In trying to compile a consistent and accurate cross-reference of Bradbury stories, books and first appearances, I've come across a few anomalies. Can anyone clarify/confirm any of the following:

1) According to one source (probably the copyright extension page of I Sing the Body Electric!), "Any Friend of Nicholas Nickleby is a Friend of Mine" was first published under the title "Charlie is My Darling" in McCall's, January 1966. But according to Contento (accessed via locusmag.com), it was published as "The Best of Times" in MCCall's, January 1966. Which one is correct?

2) Contento gives the first appearance of "Dandelion Wine" (short story) as Gourmet, June 1953. My copy of Dandelion Wine (novel) has no chapter names or titles - which part of the novel does the short story correspond to?

3) I have two possibly conflicting "first appearances" of "The Dragon": (a) The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction, March 1956 and (b) Esquire Aug 1955. Which one is correct?

If you can answer any of these, please tell me the source of your information, so I can weigh it against my sources. Thanks.



[This message has been edited by philnic (edited 09-09-2003).]

From Nolan's "Ray Bradbury Companion":

1. "The Best of Times," McCall's, January 1966.

2. Ha! Good question.

3. "The Dragon," Esquire, August 1955.

Thanks, dandelion. Do I take it that no-one knows what fragments Dandelion Wine is stitched together from?

I have some more mysteries. Any ideas with the following:

1) "The Kilimanjaro Device": copyright page of I Sing the Body Electric! claims it was first published in Playboy (no date given); Contento says Life, Jan 22 1965. Which is correct?

2) "The Happiness Machine": Contento says first published Saturday Evening Post Sep 14 1957; Jerry Weist in Illustrated Life says Life Magazine September 1957. Which is correct?

3) "Half-Pint Homicide" and "I'm Not So Dumb"(in A Memory of Murder) - anyone know where/when they first appeared? Contento doesn't list them (possibly because they aren't SF or fantasy).

4) Contento lists "The Leave-Taking" and "Good-by Grandma" as alternate titles for the same story, giving first publication as The Saturday Evening Post May 25 1957. Are these really the same story, and is this date correct? (Is it possible that "The Leave-taking" might really be "John Huff's Leavetaking"?)

Thanks in advance for anyone who cares to help me with these!

- Phil

[This message has been edited by philnic (edited 09-10-2003).]

I have my copy of A Memory of Murder right in front of me. It says "Half-Pint Homicide" was first published in 1944 in Detective Tales. "I'm Not So Dumb" is listed as 1945 also in Detective Tales. Hope this helps.

A short story, �gDandelion Wine�h Gourmet June 1953 became the 3rd chapter of the novel.

Here we go the DANDELION WINE fragments:
chapter title first appearance
2 Illumination Reporter May 16, 1957
3 Dandelion Wine Gourmet June 1953
5 Summer in the Air S. E. Post February 18, 1956
7 The Season of Sitting (part 1) Charm August, 1951 (first part)
10 The Night Weird Tales July 1946
12 The Lawns of Summer Nation�fs Business May 1952
13&14 The Happiness Machine S. E. Post September 14, 1957
15 Season of Disbelief Collier�fs November 25, 1950
17 The Last, the Very Last Reporter June 2, 1955
19 The Green Machine (England) Argosy March 1951
20 The Trolley Good Housekeeping July 1955
21 Statues F.A.
23 Exorcism! F.A.
25 The Window Collier�fs August 5, 1950
28 The Swan Cosmopolitan September 1954
30 The Whole Town�fs Sleeping McCall�fs September 1950
32 Good-by, Grandma S. E. Post May 25, 1957
34&35 [The Tarot Witch] F.A.
36&37 Green Wine for Dreaming F.A.
39 Dinner at Dawn Everywoman�fs February 1954
40 The Season of Sitting (part 2) Charm August 1951 (second part)


As far as I know,

1. "The Killimanjaro Device" Life Jan 22, 1965 is correct.

2. "The Happiness Machine" S. E. Post Sep 14, 1957 is correct.

4. "The Leave-Taking" and "Good-by Grandma" are the same story and the date is correct.

celsius233, thankyou - I now have all the pieces of the Dandelion Wine jigsaw!

Where did you get the chapter numbers and titles? All of the editions of Dandelion Wine I have seen (British ones), have no numbers or titles.

- Phil

I numbered the chapter just for our convenience of identification; there�fs no edition, at my knowledge, with such chapter numbers or titles. Both first US and British editions of the novel are no exception.

The titles are those of first printing of each story except for:

�gStatues�h first printed, untitled, in DANDELION WINE; this title was given first time when being collected in VINTAGE BRADBURY

�gExorcism!�h first printed, untitled, in DANDELION WINE; this title was given first time when being collected in STORIES OF RAY BRADBURY

[The Tarot Witch] first printed, untitled, in DANDELION WINE; I just followed the title in the list of THE RAY BRADBURY COMPANION.

�gGreen Wine for Dreaming�h first printed, untitled, in DANDELION WINE; this title was given first time when being collected in VINTAGE BRADBURY

You may have noticed the copyright page of this book is almost useless or rather misleading;

There�fs no part of the novel reprinted from �g�gA Story About Love�h in McCall�fs Magazine.�h

�g�gThe Magical Kitchen�h in Everywoman�fs Family Circles�h should have been �gDinner at Dawn�h in Everywoman�fs

Needless to say, those stories appeared before the novel publication have been altered or reshaped in some way to form the novel.

I owe some information to Xenophile #13 edited by Nils Hardin.

[This message has been edited by celsius233 (edited 03-27-2004).]