Has anyone ever read "The Candle" or "The Piper" or "The Pendulum" or any of the very early, early stories?

Yes, I've read a number of Bradbury's early/obscure works.

I've read "The Piper".

Here's a soundbite:

"The shape moved sluggishly,like a ponderous, semi-human amoeba; a mass of ebon life on the verge of imitating Man. It reared up on thick black legs, groping out with fat dark arms and thick, hungry fingers. It opened a wide, lipless mouth and grunted."

Okay, the story's not that terrible, but it's not what made our guy famous, is it? the point is, as far as reading pleasure is concerned, I doubt you're missing much.

True, but I will read ANYTHING in print with his name on it...even all those Irish stories. Now that's real torture, I mean, devotion.

I speak in love, not disdain. But the poems are hard to read. I'll defend "The Syncopated Hunchbacked Man", but not all that many of the others.

I also have about six plays, but I haven't even read them. There actually was a production of one near where I live (Kaleidoscope, I think), at a now defunct place called The Space Theater (appropriately enough), but I never saw it.

The Irish stories are fine by me.

I'd have to agree with Dandelion--those Irish stories are definitely not my favorite and I'm talking "The Anthem Sprinters" here, that one left me cold. But other than those few unpleasant examples, I love this guy's stuff. And I'd agree with Dandelion on another point, too--I'd read anything with his name on it. I've never read "The Piper" or "The Candle" or some of those, but I'd like to. It's fun, I think, to read an author's earliest work and trace his development. Dounglas, your soundbite of "The Piper" sounds intriguing, sounds like Ray was doing the Lovecraft thing. Interesting.

For availability of these stories, look under "Complete Story Listings" above.

Aruggggghhh!!! I'm stumped here... didn't Bradbury write a story about a man who goes back in time, steps on a moth, and upon his return to his time, finds history has changed???

HELP me on this one, I'm going mad trying to remember the title...

Just send it to my email, if you know of the one I'm asking about....

Thanks

That's "A Sound of Thunder," on which the forthcoming movie of the same title is based.

Addisen - the story you are thinking of is "A Sound of Thunder." Does anyone know anything that Mr. Bradbury ever said about the origin/context of that piece? I am analyzing it for a class. thx