Ο Ray Bradbury – γνωστότερος για το έργο του Φαρενάιτ 451 [Fahrenheit 451] – έγραψε τα συγκεκριμένα διηγήματα την δεκαετία του 50 (και κάποια τη δεκαετία του 40) όταν στην Αμερική αναπτυσσόταν με ραγδαίους ρυθμούς η τεχνολογία αλλά και η φιλολογία που αφορούσε τα διαστημόπλοια (πυραύλους). Έτσι, πέρα από τη λογοτεχνική αξία των διηγημάτων, είναι ενδιαφέρον να παρατηρήσει κάποιος, μέσα από αυτά, τις αντιλήψεις των ανθρώπων της εποχής, για την εξέλιξη της τεχνολογίας, τα ταξίδια στο διάστημα και τη ζωή σε άλλους πλανήτες (και πιο ειδικά στον Άρη). Δεκαεφτά επιλεγμένες ιστορίες τρόμου, φαντασίας και περιπέτειας από τον μεγαλύτερο συγγραφέα επιστημονικής φαντασίας της Αμερικής.Η μαγευτική δύναμη του Ray Bradbury. Μπορεί να σε κάνει να δεις πράγματα που δεν έχουν δει ποτέ ανθρώπινα μάτια... να αισθανθείς πράγματα που δεν έχουν αισθανθεί ξανά πλάσματα με σάρκα και αίμα. Μπορεί να δημιουργήσει τόσο δυνατά οράματα που στην κυριολεξία χορεύουν μπροστά στα μάτια σου. Μπορεί να σε σπρώξει πίσω στις αρχές του χρόνου και τότε, ξαφνικά, χωρίς προειδοποίηση να σε πετάξει εμπρός στα απώτερα όρια του μέλλοντος. Μπορεί να σε κάνει τόσο έντονα μέρος των παράξενων κόσμων του που στην κυριολεξία ουρλιάζεις για να βγεις έξω.[Μετάφραση στα ελληνικά: Στα χρόνια των πυραύλων / Ray Bradbury, Θεσσαλονίκη: Συμπαντικές Διαδρομές, 2011.]
I recently reread this collection of short stories with an eye to putting together a conference paper proposal. Even though I didn't put together a great proposal, I am glad I reread the book--the stories are mesmerizing. Bradbury has this amazing way of leaving just enough of a thread between stories (which is stronger in The Martian Chronicles) so that the line between story worlds is fuzzy and there's a blending of sci-fi, fantasy, and horror that results in a sci-fi setting with a narrative so much more fantastic than techno-gadgetry while horror adds a tinge of discomfort and mystery. I recently found out that Bradbury was a huge fan of Edgar Allen Poe, and even called himself in a few poems, the "son of Edgar." These stories well reflect Poe's aesthetic philosophy. Poe loved brief stories, which, in his opinion, could better maintain a unity of effect. Bradbury's stories not only carry many of Poe's same themes of be-careful-what-you-wish-for horror and mystery with uncomfortable windows into the human psyche, but also have a unity that leaves its readers haunted as if by music with a strong theme--I find myself thinking about the story, humming it in my head, throughout the day.
What do You think about R Is For Rocket (1984)?
I enjoyed this a great deal, although I will admit the title was a little off-putting at first. Like most of Mr Bradbury's short story collections, there are a couple of repeats from other collections, but the rest of the stories more than make up for that. I didn't particularly care for 'Frost and Fire', but 'The Dragon' made me laugh. The rest of the stories were all pretty good, though, and, despite the title, the story 'R is for Rocket' was probably my favourite, although 'The Time Machine' (from 'Dandelion Wine') was a close second.
—Rachel
This is possibly the best book I've read all year. Maybe not technically brilliant, but its heart and soul more than made up for that. It's a collection of short stories written in the '40s and '50s and they are all wonderful. These are the sorts of stories that remind me why I love science fiction: not only do they evoke a sense of joy and wonder at the amazing universe we live in, but Bradbury's writing is poetic, gets under your skin and is a joy to read.The stories are true Golden Age stuff, all food pills, bubble cars and rocket ships. Most of them invoked the rocket as a symbol of freedom, the future and hope and even in the ones where it was absent, these themes recurred. It's not perfect, it's a product of its time, with almost a complete absence of women, but if you can look past its origins, it's an incredibly rewarding book.
—Raj
Yeah, this is a thing now. Bradbury before bedtime. And I continue to be thrilled by it even as I continue to not bother explaining in these five-star reviews precisely WHY you ought to read short stories by Ray Bradbury. Because I shouldn't have to. It's Ray Bradbury. You should know already that it's awesome and the approximate reasons why, even if you've yet to actually read any of his work.And; If you haven't read any of his work, hang your head in shame. Then go buy some of his work and read it. This is important cultural information, people, it's important that you have at least a working knowledge of it!
—Christopher Munroe
