I am a big fan of Ray Bradbury's work. He is a genious in literature. However, this book fell short of what I expected from him.

The book starts off excellant. There is a good build up and it is very quick and interesting. As the plot thickens (hehe) things tended to get a little bit confusing to me. Part of it is Bradbury's classic writing style mixed with a very odd plot. The other part is sheer madness. Everything comes back into focus for the end only to end on an off note, almost leaving you hanging.

Again, let me reiterate that this is not a bad novel at all, but as far as Ray Bradbury's work goes, it is on a lower level. If perhaps this was another author I would easily give it 4 stars, but I expected more out of a Bradbury novel.

If you are a die hard fan of Mr. Bradbury's work, check this one out, however if you are new to his work, start off with one of his well known classics.

Ray Bradbury's murder mystery novel "Let's All Kill Constance" opens with the words "It was a dark and stormy night." Bradbury playfully winks at his readers with this notoriously (albeit intentionally) cliched introduction, letting us in on the joke of the novel: "Let's All Kill Constance" is a murder mystery, yes, but a murder mystery played out as high camp, all poetic hyperbole and exaggeration. When aging film star Constance Rattigan appears at an unnamed writer's beachfront bungalow (the writer is a barely-disguised younger version of Bradbury himself) with two "Books of the Dead", Bradbury finds himself plunged into a mysterious world of Tinseltown ghosts. Someone is trying to scare Constance by dredging up these ghosts from her past; the books she discovered list long-forgotten friends and acqaintances--many dead or close to death--with Constance's name appearing among them. Bradbury and Constance both comprehend the unspoken threat: Constance may be the next to die. It's up to Bradbury to figure out who's behind this macabre plot, and quickly... before Constance's past finally catches up with her--for good.

With his (often unwilling) sidekick, Elmo Crumley, in toe, Bradbury searches everywhere for clues to the mystery and Rattigan's past. Along the way, he crosses paths with a host of strange characters: a decrepit man who lives amid reams of ancient newsprints; an immense fortune teller, Queen Califia, who holds many secrets of her own; a fearful priest who presides over St. Vibiana's Cathedral; and an ancient film projectionist who surrounds himself with scenes from Hollywood's golden years. As Bradbury delves deeper into the mystery, he learns that nothing is what it seems, and there is no telling what secrets ultimately lie buried deep below Grauman's Chinese movie theater--and beyond.

This novel is Bradbury's third (after "Death Is a Lonely Business" and "A Graveyard for Lunatics") foray into the mystery/detective genre, and unfortunately, it's his least successful. As always, Bradbury writes in an archly poetic style, but here that style is exaggerated to the point of parody. The novel is a quick read, weighing in at a scant 210 pages; chapters end almost before they begin and there is a rushed feeling to the proceedings. Bradbury doesn't allow his readers any chance to savor the plot, as he seems intent on quickly rushing from scene to scene while introducing new characters (all of whom speak with a rat-a-tat, hard-boiled sameness that robs them of any emotion). In the end, "Let's All Kill Constance" manages to feel both drawn-out and not fleshed-out enough.

I'm an admirer of Bradbury's work and I eagerly looked forward to this book after hearing about its release, but ultimately, I was disappointed by it. The situations and characters do not feel realistic or involving. More to the point, Bradbury's overly stylized approach, which is typically so engaging, does not do this book justice. If you're interested in exploring one of Bradbury's more successful attempts at this genre, I would recommend reading the wonderful "Death Is a Lonely Business".

"All the world's a stage,
And all the men and women merely players.
They have their exits and their entrances,
And one man in his time plays many parts,
His acts being seven ages."
--Shakespeare, As You Like It (Act 2, Sc. 7)

Ray Bradbury, one of the most celebrated fiction writers of our time, has published more than thirty books, close to 600 short stories, and numerous poems, essays, and plays.

Bradbury was born August 22, 1920 in Waukegan, Illinois, and now lives in Los Angeles. He is best known for his novels, such as Fahrenheit 451, The Martian Chronicles, The Illustrated Man, and Something Wicked This Way Comes.

