I'd like to ask what anyone might recommend to be Mr. Bradbury's best book (or story)? If I could only read one book of his, (at least to start) which one would you recommend?

Take into consideration that I'm close to his age and a novelist myself specializing in romantic intrigue, and my hobby is archaeogenetics. Thanks for recommending a good book or story. Ray Bradbury has been my inspiration for writing for years.

Fortunately, I heard his lecture broadcast on satellite TV where he recommended books to read. I, too sat in the NY public library and read through some volumes back in the fifties.

So his fine lecture and inspiration during my early writing years in the late fifties and early sixties helped. My favorite was the TV program about his inspiration of his magical toy shop workroom.

How wonderful to have had the chance to hear his lecture. I taught creative writing for many years. Wonderful inspiration to read the books he recommended as a foundation to be a novelist. Thank you all.
Annee

http://dnadetectives.tripod.com

[This message has been edited by agapetheodakis (edited 10-14-2002).]

Choosing a best would require more detailed knowledge of what you are looking for and what your criteria for "best" is.

AMONG his best novels, these would certainly be in the running:

FARENHEIT 451 -- Exemplary and powerful social criticism. High moral ground. Vivid characters. Wonderful pace. Dialogue that powerfully deals with the themes and fairly argues both sides of the issues at point. My first Bradbury reading.

SOMETHING WICKED THIS WAY COMES -- Wonderful, touching story that evokes a powerful sense of nostalgia. Covers several fundamental themes of human longing and redemption. Again, wonderful, rich characters that have individual humanity AND that stand as metaphors or archetypes of different human characteristics.

THE MARTIAN CHRONICLES -- Amazing sequence of stories showing the colonization of Mars by man. Religious and sociological themes abound. The writing is probably the most poetic in science fiction. Great series of stories -- each looking at a possible Martian history and the interaction of a variety of humans with that ancient land and culture. A great read.

DANDELION WINE -- Although (in my humble opinion) not science fiction, this novel is felt by many of his readers to be his very best for its evocation of a nostalgic period of americana. Wonderful stories, great characters, amazingly poetic prose.

Among the stories, my favorites include:

Skeleton
The Pedestian
The Dwarf
The Blue Bottle
All Summer in a Day
A Sound of Thunder
The Veldt
Kaleidoscope
The Long Rain
The Rocket Man
Zero Hour
The Small Assassin
The Fog Horn
The April Witch
Fever Dream
Dark They Were, And Golden-Eyed
The Homecoming
The Coffin
There Will Come Soft Rains
Mars is Heaven
Uncle Einar
The Playground
The Next in Line
The Jar
Frost and Fire
The October Game

This is just a scratches-the-surface kind of list. The question of best is a difficult one to answer, because in literature "best" is partly a subjective reaction to a work of literature.

But, perhaps a starting point.

P.S. When you ask what MOST would consider to be his best novel, based on assignments in classrooms and controversy generated, I would have to guess Farenheit 451 would hold that distinction. But, again, "best" is not necessarily a democratic term, per se. This is the most assigned and the most controversial novel. I think it may be his best. But, what do I know?

So again, the question is, "best" at what?




[This message has been edited by Mr. Dark (edited 10-14-2002).]

Mr. Dark,

Please don't sell yourself short. If you think F451 is Ray's best novel, then you think it's his best novel. To denigrate your choice by saying "What do I know?" (said, I'm sure, in a light-hearted tone) you fall into the trap of moral relativism. Okay, F451 is his best novel. Let others dissent.

(Personally, my favorite is Dandelion Wine. But his best novel is Something Wicked This Way Comes because it's more "novelistic." F-451 kind of sputters and dies at the end.)

Pete

In attending one Halloween dinner speech Ray had remarked his personal favorite was "The Halloween Tree" it does not get as much attention, as the rest, but he enjoyed detailing the origins of his favorite Holiday.

IF I were forced to chose only one book of Ray's work (horrible thought!), I'd CHEAT! I found an omnibus collection many years ago that contains FIVE complete and unabridged books of his:

Fahrenheit 451
The Illustrated Man
Dandelion Wine
The Golden Apples of the Sun
The Martian Chronicles

It's from Octopus Books, Inc., pub. 1987,
ISBN 1852560231

ZEN IN THE ART OF WRITING

quote:

Originally posted by agapetheodakis:
I'd like to ask what anyone might recommend to be Mr. Bradbury's best book (or story)? If I could only read one book of his, (at least to start) which one would you recommend?

Take into consideration that I'm close to his age and a novelist myself specializing in romantic intrigue, and my hobby is archaeogenetics. Thanks for recommending a good book or story. Ray Bradbury has been my inspiration for writing for years.

Fortunately, I heard his lecture broadcast on satellite TV where he recommended books to read. I, too sat in the NY public library and read through some volumes back in the fifties.

So his fine lecture and inspiration during my early writing years in the late fifties and early sixties helped. My favorite was the TV program about his inspiration of his magical toy shop workroom.

How wonderful to have had the chance to hear his lecture. I taught creative writing for many years. Wonderful inspiration to read the books he recommended as a foundation to be a novelist. Thank you all.
Annee

http://dnadetectives.tripod.com

[This message has been edited by agapetheodakis (edited 10-14-2002).]

Well, my personal two favorite Bradbury books would have to be Farenheit 451 and The Martian Chronicles, because they both deal with themes in which I am interested. If you enjoy books that deal with the nature of humankind and the conflict of individualism vs. societal ethics, then I would highly recommend you read both of these.

Also... has anyone read From The Dust Returned yet? It is REALLY excellent (so far) too, but I haven't finished it yet so I can't give a full opinion.

I really like The Martian Chronicles but my favorite would have to be a short story called R is for Rocket.

I'd recommend ZEN in the art of writing because it's more about Ray. Lots of tips on 'letting your imagination be your guide'. I've read stories from him before, but it was only after I'd read 'ZEN ...' that I felt that I really knew and begin to understand him as an author.

I'd have to say the Martian Chronicles is the best, I love that book, and am asking peoples here what they thought of it. A lot say they love that book. The best story I've read I think is Dark They Were And Golden Eyed. That was such a good story!