistic fiction The Veldt).
Overall: Pretty good stories, almost entirely realistic fiction (which I will admit is simply not my favorite Bradbury style). Some great underrated short stories, but not something that would be my top priority rec for Bradbury.
November 28, 2017
This collection of short stories was originally published in 1988. At the time I heard an interview with Bradbury – probably on NPR – and one story in particular was mentioned. A tender love story titled The Laurel and Hardy Love Affair. I was surprised, knowing, and loving, Bradbury as a science fiction writer. I shouldn’t have been; Bradbury’s writing has always tapped into emotions, and love and regret are two that we all come across in our lives. I’d forgotten the name of the collection, but remembered the story and last year I decided to find it again. I’m so glad I did.
Most of the stories are the type that we more typically associate with Bradbury – time travel, science fiction, paranormal, horror. A couple of the stories reminded me of Something Wicked This Way Comes, with a lurking evil and a tension that made me want to jump into bed so whatever lurks under there couldn’t grab my ankles.
Some of the stories combine genres. The Love Affair has a lonely Martian willing to face certain doom for the sound of music and the hope of companionship. Colonel Stonesteel’s Genuine Home-made Truly Egyptian Mummy gives us a wonderful young/old generational story combined with adventure, wonder and fright.
One completely delightful surprise was Junior featuring a group of senior citizens with healthy libidos. But for me, the star of this book remains The Laurel and Hardy Love Affair. It’s the story that forced me to look at Bradbury with new eyes and to appreciate his skill at crafting a story that engages, entertains, and kindles the reader’s emotions.
NOTE: Second reading 07January2016
Most of the stories are the type that we more typically associate with Bradbury – time travel, science fiction, paranormal, horror. A couple of the stories reminded me of Something Wicked This Way Comes, with a lurking evil and a tension that made me want to jump into bed so whatever lurks under there couldn’t grab my ankles.
Some of the stories combine genres. The Love Affair has a lonely Martian willing to face certain doom for the sound of music and the hope of companionship. Colonel Stonesteel’s Genuine Home-made Truly Egyptian Mummy gives us a wonderful young/old generational story combined with adventure, wonder and fright.
One completely delightful surprise was Junior featuring a group of senior citizens with healthy libidos. But for me, the star of this book remains The Laurel and Hardy Love Affair. It’s the story that forced me to look at Bradbury with new eyes and to appreciate his skill at crafting a story that engages, entertains, and kindles the reader’s emotions.
NOTE: Second reading 07January2016
October 9, 2016
I really enjoyed reading another Bradbury, sometimes I feel that Bradbury is the Hemingway of science fiction.
March 19, 2015
Διάβασα το διήγημα "Το μεγάλο ταξίδι στον χρόνο", που κυκλοφόρησε σε έκδοση με σκληρό εξώφυλλο και εικονογράφηση της Anita Kunz, στα ελληνικά από τις εκδόσεις Επιλογή και στα αγγλικά από τις εκδόσεις Turner. Πολύ όμορφο και απίστευτα καλογραμμένο διήγημα, όπως θα περίμενε κανείς από κάτι που έγραψε ο μοναδικός Ρέι Μπράντμπερι. Το διήγημα το απόλαυσα όχι χάρη στην πλοκή του, που ήταν ιδιαίτερα απλή, αλλά χάρη στα μηνύματα που ήθελε να περάσει και την απίθανη γραφή του. Διαβάστε το οπωσδήποτε!
October 29, 2021
Αγαπημένος.
Ιστορίες/διηγήματα/ παραμύθια φτιαγμένα για να διδάξουν με τα ιδιαίτερα νοήματά τους, με τον ξεχωριστό τρόπο του Μπράντμπερυ. Γιατί κανένας δεν μας μίλαγε για αυτά παλιότερα;
Ιστορίες/διηγήματα/ παραμύθια φτιαγμένα για να διδάξουν με τα ιδιαίτερα νοήματά τους, με τον ξεχωριστό τρόπο του Μπράντμπερυ. Γιατί κανένας δεν μας μίλαγε για αυτά παλιότερα;
August 23, 2015
Mettiamola così, ragazzo: la vita è uno spettacolo di magia, o lo sarebbe se la gente non dormisse in piedi.
