Ray Bradbury takes you on mind journeys into his past, and perhaps into your future. He treads on the edge of reality, sneaking glances over the precipice, knowing that to jump means to fly.

I bought this book in Miami Beach. I picked it from among other writing-related books when I opened it and saw a chapter entitled "Drunk, and in Charge of a Bicycle."

This book is not about writing mechanics or technique. It forces you to face two absolute requirements for being a writer:

(1) You must love to write and do it every day, and

(2) You must use your own voice.

According to the author, the desire for fame, money, or literary elitism is as useless as a computer without software. (I would suggest that it's more like a program without a computer. Whatever.)

The last chapter, and the concluding poems, are inspiring. Mr. Bradbury knows that writers despise untruths. I finished his book in two evenings. When I put it down I said, "Yeah." Next morning I would be up dark and early. Writing is hard. Everything else is harder.

Ray Bradbury is my favorite author. So much so that I named my Scottish Fold cat "Bradbury" in honor of him.

And it's all because of books like this.

Zen in the Art of Writing is classic Bradbury: the crisp, short sentences, the vivid mental imagery, the amazing insights into his own writings -- all of it. This book uplifts me, moves me and fills me with awe.

It is, without a doubt, the best book on writing I have ever read.

Why? Because what he shares seems as pertinent to me as if he wrote it FOR me. Example: Page 17. One day, he discovered that his story titles were nothing more than a list of nouns, such as The Lake. The Night. The Monster. The Town Clock. The Carousel. The Crowd.

Such simplicity. Yet, after reading this book I found myself creating my own mental list of titles the same way. Suddenly, just about anything seemed ripe for a story, and infused with some hidden, dark meaning.

The Man on the Corner. The Empty Room. The Ten Foot Oak Tree. The Noise in the Basement. The Tea Leaf. The Knight and the Bishop.

I don't know why it works for me, but it does. Each of those "titles" (that I just came up with as I'm writing this) could be fleshed out into a story. For some reason, when I see things as nouns, my imagination is uncorked and I begin to feel the urge to explore the thoughts invoked.

Try it sometime.

Another example: The chapter "How to Keep and Feed a Muse." Priceless. Magical. He shares ways to awaken the sleeping giant within...and set pen to paper with stellar results.

If you're a writer, you need this book. If you're a lover of Bradbury, you need this book. If you just want to know how one of the 20th century's most lauded authors achieved that status, you need this book.

I re-read Zen in the Art of Writing whenever I feel my muse begin to slip away like a wisp of fog caught by a sudden breeze. And she returns to me. Grudgingly, perhaps. But she returns.

I believe this book could do the same for you.

The thinking person's alternative to any self-help writing book by other well-known authors.

Ray Bradbury is eminently qualified to spin such a work and he does so elegantly and thoroughly.

The inherent spirit of writing is captured nicely in these pages!

This treat of a book is unique in that it is not merely a collection of illustrations from Bradbury publications over the years, but seeks to document the whole spectrum of "visualizing" the rich prose of Mr. Bradbury, an almost impossible task! This includes films, stage productions, marginal doodles by Bradbury himself, books and films that inspired Bradbury in his early years, and much more - a rewardingly broad approach to crafting the book.
In addition wholeheartedly agreeing with the wonderful points noted by other reviewers, I would like to point out that the book features much rare material by Joseph Mugnaini, the definitive Bradbury artist, in the form of concept sketches for covers, stage backdrops, and some of the original paintings that inspired the Bradbury-Mugnaini partnership in the first place. The contribution of Mugnaini's works to Bradbury's success, as a visual carnival barker beckoning readers into Bradbury's world is tough to underestimate.
The book is beautifully printed, with one absolutely tragic exception - the reproduction of Charles Addams' original illustration for the story "Homecoming" is horrible! It is terribly blurry and there are some kind of liquid stains on the original work, which hung in the Bradbury home for many years. For comparison, look at the (reversed) reproduction used as the dust jacket for Bradbury's recent "From the Dust Returned" novel/collection. Just unfortunate that the one illustration botched - was the lone collaboration between two magnificent twentieth-century masters of the macabre. Still OVERWHELMINGLY worth owning however.

