Any time I blog about a creation of Ray Bradbury, I'm not really “reviewing” the book; I'm really just thinking about the beauty and the poetry in his writings, encompassing everything from a nearby neighbour to a faraway planet, and soaking in that joy that can only come from reading.
As always, this collection of short stories has left me in a state of awe. The paranoia of being taken over by unidentifiable microbes in "Fever Dream"; the ever-present hint of the fear of being murderer and murdered alike in "The Town Where No One Got Off"; the unique story of Smith in "Chrysalis"; and that brilliantly undetectable takeover plan in "Zero Hour" ... superb!
"Dark They Were, and Golden-Eyed" is a fantastic story about the Bittering family, who - along with many other humans from Earth - escape to Mars to get away from the atomic war. I loved the unexpected and complete integration into the Martian way of life.
I was really touched by the pathos in "The Time of Going Away". It is the story of 75 year-old William, who - after a lifetime of exotic trips fueled by his fascination with the "National Geographic" magazines - decides it is time to die, and prepares for his final journey. The juxtaposition of the mundane necessities of life and the eventual reality called death made for such a beautiful read.
Another favourite was the "Pillar of Fire". William Lantry emerges from his grave some 300 years after he was buried and walks into a utopian society where lawlessness of any kind - from lying to murder - no longer exists. Rising from a sense of great loss (writings such as that of Poe have been deemed unsuitable by this pure society), this is the thrilling story of Lantry's vendetta, who is on a violent mission of bringing the dead back to this world.
"The Trolley" was just such a simple, beautiful story with such depth of emotion ... As a small town's historic mode of transportation starts on it’s final trip before being closed down for good, we are taken on a small trip down memory lane itself. From the unadulterated joys of childhood to the final irrevocable change that is life itself, this is classic Bradbury; a small slice of life that remains in our hearts forever.
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