Una delle cose più difficili è dare un voto ad una raccolta di racconti. Perché è ovvio che ci saranno quelli che amerai e quelli che invece proprio no, non fanno per te. Naturalmente ci sono le eccezioni, non è così raro trovare libri di racconti tutti magnifici o tutti orrendi, ma per me in questo caso è stato un po' difficile decidere per quelle tre stelline.
Tre stelline combattute, sì. Un po' ce lo avevo il presentimento che dopo Fahrenheit 451 e Cronache marziane Bradbury mi avrebbe dato una delusione, ma ho voluto continuare lo stesso. E credo che continuerò ad oltranza, mi sono affezionata troppo a questo caro, caro scrittore.
Passiamo a questi racconti: nessuno riesce ad entusiasmare davvero. Diciamocelo, alcuni rasentano il ridicolo e non dicono assolutamente niente, altri fanno pietà e certuni ti fanno semplicemente pensare 'abboh'. Ce ne sono anche di carini, solo uno o due proprio belli.
E' la scrittura di Bradbury quella che ti incanta. Fluida, naturale, evocativa. Lui scrive e tu sogni.
Automatico.
Caro Ray, ci rincontreremo presto. Non sono affatto scoraggiata.
September 17, 2021
Voto per singolo racconto:
Il Convettore di Toynbee 4/5
La botola 5/5
Sull'Orient, direzione nord 3/5
Una notte nella tua vita 2/5
A ovest di October 1/5
L'ultimo circo 2/5
Stanlio e Ollio 4/5
Suppongo che tu ti stia chiedendo perché siamo qui 2/5
Lafayette, addio! 1/5
Banshee 4/5
Promesse, promesse 3/5
Una per sua signoria e una per la strada! 1/5
Approccio d'amore 2/5
A mezzanotte, nel mese di giugno 2/5
Mi benedica, padre, perché ho peccato 4/5
Secondo gli ordini 3/5
Un tocco di petulanza 5/5
Lunga spartizione 3/5
Vieni, e porta Costanza 4/5
Junior 1/5
La pietra tombale 4/5
La Cosa in cima alle scale 3/5
La vera autentica mummia egizia del colonnello Stonesteel 1/5
Il Convettore di Toynbee 4/5
La botola 5/5
Sull'Orient, direzione nord 3/5
Una notte nella tua vita 2/5
A ovest di October 1/5
L'ultimo circo 2/5
Stanlio e Ollio 4/5
Suppongo che tu ti stia chiedendo perché siamo qui 2/5
Lafayette, addio! 1/5
Banshee 4/5
Promesse, promesse 3/5
Una per sua signoria e una per la strada! 1/5
Approccio d'amore 2/5
A mezzanotte, nel mese di giugno 2/5
Mi benedica, padre, perché ho peccato 4/5
Secondo gli ordini 3/5
Un tocco di petulanza 5/5
Lunga spartizione 3/5
Vieni, e porta Costanza 4/5
Junior 1/5
La pietra tombale 4/5
La Cosa in cima alle scale 3/5
La vera autentica mummia egizia del colonnello Stonesteel 1/5
May 14, 2024
Ray Bradbury is one of the finest authors ever, and had one of his short stories The Toynbee Convector chosen as the last story shared on the LeVar Burton Reads podcast. He often wrote speculative fiction, a favored genre of LeVar's, and this hopeful story was an excellent way to conclude the podcast series. In this futuristic tale, an old time-traveler is interviewed by a journalist on the 100-year anniversary of his journey, when his younger self should appear in a time paradox. But this man had a secret, that you will guess early on, that helped humanity move forward positively. For don't we all wish for a better tomorrow for our world?
July 7, 2017
A Few Rays of Sunshine
A disappointing collection. So disappointing that I did the math: out of twenty-three stories in this 1988 collection (trumpeted as his first collection of short stories since 1980's career-defining Stories of Ray Bradbury) I rated only five worth my time and attention as fan of Martians, mummies and the macabre.
So, approximately 22 percent of the stories here are decent vintage, good stuffs.
These five stories are (listed in order of appearance): "On the Orient, North", "West of October" (which, in my opinion, should have been the title of the book -- as "The Toynbee Convector" is just awful - both an awful story and a clunky title), "The Love Affair", "At Midnight, in the Month of June" and "Colonel Stonesteel's Genuine Home-Made Truly Egyptian Mummy".
All together, these five stories are 70 pages out of a 275 page book, a little over 25 percent of the book.