This coffee table book is a must have for Bradbury fans. Full of pictures and illustrations of his various stories and books are interweaved with text written by friends and associates of Bradbury's throughout his professional carreer. The book spends a great deal of time on his personal correspondance with William Gaines (comic book publisher and later MAD magazine). The correspondance shows a literary master who was truly fond of comics,then considered a trash medium during the 1950's. The book also spends a good deal of time on notes by Francois Truffaut, the french cinema genious who filmed farhenheit 451. Bradbury is also shown as a man who loved Hollywood from the time he was a small boy. This book is a great addition to have, both for the written word and the beautiful artwork.

Even when Ray Bradbury isn't writing, his friends and fans and disciples are writing about him. This book will give you a couple of hours of joy, and make you wish you had read all 500 of Bradbury's published works, seen all his movies and television productions, heard all his radio plays, seen his stage productions, heard all his recorded books and stories, attended all his lectures, seen all his media interviews. Once hooked on Bradbury, no-one goes into recovery. Ray Bradbury's works are written for future generations of optimal behaviorists who want to see the world and its people survive and thrive.

--Jim Reed, author, DAD'S TWEED COAT: SMALL WISDOMS HIDDEN COMFORTS UNEXPECTED JOYS. Learn more about Reed: jimreedbooks.com

I highly recommend this book to any fan of Ray Bradbury's work, or to anyone who wishes to introduce his classic works into their library. He is a passionate visionary that writes not only about sci-fi, but his colorful writing style encapsulates the sometimes ineffable feelings that each and every one of us have had about every possible situation in life, and dare I say, in death. I always feel like a kid again when I read his books, I am taken away to warm, sunny Saturdays when I was still in awe of the newness of life. I can hardly force myself to read the works of others as I am convinced that no one can do with words the magic that Ray Bradbury has done.

Ray Bradbury is a genius-pure and simple. He is a great. Proof is his power to affect the heart while engaging the intellect.

These stories are the most piognant I have ever read except in The Martian Chronicles. These stories are mind blowing. Bradbury is the greatest short story writer of our time and maybe all time.

A SOUND OF THUNDER is one of science fiction's classic time travel fables. It is, in my estimate, one of Bradbury's short story masterpieces. The plot is deceptively simple...even with the jolting, knock-your-socks-off ending. A jaded rich guy imagines himself a hunter of preeminent skill and hires TIME SAFARI Inc. to wisk him back 60 million years to stalk and kill T-Rex, the most vicious eating machine of all time. Predictably, trouble happens big Time. In a moment of panic "hunter" Eckels...initially heedless of danger in a Jurassic "park" that's no Disneyland...flees, inadvertently squashing a butterfly......

Consequences are catastrophic: the food chain is disturbed and HISTORY devestatingly altered. Bradbury uses this now-cliched scenario to make incisive observation about vunerability of DEMOCRACY (beautiful, fragile, and rare) and ironies of human fraility endangering it. His description of Tyrannasaurus Rex, monster dinosaur King, bellowing in enraged hunger, is not only frightening but politically allegorical. A SOUND OF THUNDER is science fiction fable. It warns of deadly consequence in toying with unappeasable appetite and raw power. Bradbury's ultimate Beast is The Dictator the story's altered time continuum erupts into world dominion. THE SOUND OF THUNDER is his war cry proclaiming victory over crushed humanity pleading for mercy...Very scary stuff!

'A Sound of Thunder' and 'Night Call, Collect' are the two short stories that have been dramatized here. Originally part of the 'Bradbury Thirteen' radio series from 1986, these radio dramas have become very difficult to find. Here they have been re-released in a nice protective package. These productions (of which there are five other releases from D. H. Audio) are of the highest caliber you find in modern or classic radio dramatizations alike. The stories are science fiction classics the liek of which only Ray Bradbury can deliver. They will both frighten and thrill you with their brilliance. I am glad to see them available once again.

Unbelievably good, with a shocking conclusion. Ray Bradbury is already a name well-known in the Household of Good Fiction, but he outdid himself with this one. Superb reading from a great author!

