Alex Weller’s Reviews > The Illustrated Man > Status Update

Just read the Epilogue and finished the book! After seeing all the Illustrated Man's stories, the narrator watches a new illustration form on the Illustrated Man's back, but it shows the Illustrated Man choking him to death. The narrator runs away to a neighboring town for safety. I hope he makes it. Overall, good book!

Finished "The Rocket"! Maria kisses Bodoni in bed and tells him he's the best father in the world. He promises to take her on a little trip one night, then the two go to sleep. Overall, good story!

Bodoni brings his children into the newly-fixed rocket to take them on a week-long trip through space. In reality, it's just a trick with mirrors and films and stuff, essentially a game of make-believe. They're still on Earth. But it fools the kids, and they leave the rocket happy, thanking their father and saying they'll remember it forever.

Bodoni works on the rocket all night, buying all sorts of expensive touch-ups to make it work. Let's hope something good happens.

Everybody is disappointed with the rocket, convinced it will never fly. Bodoni has some work to do and people to call before anything happens. What's he gonna do?

In the junkyard, Bodoni tries to get his rocket to work, but it's only a heap of junk. Furious, he considers tearing the rocket apart, but thinks about his family. He goes back home and tells them they're going to Mars. Okay?

Bodoni is approached by a man who wants to sell him a space rocket mock-up for $2,000. Though Bodoni doesn't really have the money, he decides to buy it anyway. Looks like this is gonna bring in some opportunity!

Just started reading the eighteenth and final story, "The Rocket". Fiorello Bodoni dreams of flying to Mars on a rocket, which only the rich get to do. He has saved up enough money for a trip, but is warned that his wife and kids would be jealous of him, and so would he if they got the opportunity. But he only has enough money for one person to go. Damn.

Finished "Zero Hour"! As 5 PM arrives, there are explosions all over the country as the invaders arrive on Earth. Mrs. Morris takes her husband to the attic to hide there, but their daughter Mink brings the invaders inside, who melt the lock and gain access to the attic, cornering the parents. Overall, great story!

Just started reading the seventeenth story, "Zero Hour". The people of Earth have made effectively protected themselves from alien attacks. However, children all over the country are obsessed with a new game involving an invasion and somebody named Drill, who promises that everybody older than nine will be killed and the young will rule the world. Looks like the aliens are getting help from the kids. Creepy.