I know there are probably none but in your personal experience tell me a story u didnt enjoy -mine would be unterderseaboat doktor

Yes, dev1209, there *is* a worst Bradbury story, but none of us have ever read it, because it was never published. What's more, in all likelihood the most meticulous of Bradbury scholars will never read it, either, because it all went up in the great bonfire of 1947. A number of others which escaped that terrible conflagration (Heber Finn reference, gag me!) were still too bad to submit, let alone print. Of those printed, you'd have to check the thread "Complete Story Listings" for the 50 or so which have never even been anthologized--the worst published story is no doubt among them. That being said, story I didn't enjoy: "The Aqueduct." Story series I most dreaded: almost anything connected with Heber Finn's gang, "The Anthem Sprinters" being one of very few exceptions.

Come on ppl keep sending them in...............................

I only think that Ray would know for sure, and he's not talking, and I have some I like more than others, but none I concider the worst. Each story has its own merit.

Possibly "I'm Not So Dumb!" from back in 1945. It's told from the point of view of a backwards-type, centering on a murder whodunit out in a small country town. I select this one because it's rather predictable, and in craftmanship not up to par with Bradbury's usual excellence. However, he was a very young writer back then and trying out different genres; even Bradbury himself has said he doesn't care much for the floundering detective tales he attempted in his twenties. Still, as Uncle pointed out, each story has its own merit, and all those mystery stories written by a much younger Bradbury do have their own particular charm.

From one end of the time spectrum to the other: as far as a more recent example goes, I'd have to say I got less enjoyment than usual from the story, "Junior." I mean, come on Ray, why do you want to publish a story about an eighty-two year-old man who suddenly gets an erection after many years of Junior's dormancy? The "story" then progresses to the man's three old girlfriends coming over to marvel at Junior's resurrection. That's the story. I kid you not. With something like this little trifle, you might think Ray would just file it away with other half-baked narratives ... not include it in a collection with many other superior stories.

I, on the other hand, thought the "trifle" of "Junior" one of the best bits of Bradbury satire I have come across. It is superbly written in a very high style, without "dirty" words, but with all the feelings and emotions that an old man could feel about an annual uprising. Wait until you are older, re-read the story, and see if you have a better appreciation for Ray's artistry. That is assuming you are equipped with the required appendage, which is likely needed to accurately identify with the man in the story. Come to think of it, the women in the story had a similar, but somewhat different sense of admiration for the event described and all were in fact, appreciative of their humanity.

[This message has been edited by patrask (edited 08-14-2002).]

Bradbury represents a very important part of my life. He turned me on to the world of ideas and led me on to literature, philosophy, religion, etc.
"He that walketh with wise men shall be wise: but a companion of fools shall be destroyed." (Proverbs 13:20)

"The millions are awake enough for physical labor; but only one in a million is awake enough for effective intellectual exertion, only one in a hundred millions to a poetic or divine life. . . We must learn to reawaken and keep ourselves awake, not by mechanical aids, but by an infinite expection of the dawn, which does not forsake us on our soundest sleep. I know of no more encouraging fact than the unquestionable ability of man to elevate his life by a conscious endeavor." (Thoreau, in Walden)

I Feel like this site has been a place where I can grow and learn and (sometimes contribute). I do think man is exalted in his understanding of himself and his peers.

[This message has been edited by dandelion (edited 09-24-2002).]

Well, this is the way things work, I see.....
Mr. Dark...and Others:::

My comments about grafitti being scrawled on this Ray Bradbury site gets... scrubbed off, deleted by the higher ups.....

You see, censorship even exists in Fahrenheit 451 on-line. What is the temperature that on-line materials catches fire?

It's nothing to do with the temperature, it's just that your post related almost entirely to comments which were deleted--therefore no longer relevant. You'll notice Mr. Dark's post is only about half as long now, since the half about the graffiti is now gone (with the graffiti). The other half remains. Yours had some good points too, but, it was 2 a.m., and decisions had to be made.