"On the Orient, North" and "West of October" were later cannibalized for the much superior From the Dust Returned, Bradbury's delightful Addams Family fanfiction. "The Love Affair" is a lost chronicle of Mars, "At Midnight, in the Month of June" is a creepy tale of a serial killer's obsession with the game of hide-and-seek and "Colonel Stonesteel's Genuine Home-Made Truly Egyptian Mummy" is as fun as the title suggests, a triumphant return to Bradbury's beloved Green Town.
The rest of the stories in the book were not my cup of tea: bawdy semi-autobiographical tales of Bradbury's adventures in and observations of Ireland (pubs and priests), and depressing domestic vignettes (i.e. failed romances, the fallout of affairs, and, good gosh, the division of property in divorces) which, I guess, were Bradbury's attempts at writing in the manner of Updike or Cheever.
Or, maybe, those were real-life demons he was exorcising which...good for him, I suppose. But for the reader, the math just doesn't work out.
In conclusion, the only way I could get myself to finish this book was to bring it along to the hospital waiting room where I knew that the only other reading material available would be golf journals and medical pamphlets and yesterday's newspaper that you just know somebody brought in after first reading it during their morning bathroom trip. Y'know: the type of printed paper stuffs that's good for crumpling up and stuffing the tarred leather head of a home-made truly Egyptian mummy but not cobwebbing your mind and ink-staining your hands, dear friend.
A disappointing collection. So disappointing that I did the math: out of twenty-three stories in this 1988 collection (trumpeted as his first collection of short stories since 1980's career-defining Stories of Ray Bradbury) I rated only five worth my time and attention as fan of Martians, mummies and the macabre.
So, approximately 22 percent of the stories here are decent vintage, good stuffs.
These five stories are (listed in order of appearance): "On the Orient, North", "West of October" (which, in my opinion, should have been the title of the book -- as "The Toynbee Convector" is just awful - both an awful story and a clunky title), "The Love Affair", "At Midnight, in the Month of June" and "Colonel Stonesteel's Genuine Home-Made Truly Egyptian Mummy".
All together, these five stories are 70 pages out of a 275 page book, a little over 25 percent of the book.
"On the Orient, North" and "West of October" were later cannibalized for the much superior From the Dust Returned, Bradbury's delightful Addams Family fanfiction. "The Love Affair" is a lost chronicle of Mars, "At Midnight, in the Month of June" is a creepy tale of a serial killer's obsession with the game of hide-and-seek and "Colonel Stonesteel's Genuine Home-Made Truly Egyptian Mummy" is as fun as the title suggests, a triumphant return to Bradbury's beloved Green Town.
The rest of the stories in the book were not my cup of tea: bawdy semi-autobiographical tales of Bradbury's adventures in and observations of Ireland (pubs and priests), and depressing domestic vignettes (i.e. failed romances, the fallout of affairs, and, good gosh, the division of property in divorces) which, I guess, were Bradbury's attempts at writing in the manner of Updike or Cheever.
Or, maybe, those were real-life demons he was exorcising which...good for him, I suppose. But for the reader, the math just doesn't work out.
In conclusion, the only way I could get myself to finish this book was to bring it along to the hospital waiting room where I knew that the only other reading material available would be golf journals and medical pamphlets and yesterday's newspaper that you just know somebody brought in after first reading it during their morning bathroom trip. Y'know: the type of printed paper stuffs that's good for crumpling up and stuffing the tarred leather head of a home-made truly Egyptian mummy but not cobwebbing your mind and ink-staining your hands, dear friend.
June 26, 2016
TL;DR: Bradbury is a classic American author, but this collection is a hodgepodge of sketches and dead ends. In spite of this overall appraisal, there are a few gems in the collection.
I like Ray Bradbury. In other places I have praised his work, calling it (rightly, I still believe) some of the best writing out there. He captures the essential American experience of many young boys; his typewriter shows what it was like to be on a sunny, summer afternoon or to stand, mouth agape, as rockets blasted into the cool blue sky. Bradbury is a writer of a bygone innocence in the American landscape. He captures something that has eluded us since 9/11. His work is quintessentially pure.
With that in mind, I have to lead this review with a simple question: What the hell happened to Ray Bradbury in this collection?
I’ve written before of Bradbury’s dark streak. Some of his stories have a nihilism in them that invites the reader to deep despair. This collection features stories of that kind. There are tales here of life-defining moments that come and pass with relative ease, leaving both the character and the reader stunned and numb. There are tales here of divorce, of sexual impotence, of cynical time traveling, and of misplaced love affairs. Some of these tales flirt with homosexuality as a theme; though there is nothing whatsoever wrong with this, it goes against the grain of what Bradbury typically produced as an author.
