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What short story was this?

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12 July 2012, 05:52 PM
mchlljy
What short story was this?
In my sophomore year of high school, my class read this short story where a man comes into this woman's home, takes their baby and leaves. It was a really sad story. Anyone know the name?
12 July 2012, 07:19 PM
Linnl
Welcome mchlljy.
Do you remember this as a Bradbury story? What other details?
12 July 2012, 07:42 PM
mchlljy
Thanks for the welcome!
I remember it as a Bradbury story but then again this 3-4 years ago when I read this short story.
I remember that the couple were fighting. She tries to stop him from but he doesn't say much. I think he packs all his belongings and then takes their baby with him. The woman is then left all alone in her house
13 July 2012, 09:20 AM
douglasSP
There is definitely no published Ray Bradbury story of that description.
13 July 2012, 11:43 AM
philnic
I wouldn't say "definitely", but I would say "highly unlikely" to be Bradbury. It doesn't ring any bells with me, and it doesn't sound like the type of story Bradbury would write.


- Phil

Deputy Moderator | Visit my Bradbury website: www.bradburymedia.co.uk | Visit the Center for RB Studies: www.tinyurl.com/RBCenter
13 July 2012, 08:57 PM
dandelion
I'm going with Douglas on the 100% not Bradbury classification. Also don't recognize it from the one collection he edited which I read and haven't read the other.

I do wish to note we have at least enough for one anthology of stories mistakenly attributed to Bradbury which we shall call The Misattributed Man.
14 July 2012, 03:52 AM
philnic
quote:
Originally posted by dandelion:
...we have at least enough for one anthology of stories mistakenly attributed to Bradbury which we shall call The Misattributed Man.


...and the first 13 stories in that anthology would be "Harrison Bergeron" by Kurt Vonnegut.


- Phil

Deputy Moderator | Visit my Bradbury website: www.bradburymedia.co.uk | Visit the Center for RB Studies: www.tinyurl.com/RBCenter
14 July 2012, 05:57 PM
Braling II
Sounds like Rumpelstiltskin to me.
14 July 2012, 06:59 PM
dragonfly
...and the first 13 stories in that anthology would be "Harrison Bergeron" by Kurt Vonnegut.[/QUOTE]

Some of them would be Asimov's "Rain, Rain, Go Away".
("Honestly, you'd think they were made of sugar and afraid they would melt.")

And Jack Finney's "The Third Level" was --- IS --- so Bradburyesqe that I listed it there. After checking the name of the author several times over the years in disbelief that it wasn't R.B.


"Save your freedom. If anyone tells you you may not read Harry Potter because of 'witchcraft', run! Shun him. He's a Fireman."
14 July 2012, 10:47 PM
dandelion
Bradbury was not amused when I told him his #1 author confused with him was Vonnegut. Asimov would be #2. Besides "Rain, Rain, Go Away," we've also had "The Fun They Had" and "Nightfall" so many times I finally bought an Asimov collection to read if I ever have time!
06 October 2012, 07:51 PM
fjp451
David Copperfield:Title: The Personal History of David Copperfield
Publisher: London: Bradbury & Evans, 1849-1850
Publication Date: 1850
Binding: Hardcover
Edition: 1st Edition Price: US$ 17500.00


How Ironic!
03 June 2014, 10:44 PM
dandelion
OMG YOU GUYS!! Who wrote "Nightfall" was a Jeopardy clue this evening and the contestant identified the author as Bradbury!!!
04 June 2014, 12:56 AM
philnic
quote:
Originally posted by dandelion:
OMG YOU GUYS!! Who wrote "Nightfall" was a Jeopardy clue this evening and the contestant identified the author as Bradbury!!!


D'oh! The same thing would happen with "Harrison Bergeron", I reckon!


- Phil

Deputy Moderator | Visit my Bradbury website: www.bradburymedia.co.uk | Visit the Center for RB Studies: www.tinyurl.com/RBCenter
04 June 2014, 01:05 AM
dandelion
I was TOTALLY yelling "ASIMOV!" at the screen! I told my cousin "Nightfall" has been called (I forget by who) the greatest science fiction story of all time. I actually have the book--in a box downstairs--now I guess I gotta dig it out and read it! I also have Buy Jupiter and Other Stories which contains one or two others frequently mistaken for Bradbury. I told my cousin about the Vonnegut story and Bradbury not being thrilled at being mistaken for Vonnegut and my cousin said, "I don't blame him."
04 June 2014, 12:42 PM
philnic
"Nightfall" has won a few polls for "best SF story". Fortunately, it is quite a short story, so it won't take long for you to familiarise yourself with it!

(It's not very good as a piece of writing, but it has the old-fashioned sensawunda that people used to identify with "good" science fiction. I can think of a dozen Bradbury stories that beat it hands down.)


- Phil

Deputy Moderator | Visit my Bradbury website: www.bradburymedia.co.uk | Visit the Center for RB Studies: www.tinyurl.com/RBCenter