Ray Bradbury Forums
Favorite 'obscure' story

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19 October 2007, 07:08 AM
Blind Henry
Favorite 'obscure' story
Any other "Jack in the Box" fans out there? Not sure if this is obsure enough. It's in October Country.
19 October 2007, 07:46 AM
Braling II
That's a wonderful story! This is one of Bradbury's short stories that, when you've finished, you feel like you've just read a novel.
Amazing.
Obscure, though? I have trouble defining just what an obscure Bradbury story is. Maybe one that is hard to find, not in print any more; or maybe just not as well known to the general reading public? If the latter, then I agree this one could be considered obscure.

Say, where the heck have you been, BH?
20 October 2007, 09:18 PM
oz-crumley
When I started this thread, I meant 'obscure' as in not one of the better-known 'classic' stories - eg. 'Skeleton', 'Sound of thunder', 'All summer ...', 'Kaleidoscope', 'The pedestrian' ... etc etc.
Of course I know categorising stories in that way is highly subjective (One man's obscurity is another man's classic), but I just meant stories that are clearly 'lesser-known'.

I absolutely LOVE 'Jack in the box' as well - one of those stories that draw you completely into its own self-contained world.
20 October 2007, 10:13 PM
Braling II
How about "The Blue Bottle"?
"Heavy-Set" is another one; one I find almost too moving.
21 October 2007, 01:02 AM
oz-crumley
B-II, you're really putting your finger on some of my favourites!
I absolutely love 'The blue bottle'. I even have a beautiful antique smoky-blue glass bottle on my bookshelf. If I wasn't technologically challenged I'd post a photo.
21 October 2007, 08:31 AM
rocket
Oz, me too on both it being one of my favorite stories & having a blue bottle on the bookshelf. Mine is a small thick glassed dark blue ink bottle very old. It is of the variety that fit into the old time school desks made of hardwood and wrought iron.


She stood silently looking out into the great sallow distances of sea bottom, as if recalling something, her yellow eyes soft and moist...

rocketsummer@insightbb.com
22 October 2007, 06:37 AM
Banana one
My favorite story was the first one I read
that is "All Summer In A Day" . Cool Wink
05 November 2007, 12:22 PM
dragonfly
Like Mr. Dark:

I LOVE the story "Tomorrow's Child"!

The best I remember it after 20 years:

"They had not intended to give birth to a small blue pyramid" has gotta be one of the best literary first lines in history. I've gotten many quiet laughs to myself from remembering that one for years.
25 November 2007, 01:46 PM
erinaco
Three of my favourites, which I don't think have been mentioned yet are :-

The Murderer
The Fruit at the Bottom of the Bowl
The Watchful Poker Chip of H Matisse

'The Murderer' is amazing. It predicts the mobile phone and its impact on society.
30 January 2008, 08:24 AM
Blind Henry
I am a total fan of Jack in the Box!!! What a great and sad story about a controlling mother trying to protect her child from the dangers of the world. I love it so.
30 January 2008, 04:19 PM
dandelion
These are great stories, but if rules are made to be observed, no story which appeared in either of the 100 stories collections should count as "obscure."
31 January 2008, 10:44 AM
Blind Henry
OK Dandelion. How about the story, "Thunder in the Morning" from Driving Blind?

That story is bizarre and gives me the creeps. I have no idea what was up with the creature that got sucked into the street sweeper machine.

Anyone else ever read that story?
31 January 2008, 12:13 PM
fjp451
Not truly "obscure" in the realm of Bradburian significance, though rare to actually have available for reading (which I am presently doing): "The Fireman"
31 January 2008, 10:06 PM
dandelion
Yeah, I read that one. It's a trip.
11 February 2008, 10:32 AM
Blind Henry
Brailing II,

I'm sorry I'm just re-reading this thread and didn't catch your question.

I've been absent from the board, mostly due to my job being hectic and my children and wife taking up more and more time on the home computer.

Thanks for remembering me. I hope to be a more frequent poster here. I must have picked out a cool screen name if a few of you remember me.

Best Regards. Hopefully I'll be able to locate Tomorrows child since I've never read it before.