That is both good and bad. On the good side of things, this is Bradbury. Even when he is being darkly pessimistic about the value of life, there is still a sense of wonder in his writing. “The Laurel and Hardy Affair” is one such instance. Though the tale left me feeling a deep sense of despair and melancholy (I had to put the book down), I have to admit that it is better written than most other writers out there. As Bradbury said in his Zen book, each day he steps on a bomb that blows him to pieces just so that he can spend the day writing to put himself back together again. A tale like “The Laurel and Hardy Affair” shows that like most human beings, Bradbury had his dark days.
On the negative side of things, Bradbury often simply sketches ideas. For instance, “Long Division” is less of a story and more of a pencil sketch of what divorce is like. There is little plot here, and the characters exist only to tug at the heartstrings of those who have experienced similar conversation in their lives. Some of the tales thus come across as pointless toss offs that should have remained locked in a drawer somewhere. If you decide to read these tales, expect to feel disappointed after finishing some of them.
As you can see, I have given three stars in spite of this shortcoming. There are gems here, even if they possess a darkness not widely seen in his work. As I mentioned above, “The Laurel…” story is a classic. Likewise, “The Tombstone” left a bewildered smile on my face at the end as I tried to puzzle out exactly what the last sentence implied. Though I had been sure to that moment I could predict the end, I was pleasantly surprised to be wrong. Not every reader will have this same positive experience; however, I found enough here to enjoy so that I might cautiously recommend the book to others who have read his books. On the other hand, if a potential reader of this collection has never read Bradbury before, this is not the place to start. There are certainly better works out there.
I like Ray Bradbury. In other places I have praised his work, calling it (rightly, I still believe) some of the best writing out there. He captures the essential American experience of many young boys; his typewriter shows what it was like to be on a sunny, summer afternoon or to stand, mouth agape, as rockets blasted into the cool blue sky. Bradbury is a writer of a bygone innocence in the American landscape. He captures something that has eluded us since 9/11. His work is quintessentially pure.
With that in mind, I have to lead this review with a simple question: What the hell happened to Ray Bradbury in this collection?
I’ve written before of Bradbury’s dark streak. Some of his stories have a nihilism in them that invites the reader to deep despair. This collection features stories of that kind. There are tales here of life-defining moments that come and pass with relative ease, leaving both the character and the reader stunned and numb. There are tales here of divorce, of sexual impotence, of cynical time traveling, and of misplaced love affairs. Some of these tales flirt with homosexuality as a theme; though there is nothing whatsoever wrong with this, it goes against the grain of what Bradbury typically produced as an author.
That is both good and bad. On the good side of things, this is Bradbury. Even when he is being darkly pessimistic about the value of life, there is still a sense of wonder in his writing. “The Laurel and Hardy Affair” is one such instance. Though the tale left me feeling a deep sense of despair and melancholy (I had to put the book down), I have to admit that it is better written than most other writers out there. As Bradbury said in his Zen book, each day he steps on a bomb that blows him to pieces just so that he can spend the day writing to put himself back together again. A tale like “The Laurel and Hardy Affair” shows that like most human beings, Bradbury had his dark days.
On the negative side of things, Bradbury often simply sketches ideas. For instance, “Long Division” is less of a story and more of a pencil sketch of what divorce is like. There is little plot here, and the characters exist only to tug at the heartstrings of those who have experienced similar conversation in their lives. Some of the tales thus come across as pointless toss offs that should have remained locked in a drawer somewhere. If you decide to read these tales, expect to feel disappointed after finishing some of them.
As you can see, I have given three stars in spite of this shortcoming. There are gems here, even if they possess a darkness not widely seen in his work. As I mentioned above, “The Laurel…” story is a classic. Likewise, “The Tombstone” left a bewildered smile on my face at the end as I tried to puzzle out exactly what the last sentence implied. Though I had been sure to that moment I could predict the end, I was pleasantly surprised to be wrong. Not every reader will have this same positive experience; however, I found enough here to enjoy so that I might cautiously recommend the book to others who have read his books. On the other hand, if a potential reader of this collection has never read Bradbury before, this is not the place to start. There are certainly better works out there.
