| Dating from 1971, this is one of Bradbury's best story collections. Not only does it have tales that could easily have come from _Martian Chronicles_ ("Night Call, Collect" and the melodramatic "The Lost City of Mars"), or from _Dandelion Wine_ ("Any Friend of Nicholas Nickleby's Is a Friend of Mine"), but there is also a marvelous homage to and parody of Hemingway ("The Kilimanjaro Device"), an uncharacteristically creepy portrait of an otherworldly loser ("Heavy-Set"), and several utterly delightful Irish stories (especially "The Terrible Conflagration up at the Place" and "The Cold Wind and the Warm"). There is even a prose-poem "cantata" that brings together the birth of Christ and space travel, for those who can appreciate that sort of thing. | ||
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Plot & Themes Tone of book - very upbeat - FANTASY or SCIENCE FICTION? - part earth & part fantasy world Coming of age Yes Explore/1st contact/ enviro story Yes Explore: Romance Yes Romance plotlets: - destined love (dream or prediction) Tech./$$$/Info hunt Yes Stealing/recovering/destroying Magical Beings/Mental/Magical/Powers Yes magical powers: Robots, Computers, VR Yes Robot, PC, VR Plotlets: Story involving clones/duplicates? - good clones/duplicates Is this an adult or child's book? - Adult or Young Adult Book Clones Yes Main Adversary How sensitive is this character? Sense of humor - Mostly serious with occasional humor Intelligence - Average intelligence Setting Earth setting: - 20th century - near future (later in 21st century) - medium future 22-24th century A substantial portion of this book takes place on a non-Earth planetary body: - humans in a futuristic society - empty, or nearly empty world Takes place on Earth? Yes Planet outside solar system? Yes Not Earth, in Solar System? Yes Writing Style Accounts of torture and death? - generic/vague references to death/punishment Sex in book? Yes What kind of sex: - - - How much dialogue? - significantly more descript than dialog |
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