As a long-time admirer of both Arthur C. Clarke the man and his fact and fiction, I've been looking for a good biography for quite a long time, and am glad to say I've finally found one. Neil McAleer has done an excellent job, and obviously put a lot of time into research and interviews. This book was compiled from several interviews with Clarke himself as well as with many of his friends, family members, editors, publishers, fellow writers, colleagues, and the like. One is greatful to get such a great glimpse into the lives of science fiction's most famous author, as well as one of the 20th century's most famous visionaries. Truly a remarkable man, Clarke has had an almost unbelievably productive, meaningful, and memorable life. Here we learn about his upbringing and exploits living on a farm in England in his childhood, and through his experiences in school and budding interest in science and science fiction. We then learn of Clarke's going on to join the Civil Service and eventually the Royal Airforce (where he helped with the radar "talk down" system), and through his college years. We are able to see the development of his writing years, and his active and vital role in the British Interplanetary Society. All of Clarke's major novels and several of his short stories are gone into in detail, and oftentimes we learn of his motivation for writing them, and also something of his writing method. One of the most important and revealing aspects of the book for Clarke fans are the long behind-the-scenes look we get at the making of 2001: A Space Odyssey. We learn of the working relationship between Clarke and Kubrick, and also get a glimpse into the super hush-hush activities that took place on the set. This book covers his career up to the release of his novel The Ghost From The Grand Banks, and a little beyond. It also touches mightily upon his non-fiction writing, as well as his many other and less celebrated exploits - lecturing, popularizing of communications, diplomatic interests, and the like. We learn a lot about Clarke's vital role in the establishment of communications satellites. This is quite simply an essential book for Clarke fans, with much knowledge held within it to put across and share. The only real drawback to it is that it does only go up to 1992, and thereby misses out on some important events in Clarke's career (the release of further books, including his final novel, 3001, his collected stories and essays, his knighthood, the unfortunate (and falsely alledged) accusations of pedophilia against him, and the actual coming of the year 2001, just to name a few.) Still, this is by far the most comprehensive and thorough book about Arthur C. Clarke available. Obvioiusly, as with any biography, it's not a book you'll want to dive into unless you are already familar with the author and his works. If you are, though, then this is an essential volume to add to your collection.

In this novel, Arthur C. Clarke's entire life story is told. Also, actual interviews with Clarke and his family members are used. A fascinating bit of information is that Clarke co-anchored the moon landing in 1969 with Cronkite. This is a great book for any fan of Arthur C. Clarke.

Arthur C. Clarke had been one of my favorite writers since the early 1970's. The first book of his that I read was 2001: A Space Odyssey. I was hooked on Mr. Clarke and science fiction forever. This biography of Mr. Clarke is a pleasure to read. The most satisfying thing about the book is that Mr. Clarke in real life is very much the man you picture while reading both his fiction and non-fiction. The three most interesting aspects of the book was his early work with the British Interplanetary Society, his life in Sri Lanka, and his work on the movie 2001.

What a great variety of classic sci-fi. Having recognized some of the titles & authors, I knew this would be good. Though the sound quality is not what we'd have today, it is superior to a lot of other radio broadcast reproductions I've heard. The slightly "scratchy" recordings of some of these gives a more nostalgic quality without diminishing the quality of the reading/acting. It some cases, the sound quality added to the mystery and suspense.
This collection is varied, having aliens coming to earth, earthlings going to alien worlds, humans reaching new frontiers on earth... actually under the water, immortality through science, and even kids involved in the storyline.
A better selection couldn't be put together than this. For a lifetime sci-fi fan and writer, this is "Sci Fi Hall of Fame" stuff.

My mother remembered the night Orson Welles panicked the country with "The War of the Worlds." I asked her if she was fooled by the broadcast and she said she was not. She was listening to Edgar Bergen and Charlie McCarthy on the other channel. Two things contributed to the hysteria caused by Welles' broadcast. Firstly, the news-report format of the show was extremely realistic, and secondly a number of listeners switched over to "The War of the Worlds" partway through the broadcast when an unpopular singer followed a commercial on the Charlie McCarthy show (I thought people didn't start channel surfing until the invention of the TV remote).

One wit said that all the intelligent people were listening to the dummy and all the dummies were listening to "The War of the Worlds." But that is unfair. When I listened to the show the first time, I was struck by the realism of the radio announcer's panicked description of the Martian attack. It reminded me of the broadcast of the Hindenburg tragedy, and I wasn't at all surprised to learn that the actor who played that part had consciously tried to model his delivery after that broadcast. We'd like to think we're smarter than our countrymen from that earlier time, but you need only look to the recent Y2K panic to realize we're not as sophisticated as we think.