December 8, 2017
Because Bradbury was mainly a short-story writer, the majority of his books are collections – some are more famous than others (The Illustrated Man, I Sing the Body Electric! & Other Stories and The October Country come to mind). This is one of his less-famous collections from the late 80s, although the title track – about a famous time traveler who reveals how he did it to a reporter – is somewhat well-known. Perhaps it’s because Bradbury covers his usual beat – SF, ghost stories, horror, nostalgic Americana, romantic comedy, doomed marriages, etc – so it doesn’t seem as groundbreaking as it did in the 50s and 60s. But less-famous doesn’t mean low-quality – even average Bradbury is generally more entertaining than not, and
there’s are plenty of good yarns here, some of which are as good as his most famous works. It also features perhaps his naughtiest story (of the ones I’ve read, anyway) – “Junior”, about an octogenarian Don Juan character who celebrates his first erection since 1970. It’s all innuendo and Bradbury has a heck of a lot of fun with it – as he seems to do with most of his stories, which I suspect is the secret to his success.
there’s are plenty of good yarns here, some of which are as good as his most famous works. It also features perhaps his naughtiest story (of the ones I’ve read, anyway) – “Junior”, about an octogenarian Don Juan character who celebrates his first erection since 1970. It’s all innuendo and Bradbury has a heck of a lot of fun with it – as he seems to do with most of his stories, which I suspect is the secret to his success.
May 27, 2021
An anthology of short stories that are a little smattering of everything: spooky, scifi, humor - The short chapters make for an easy read. It's a great snapshot of Bradbury's range as a writer, and thoroughly enjoyable.
October 11, 2022
Ray Bradbury sa en gang noe sånt som "skriv en novelle i uka. Det er fullstendig usannsynlig at du etter et år sitter der med 52 dårlige noveller". Denne novellesamlingen hans gir ikke umiddelbart støtte til teorien hans, men jeg tror så gjerne han ikke brukte mer enn en uke på noen av disse. De fleste bærer preg av å være en midt-på-treet ide fulgt opp av "la oss se hvor dette bærer hen". De få jeg likte, handler stort sett om ekteskap rett før eller rett etter de har gått i oppløsning. Spørs om dette var et dårlig år i Rays liv.
June 28, 2023
...the breath of nightfall--a warm sighing of air, quiet and endless.
A tidy grouping of short stories from one of America's greatest writers, published in 1988.
My favorites in this collection were One night in your life, The Laurel and Hardy love affair, One for his lordship and one for the road, and Junior, the latter of which was quite a revelation as a pre-Viagra resurrection story...
A tidy grouping of short stories from one of America's greatest writers, published in 1988.
My favorites in this collection were One night in your life, The Laurel and Hardy love affair, One for his lordship and one for the road, and Junior, the latter of which was quite a revelation as a pre-Viagra resurrection story...
March 25, 2017
A quirky little riff on The Iceman Cometh. This edition was nicely illustrated.
February 14, 2020
Wow that was fantastic! Like with every short stories collection this one has better and lower, but the overall quality is very good. It mixed a lot of style, from science-fiction of course, but also some closer to mysteries, a bit of fantasy, some even more social with a touch of dark humor. This my first read of short stories by Bradbury and now I understand why he is so much praise by many! It has everything short stories should have : great ideas, good ending twists, beautiful writing, good length, not too short, not too long. A book that I would recommend reading if you like short stories! I really like it!
September 11, 2019
A modo personal, se lleva las 4 estrellas.
Tiene relatos notables y que no se pueden dejar pasar: "Convector Toynbee", "Un, dos, tres", "Auténtica momia egipcia (...)", "Bendigame padre.(...)" y sin duda alguna, "Una noche en tu vida", por traerme de vuelta aquellos recuerdos que son como aquella única, momentos que están dentro de nuestros recuerdos.
Siempre es bueno reencontrarse con Bradbury, especialmente con aquellos relatos, en escencia, más humanos,
Tiene relatos notables y que no se pueden dejar pasar: "Convector Toynbee", "Un, dos, tres", "Auténtica momia egipcia (...)", "Bendigame padre.(...)" y sin duda alguna, "Una noche en tu vida", por traerme de vuelta aquellos recuerdos que son como aquella única, momentos que están dentro de nuestros recuerdos.