The author's new novel virtually defies categorization. Set in 1960, in Venice, Calif., Let's All Kill Constance is a tongue-in-cheek Gothic tale, a noir mystery that balances kitsch and class. A murder mystery? Well, not exactly. It's more like an unmurder mystery.

In her time, Constance Rattigan played many parts. An aging film star, the five-foot-two femme fatale with a golden tan still possesses beauty that causes passersby to turn their heads for a second look.

A method actress, a woman with a thousand faces, Constance is a chameleon who changes her personality and appearance to adapt to various roles.

Trouble is, by assuming multiple personalities, Constance has lost her identity. No longer knowing who she is, she determines to kill the past--to destroy her multiple personae and rediscover her true self.

The narrator of this story is an unnamed science-fiction writer, at whose beachfront bungalow Constance Rattigan appears on a dark and stormy night, with lightning flashing and the waves crashing.

Constance brings a 1900 Los Angeles telephone directory, a "Book of the Dead" containing names of the dead and the soon-to-be-dead. Constance's name, along with several others, is marked with a red ink circle around it and a crucifix.

Convinced that Death has been chasing her down the seashore, Constance is terrified. She enlists the aid of our sci-fi writer-hero, who, with his wacky sidekicks--irascible Detective Elmo Crumley, Blind Henry, and Fritz Wong--uncover the secrets of a decadent Tinseltown.

In search of clues, our semi-fearless foursome sally forth boldly, being careful to heed the counsel of Satchel Paige, who said, "Don't look back. Something might be gaining on you."

They ascend Mount Lowe, to the musty archives of an eccentric newspaper collector; press on to the Psychic Research Lodge of Queen Califia (astrologer, palmist, and phrenologist); visit St. Vibiana's Cathedral and Constance Rattigan's big white Arabian-fortress beach house; drive down Hollywood Boulevard to legendary Grauman's Chinese Restaurant, the most famous movie palace in the world; explore the spooky, ghost-haunted depths of L.A.'s catacombs, and tour the tombs at Glendale's Forest Lawn Cemetery.

Slowly but surely, a portrait of Constance Rattigan emerges: a vixen who sells herself--body and soul--in cutthroat competition with other actresses in order to win prize roles in films, and to steal their men.

"Why is it," says our narrator, "someone like Constance is a lightning bolt, performing seal, high-wire frolicker, wild laughing human, and at the same time she's the devil incarnate, an evil cheater at life's loaded deck?"

As I read Bradbury's ludicrous tale, I felt my thumb slowly turning downward. It suddenly dawned on me, however, that this book is a send-up. The book's opening lines should have alerted me to this fact: "It was a dark and stormy night. Is that one way to catch your reader?" Surely, somewhere the spirit of Charles Schulz must be smiling.

Liquor flows freely through these pages. Corks are popped at the drop of a hat. Our narrator muses: "Malt does more than Milton can, / to justify God's way towards Man. / And Freud spoils kids and spares the rod, / to justify Man's ways toward God."

Judged "seriously," Let's All Kill Constance is ludicrous. The point, however, is that Bradbury's work sparkles with fun and joie de vivre. His exaggerations are intentional. His caricatures are calculated.

Listening with ears attuned to Bradbury's wavelength, one hears the "Pow! Biff! Bam!" of high camp. Appreciating this crucial point is the key to understanding and enjoying Bradbury's latest offering.

Buy into what Bradbury is selling, and you will have a blast...

wow! I am suprised that noone has reviewed such a good story! I enjoyed it as an 8th grader and still do!

This cassette contains two audio dramatizations ("Dark They Were & Golden Eyed" and "The Fox and the Forest")from the 1984 radio series "Bradbury 13". You can read more about the Peabody award winning series. Ray Bradbury's stories have been turned into many wonderful radio and television productions, but never more so than in these two audio adaptions which really bring out the poetry and flavor of Bradbury's stories. The performances and the sound effects are excellent and the music brings the perfect mood to the tales. What impressed me was how all the elements were combined into knockout soundtracks which are on the same level as a motion picture soundtrack. It was also a great idea to have radio veteran Paul Frees (of "Suspense" and "Escape")to narrate the beginning of each show. This creates a wonderful link to radio drama's past. I was so impressed with this tape that I ordered another cassette ("Kaleidoscope") from this same series.

