Hi everyone!

I'm currently studying some swedish translations of Bradbury's short story 'Homecoming'. I would appreciate help with a question that has come up. I wonder if 'Homecoming' has been published in different versions in english, or has the text always remained the same? I hope someone might know and help me here.

Bradbury seems never to miss opportunities for revision, and the more a story is printed, the more it is revised. At least five distinct versions exist of "Homecoming."

First book version in "Dark Carnival," reprinted in the reissue, difficult and expensive to obtain.

First magazine version, which I have never seen (that issue was stolen from the library of the university I attended before I ever got there and I haven't seen it anywhere else) which, according to the reissue introduction in several places represents a later stage of revision than that in the book! Usually it's the other way around, but it seems deadline for submitting a final version for the book must have come sooner than for the magazine.

Most commonly-known version is from "The October Country," which I ASSUME is the version reprinted in most anthologies, though I certainly haven't compared them word-for-word. I don't know if it's been reprinted in magazines, but again would assume this, or a condensed form of it, would be the version used.

Revised version in "The Stories of Ray Bradbury," the first 100 stories collection.

Different version in the novel "From the Dust Returned," which goes back and borrows some elements not seen since the original, leaves others out, and adds still others, giving a VERY different effect! In fact, in a really old thread somewhere here I started to compare the various versions and give examples of which passages I found most effective from each. In my opinion a "final" version should and could incorporate all of these passages.

Thank you for your reply, it helps me a lot! I've come in touch with a translation of 'Alfred Hitchcock's Monster Museum' which includes 'Homecoming'. It has been shortened down, simplified and contains added explanations of what is going on. Does not do justice to the short story at all.

Anyway, thanks again!