What, in your opinion, is Ray Bradbury's greatest work? This can be a novel, short story collection (or just one story), screenplay, or something completely different e.g. his acting in the now infamous prunes commercial, which I seriously believe had potential for greatness.
For me, it has always been 'The Golden Apples of the Sun'. I think that it's his most perfect short-story book, a collection of literary diamonds!This message has been edited. Last edited by: Martian (Ruth S. Hare),
___________________________________________________________________________________ "The key word is love... get up in the morning and write something you love, something to live for!”
Posts: 18 | Location: United Kingdom | Registered: 19 February 2011
For me, it just must be Dandelion Wine.There are some times when I wake up in the middle of the night with an urge to open it--any page would do--and just dive in head first. It truly sends chills down my spine and, for some strange reason, through my nose. I love it!
" 'So-So' is good, very good, very excellent good, and yet it is not so: it is but so-so." -Shakespeare
Posts: 7 | Location: In my dreams--Paris. In my reality--Washington | Registered: 22 June 2011
My first memory of reading Ray Bradbury was "R is for Rocket", followed by "S is for Space". When I walked into my elementary school library, the wall on the far right held the fiction section. I started at "A" but when I got to "B", those two volumes seemed to whisper to me, "Read me, there's magic inside." The dust jackets on both were from the first edition. When I see pictures of those dust jackets, I am immediately transported via a time machine to that very moment when I pulled them off the shelf and began reading by the library window.However, that was all the Bradbury I read until two or three years later. Those books will always be my first but the "real magic" came with my third Bradbury book.
I lived in a modest bungalow in the city, but every summer I would spend a week at my Uncle's farm. He had a two-storey house and my second floor bedroom looked out onto cornfields, rusted cars, a pond, and a big barn. In a corner of the bedroom were several paperbacks that my older cousin had read. One of them was "Dandelion Wine". I began to read it and with it my summer officially began. When I woke up the next morning, I felt like Douglas Spaulding. He surveyed Greentown from his third-story cupola bedroom. I surveyed the farm from my temporary second-story bedroom. I now must start every summer by reading several chapters from "Dandelion Wine". To me it's his best book/story. Why? Because it spoke to me, charged me, moved me, and entertained me. It still does.
Posts: 49 | Location: Where the Streets Have No Name | Registered: 19 April 2011
The lights are out. I've wished the magnificent maple tree that has for so many years greeted me each early morning at my third floor classroom window a fond and thankful farewell. The last book to show up mysteriously at my door for storing until autumn leaves begin to turn orange and yellow and red was - What else!? - Fahrenheit 451!
Thanks to all here. A note to Mr. B will be shared in the coming day or two. If anyone is in-person with our favorite storyteller, please extend great appreciation, a handshake, and a warm embrace from this North Country fan. His inspiration has touched all of my teachings, ambitions, family, and future, too! I'm sure.
I'll see you all along the trail in days to come... f
*Favorite RB book!? The one I happen to be reading at that moment!
Posts: 2822 | Location: Basement of a NNY Library | Registered: 07 April 2005
Esquire just published their new list of "50 Best Sci-Fi Books of All Time." They have THE MARTIAN CHRONICLES ranked as #3 on their list (only one book per author made the cut, so FAHRENHEIT 451 is not on the list). I don't know if I strictly agree with their choice, since MC is really science fantasy while F451 is definitely science fiction, but I won't quibble since both books are brilliant. The list is here: https://www.esquire.com/entert...4/best-sci-fi-books/This message has been edited. Last edited by: JRES100,
I would have to distinguish between "greatest" and "favorite". I think Ray's greatest work...the one with the most influence...is his novel FAHRENHEIT 451. My favorite collection is THE GOLDEN APPLES OF THE SUN, the very first Ray Bradbury book/collection I ever read, and the one that made me a Bradbury fan for life. And my favorite individual story is "The October Game", which remains one of the scariest and creepiest stories I have ever read!
Richard, I agree with THE GOLDEN APPLES OF THE SUN as that is also my favorite Bradbury book (beats THE ILLUSTRATED MAN just by a hair). It's not his most influential book but it has my favorite individual story ("Hail and Farewell") and 3 others that are in my top 5 list ("The Fog Horn," "A Sound of Thunder," and "The Flying Machine"). "The October Game" is also a great story and one of the creepiest stories ever written; wow it is dark!