"The War of the Worlds" isn't the only gem in the collection. "Donovan's Brain," "The Martian Chronicles," "The Time Machine," and "Twenty Thousand Leagues under the Sea" are classics by anyone's definition. The other stuff isn't quite as good as these excellent episodes, tending toward sci-fi formula stories and space opera, but the high quality of the named shows would be hard to equal in any genre.

The fifties were the "Golden Age" of science fiction writing, with talents like Robert Heinlein, Isaac Asimov, Ray Bradbury, and Alfred Bester all in their prime. Judging from the quality of the offerings in this collection, fifties radio sci-fi measured up quite well against printed science fiction.

A great collection. It has many classic shows, such as "The War of The Worlds", "Escape", and "Suspense". Ther is only one other radio show it needs. That is "Escape"'s brodcast of "The Earth Abadies". But it still is a fascinating collection.

In "Suspense"'s "Donovan's Brain", a multimillonaire's brain is kept alive by a scientist, played by Orson Wells. In "The War of The Worlds", Earth is invaded by martains. In "Lights Out"'s "The Metor Man", a semi vampire alien haunts a human couple. There are many more classics in this collection. Get it!

This is an anthology from the best in the business. Covering all topics from Medieval knights to chickens crossing the road, this book will have you in stitches. Featuring names like Ray Bradbury, Orsen Wells, Woody Allen and Peter Sellers, Knights of Madness is a read you won't want to miss.

Knights of Madness is aptly named. The twenty-four stories in this volume, from some of the maddest minds in not only literature, but entertainment, are divided into three parts, "Flights of Fantasy: stories of the absurd," "The Muddled Ages: tales of heroic times," and "Malice in Blunderland: cases of crime." However they're billed, such luminaries as Ray Bradbury, Philip K. Dick, Mark Twain, Orson Welles, A. A. Milne, Woody Allen, G. K. Chesterton, and Peter Sellers, provide phenomenally entertaining fare with such topics as how to make love to a werewolf, yet another look at why the chicken crossed the road, a medieval romance from one of the greatest minds in literature. These stories that range from the merely hilarious to the absolutely stunningly brilliant, remind us of how much fun it is to read.

Congratulations to Peter Haining and to Ace for putting together this excellent collection.

Rickey R. Mallory

This is a terrific collection of 24 pieces from the leading humorists of our times. This eclectic mix will introduce you to worlds you never dreamed, insane situations and wacky perspectives which is just what we all need. I couldn't put it down and read it deep into the night.......

I bought a first edition in the US in 1980. It is both my favourite book and most travelled - being an essential component of my personal baggage on numerous international business trips. For someone who grew up in the golden years of science fiction and as a lover of the short story literary form, for me there is only one writer that constantly delivers fresh insights into the possible worlds around us. That writer is Ray Bradbury. He brilliantly spins a lyrical web of simple, singular ideas across the incredible landscape of his mind to captivate his readers. And this collection of stories, spanning 3 decades, reflects the multi-facets of his work. Most of my favourite stories are here. Uncle Einar. The Scythe. Marionettes,Inc. The Small Assasin. The Wonderful Ice Cream Suit. The Day It Rained Forever. The Anthem Sprinters. I am sure that new buyers will enjoy reading the stories in this collection for many years to come. As a retrospective anthology of a great genre author, it's a veritable tour de force.

If there is a master of the short story with a twist, it would have to be Ray Bradbury. These stories are all magnificent, and there is not one that will disappoint you. They will sadden you, make you laugh, make you think, horrify you and please you, but they will NEVER disappoint you.

If you were a fan of the series "The Twilight Zone", you will love these stories. If you like science fiction in general you will love these stories. If you are a devotee at literature at its best, you will never forget these stories. Add this to your collection today!

This collection of stories affected my writing. At least one story I've written has been professionally compared to Ray Bradbury's style. While I never sought to mimic him, I believe I was drawn to his stories because of my writing style and childhood daydreams. This collection is a prime example of Bradbury's work. It's inspiring, startling, spooky, and just plain hypnotic.

Even though I first borrowed this collection from my local library, (and having read some of these stories in others collections), I tracked down a used copy to own just so I could pull it down and revisit my favorite people and places.

A must have for any Bradbury fan... novice or cult-like follower.

once you start listening to these shows,you won't want ot stop!From horrifying classics like Orson Welles' "War of the Worlds"and "Donovan's Brain"to edge-of-the-seat thrillers like "The Maze,"this collection has a lot to offer.Surprise endings you didn't expect will shock youA MUST for science fiction fans,the collection begins with an intro by Ray Bradbury himself!I love it because i like sci-fi and the shows are great theater of the mindIf you like science fiction too,this will be a "Ray" of sunshine no matter what the weather!