Siempre es bueno reencontrarse con Bradbury, especialmente con aquellos relatos, en escencia, más humanos,
March 28, 2025
I suppose it's ironically appropriate that the year in which I planned to dedicate myself to particularly long novels is the same year that I would develop a fascination with short stories. Some of these were truly phenomenal. Bradbury gives you a bit of everything—a couple sci-fi vignettes, a particularly horrifying attic, a heartbreaking affair, a Spirited-Away-esque ghost on a train, and an old man excited to have morning wood for the first time in decades. Range!
"Look at it this way, child, life is a magic show, or it should be if people didn't go to sleep on each other. Always leave folks with a bit of mystery, son."
"Look at it this way, child, life is a magic show, or it should be if people didn't go to sleep on each other. Always leave folks with a bit of mystery, son."
November 14, 2022
The Ray Bradbury Theater adapted many of the stories in the mid-80s. A few standout stories for me: The Love Affair, Junior, A Touch of Petulance, and Lafayette, Farewell.
March 15, 2024
Slayy the traveler at that up
October 20, 2025
As with almost all short story collections, some are better than others and your mileage may vary on which ones you enjoy. I've read the title story before (one of my favorites), but I don't remember most of the others. Unfortunately, several stories don't hold up today and come across as quite dated and misogynistic, but others are still enjoyable.
August 9, 2017
Ogni volta che commento una raccolta di racconti scrivo seeeempre le stesse cose... esordisco dicendo di non essere una grande amante delle raccolte di racconti, che preferisco i romanzi (e più lunghi sono meglio è...) e bla bla bla... ma che nonostante tutto questa raccolta di racconti non mi è dispiaciuta.. bla bla bla... e via discorrendo..
Ecco, appunto. La solita premessa si intende integralmente riportata e trascritta anche in questo caso.
Detto questo, veniamo al libello in sè.
Apprezzato? Si, decisamente, anche se ad essere sinceri mi aspettavo una raccolta di racconti perlopiù di fantascienza e invece in questo piccolo scrigno è racchiuso un po' di tutto: tanti generi che sconfinano uno nell'altro creando una miscellanea gradevolmente eterogenea che non annoia mai.
I racconti più belli? Forse Stanlio e Ollio, A mezzanotte, nel mese di giugno , Vieni, e porta Costanza , La botola , Un tocco di petulanza .
Ma non necessariamente in quest'ordine...
Ecco, appunto. La solita premessa si intende integralmente riportata e trascritta anche in questo caso.
Detto questo, veniamo al libello in sè.
Apprezzato? Si, decisamente, anche se ad essere sinceri mi aspettavo una raccolta di racconti perlopiù di fantascienza e invece in questo piccolo scrigno è racchiuso un po' di tutto: tanti generi che sconfinano uno nell'altro creando una miscellanea gradevolmente eterogenea che non annoia mai.
I racconti più belli? Forse Stanlio e Ollio, A mezzanotte, nel mese di giugno , Vieni, e porta Costanza , La botola , Un tocco di petulanza .
Ma non necessariamente in quest'ordine...
May 19, 2019
So this was a small collection of Bradbury's sort stories. Some faves of mine were in here as well as some spooky ones.
There was one about an older man waking up one day to find that he could still wake up with a...sigh. So he called his best old girlfriends to come over and see his...sigh. And that was all it was about. Sigh.
Other than that, there are some chilling scenes, some spooky stuff, and sometimes the serial killer actually gets away with it.
My favorite ones in here were all included in From The Dust Returned, his compilation/novelization of all the stories about The Family. So there's no need for me to renew my relationship with the Toynbee Convector.
I recommend the same for others.
Some mild swearing included in several stories, and some read a bit dated after all these years. Plus the situation mentioned above. I don't mean the serial killers, either.
There was one about an older man waking up one day to find that he could still wake up with a...sigh. So he called his best old girlfriends to come over and see his...sigh. And that was all it was about. Sigh.
Other than that, there are some chilling scenes, some spooky stuff, and sometimes the serial killer actually gets away with it.
My favorite ones in here were all included in From The Dust Returned, his compilation/novelization of all the stories about The Family. So there's no need for me to renew my relationship with the Toynbee Convector.
I recommend the same for others.
Some mild swearing included in several stories, and some read a bit dated after all these years. Plus the situation mentioned above. I don't mean the serial killers, either.
August 20, 2012
This has a terrifically unsettling short story in it of an old man getting the last hard-on he'll ever have in his life and phoning his old lovers to come round and have a look. Makes me view Bradbury in a new and awkward light :P
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