Iconic American author Ray Bradbury passed away yesterday morning at the age of 91 after a longtime illness. Being one of the first authors I was forced to read in school, but enjoyed, I feel it’s only necessary to round up my Top 5 favorite of his works (full novels and short stories included).
5. Dandelion Wine
A collection of originally published separate short stories based in the summer of 1928 in the fictional town of Green Town, Illinois with the lead character, Douglas Spaulding, based on the childhood version of Bradbury himself. A nice quick read for the A.D.D. and those that have an issue committing to reading a whole book.
4. “The Next in Line”
At first a slow moving short story featuring a couple traveling through the backwoods of Mexico but quickly takes a turn when their vehicle brakes down in a rundown town. Bradbury hits with a shock ending when the couple realizes… “Oh, we’re kinda fucked!”
3. “I Sing the Body Electric!”
A young girl, Agatha, receives a gift of an electronic Grandmother after her real mother dies. She refuses to accept the robot until… Read it. Or, if you’re a lazy ass, watch the Twilight Zone episode based on it.
2. “The Dwarf”
Really fucked up gem of a short story that’ll have you looking over your shoulder for dwarves because you think they’ll cut your ass. Bonus is it’s based in a nightmarish carnival of horrors.
1. Something Wicked This Way Comes
Halloween is around the corner in a small Midwestern town which is home to two boys who uncover strange occurrences and shocking truths about the workers of a traveling carnival. Being one of the best written pieces by Bradbury, this is still another novel that, if you have an issue with reading, the film adaption is just as good. Plus, Pam Grier (aka Foxy Brown) is in it so what’s not to love?
Mr. Bradbury thanks for turning all my dreams into nightmares when I was a child.
