Picked up a copy of "The Best of Rob Wagner's Script" which includes the uncollected short stories "To Make a Long Story Much Shorter" and "Skeleton" (different from the story published in The October Country) by Ray Bradbury.

"To Make a Long Story Much Shorter" was published in Script in 1941. "Skeleton" was published in Script in 1945.

I can understand why some of these earlier Bradbury stories have remained uncollected. I know Bradbury burned a million words before ever deciding to publish but I imagine that he may have wanted to burn a few more.

The collector in me desires to own these uncollected stories. The fan in me loves to read the stories and see how Ray grew as an artist.

With the impending publication of many of these rare early stories in The Definitive Short Story anthology it will be more obvious that it took many many words to reach the brilliance of Dark Carnival and the wonderful books that followed.

I am really looking forward to reading more of these early stories and the chatter that will ensue.

djm, is there anything else of note in "The Best of Rob Wagner's Script"? (I don't mean Bradbury, I mean anything else, by anyone else?)

Phil, besides the two stories by Ray, the collection includes contributions from such diverse people as Agnes G. De Mille, Tom Mix, Upton Sinclair, Jessamyn West, Lillian Gish, cinematographer James Wong Howe, Dalton Trumbo, Charlie Chaplin, Louis L'Amour, and William Saroyan.

I have the book as well, and it is well worth picking up.

Incidentally, when I asked Ray to sign my copy of this book several years ago, he sat and read the story, "To Make A Long Story Much Shorter", since he had not seen or read it for many years. He laughed to himself several times while reading and, when he finished, jokingly said, "Who wrote that story?"

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Richard,

Richard... that is a great story! I laughed when I read that because I can totally see Ray doing that. The story does seem akward. But, there are moments that are pure Bradbury (like how he describes the ocean in the opening paragraphs).

Phil - yes, this book is indeed worth picking up. I found myself reading more shorts... including the Lilian Gish bit, the wonderful articles by Wagner, and a Charlie Chaplin piece.

Interestingly enough, Script never paid the authors for these stories. It was a labor of love for many but a brilliant opportunity for some (including the young Bradbury).

Interestingly, "To Make a Long Story Much Shorter" is not listed in the contents of Ray Bradbury: A Critical Edition (1938 - 1943).

Many uncommon and rather difficult to obtain stories are included, but not this one.