Stories Volume 2

by Ray Bradbury

A scintillating collection of stories from the master of science fiction. Since the beginning of his career in the 1940s, Ray Bradbury has become synonymous with great science fiction from the pulp comic books of his early work to his adaptations for television, stage and screen and most notably for his masterpiece, 'Fahrenheit 451'. Bradbury has done a rare thing; to capture both the popular and literary imagination. Within these pages the reader will be transported to foreign and extraordinary worlds, become transfixed by visions of the past, present, and future and be left humbled and inspired by one of most absorbing and engaging writers of this century, and the last. This is the second of two volumes offering the very best of his short stories including 'The Garbage Collector', 'The Machineries of Joy' and 'The Toynbee Convector'.

Genres: Short Stories, Science Fiction, Fiction, Fantasy, Horror, Classics, Anthologies

846 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2003

About the author

Ray 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".

Reviews

[Andrew Corsini · Rating 5 out of 5]

I recall a few years ago reading a Guardian article which had put authors' vocabularies through a processor and come up with their most used words. As suspected, Bradbury's most used words were these luscious, sensuous ones to describe taste and scent. That is on full display here in this book with writing that feels like it needs to be experienced in Taste-O-Vision or Smell-O-Vision. Also on display is Bradbury's exemplary taste in cinema, having been part of the movie business for a while, and his love for old silents like Chaplin and Laurel and Hardy soars through. This all gives Stories Volume 2 something quite unique for science-fiction; an old-fashioned, gentle whimsy that, at the same time, looks ahead to the future.

[Leonie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I actually finished this last week and forgot to update! Another wonderful collection of Bradbury's superb stories. They have aged a little badly in places, some very outdated attitudes and some of the writing isn't quite as good as you'd expect, but Bradbury's sheer fervour for storytelling and the ability to spin a compelling yarn always shines through. A masterclass for the aspiring writer, not just in SF but in all genres.

[Johnny · Rating 2 out of 5]

Many of the stories in this book are very human. In which not much really occurs to create a compelling plot. Detailing a day in the life of one person or something similar. Other stories and there are many in this book, are quite interesting. One of two stories which I like involves in very strange and extremely dangerous land, which seems similar to a hostile planet in our solar system, where the humans live a very short life and hurried life due to the harsh rotation and weather hazards of the planet. It's one of the most shocking and interesting stories I have read

[Michaela Holland · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love these stories so much ♡

[Dick Hamilton · Rating 5 out of 5]

All terrific, all the time.

[Bill · Rating 5 out of 5]

Some of Bradbury's all-time best tales, collected for your convenience.
Superb!

[Sandra]

Took me forever to get ir through. Some of these stories are real spooky.

[Mark · Rating 3 out of 5]

Took me a while to finish this. It sort of feels unfair to review it given that it's a volume of short stories. And any comments apply to all the works and not just specific pieces.

Some stories are good. Some are amazing. Writing is always solid. But so much of it that it felt a little like climbing a mountain.

[Rowan · Rating 2 out of 5]

There are certain authors who you have to have read by your late teens and I fear Ray Bradbury is one of those. Not through any fault with the writing or stories (as this collection deserves more stars) but because it suffers badly from Casablanca syndrome: an original that becomes an overused cliche. You've seen and read it all before.

[Robert Wagner]

This is NOT the book I am reading. I am reading The Stories of Ray Bradbury. Not Vol. 1 and not Vol. 2. For some reason Goodreads defaulted to this book when I pressed Enter. Not a very good system. I'll critique when I am done reading the correct book.

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Superb, but then that's no surprise.