I've recently gotten into old-time radio broadcasts and this one is my favorite. It really is the "Theater of Imagination." The writing is superb and suspenseful on these shows. I can't wait to introduce my son to these broadcasts.

H.G. Wells, Jules Verne, Robert Heinlein, Isaac Asimov, Fredric Brown, Fletcher Pratt, Phillip K. Dick, William Tenn, Murray Leinster, Robert Sheckley, Frederik Pohl, Gordon R. Dickson, Theodore Sturgeon, James Blish, H. Beam Piper, Kurt Vonnegut, Robert Sheckley, and Ray Bradbury. A veritable pantheon of great science fiction authors.

"The War of the Worlds," "The Martian Chronicles," "Donovan's Brain," "Earth Abides," "Nightfall," "20,000 Leagues under the Sea," "The Roads Must Roll," "Knock," "Frankenstein," "Lulungameena" (a Dorsai story), "Dream of Armageddon," and "The Country of the Blind." A library of science fiction classics.

Excellent stories, excellent authors, well done plays. One of the selling points for science fiction back in the 50's was its "predictive" aspect. Today's fiction was touted as tomorrow's fact. I loved scifi as a kid, but on listening to the plays, I was somewhat amused at how badly most of the shows got the future wrong. Some of the "future" dates from many of the stories have come and gone without the fabulous scientific achievements presented in the stories. Two stories stand out as highly predictive, however.

"A Logic Named Joe" was a comedy, but it predicted not only the internet, but also two of the internet's greatest problems: loss of privacy and unrestricted access to sensitive information. "The Roads Must Roll" missed badly when it predicted that mass transportation in the USA would be on gigantic conveyor belts, but it also predicted the great mischief that a handful of political zealots could wreak when they commandeered a portion of that mass transport system.

This might be a good way to deal with a little kid's "dinosaur phase." It's a short collection of Ray Bradbury stories and poems, and this edition is illustrated with six different artists' work and Bradbury's foreword from the eighties.

"Besides a Dinosaur, Whatta Ya Wanna Be When You Grow Up?" features a young boy who wants to be a dinosaur when he grows up -- with bizarre results. "A Sound of Thunder" follows a time-travel safari that goes horribly wrong. The eerie "Fog Horn" calls a strange, ancient creature. "Tyrannosaurus Rex" is involved in filmmaking, and the two poems "Lo, the Dear Daft Dinosaurs!" and "What If I Said, The Dinosaur's Not Dead" add a note of whimsy to it.

As with all Bradbury story collections, this is a pretty unusual bunch of stories -- there's humor, there's horror (the second story in particular) and dwelling on children in the Midwest with that odd knack he seems to have. The writing is spare and hard-hitting, and the publisher, ibooks, adds to the entertainment with illustrations. The cover art is the best, very bright and colorful. Inside the text of the stories is often lined with smaller pictures and patterns; the illustrations can be weird and funny, or realistic and almost frightening. The only letdown was Moebius's rather childlike illustrations.

If you have a kid who's obsessed by dinosaurs, or ever were one yourself (fess up! Everyone does it!) then this will be a good collection of dinosaur stories to share. And even if you already have this book in another edition, you may want to get it just for the illustrations.

Ray Bradbury is one of the masters of science fiction. His stories were literate, imaginative, and have left a lasting mark on American culture. "Dinosaur Tales" is a collection of several of Bradbury's short stories and poems about dinosaurs with illustrations by Moebius. The stories and illustrations evoke a sense of wonder. It was nice to see dinosaurs drawn in a mythic way. This helped to give the stories a timeless feel. This is a collection of poems and stories about people and their themes remain as strong today as when they were originally written.

There was one story in particular in this book that had a profound effect on me. There have been a few stories that I have read in my life that even upon recollection have been so cool and groundbreaking in their execution or vision that they bring tears to my eyes. It's not that I'm sad or anything, but they're so amazing that my eyes water. The story in this book that did that was about a company that charged people to go back in time to hunt dinosaurs. Sounds simple, but the execution and the twist are just sweet. Another story like that was "The Star" in "The Super Hugos", which was a short story by Arthur C. Clarke. Check that out as well.