As a Conjurer I have studied the classic works of many of the great old conjurers. Of all of them Blackstone is one of the most well known. This book provides clear and simple explanations of some of the greatest tricks and illusions known to Magic. Great for the beginning or advanced conjuror.

Esta es la traducción al castellano de la colección de cuentos cortos "I Sing the Body Electric!", de 1969. En estos dieciocho cuentos, Ray Bradbury demuestra una vez más el gran escritor que es, y lo bien que entiende qué significa ser un ser humano.

This is the spanish translation of the short story collection "I Sing the Body Electric!", published in 1969. In these eighteen stories, Ray Bradbury demonstrates once again what a great writer he is, and how well he understands what it means to be a human being.

I bought this book expecting stories on par with those found in The Illustrated Man, and R is for Rocket, boy was I wrong! Now don't misunderstand me these stories weren't that bad its just that after reading some of Bradbury's best stories, these just don't quite leave the same impression on me as The Long Rain, and the Outsiders. Still this was a good book to help fill my Bradbury collection. And so, here's my recommendation to Mr and Mrs. John Q. Taxpayer, buy this book if you love Bradbury, if not look elsewhere, and buy The Illustrated Man instead! Peace.

Ray Bradbury is one of the finest short story writers of his era, and this book is a marvelous showcase of the depth and breadth of his work. Bradbury is often pigeon-holed as a science fiction writer, because of the enormous popular success of his futuristic novel Fahrenheit 451 and the excellent short story collection The Martian Chronicles, but much of his work transcends science fiction and fantasy altogether. In this collection (as with several others), Bradbury shows us his more human side, with offerings that range from the fantastic to the everyday, but always with the emphasis on people, and how they react to the sometimes difficult situations they find themselves in. There are a couple good science fiction yarns, including "The One Who Waits" with its menacing feel, and the casually apocalyptic "Boys! Raise Giant Mushrooms in Your Cellar!" but even these feature protagonists who are nothing like the standard types. Unlike the driven loners who populate many works of science fiction, Bradbury's characters are members of families, visit with friends, and even play active parts in their communities. Bradbury chooses to make his characters human not with cruelty and vulgarity, but with compassion and simplicity, as in "The Beggar on O'Connell Bridge." Bradbury narrates in a muted tone, making the reader listen closely to hear him; his stories are quieter than perhaps any modern writer's. Into this reverent hush, he places small nuggets of story, sometimes with very little action, or with the action delineated, but not actually taking place within the story, such as the quiet evening before the battle in "The Drummer Boy of Shiloh." Some of the stories are almost like prose poems, extolling the wonders of nature, as in "A Miracle of Rare Device" or offering subtle social commentary, as in "Almost the End of the World." As such, Bradbury is not for everyone; action-lovers may find his work boring or even frustrating, and fans of science fiction and fantasy will discover that much of his work is both reality-based and non-scientific. Instead, he searches out some obscure corner of personal morality, and asks us to accept it for what it is. Bradbury believes in the essential goodness of human beings, despite their occasional lapses, and makes us feel good to be part of the human race. He is willing to forgive humanity its foibles, and hopes with us for a better tomorrow. For today, that seems cause enough for joy.

A very, very short book that manages to sum up most of what the other thirty thousand books on writing actually say. It isn't so much that there is always more to say, as that there is always another way to say it. And while some people can hear it best told in New Age imagery, some people can hear it best peppered with earthy wisecracks, and some people are going to take it in best described as an allegory of Zen Buddism.

Personal bias now enters. Ray Bradbury was one of the greatest writers of his generation. Almost everyone I know, including people who "never read science fiction," has read Ray Bradbury. I have a poet friend who won't even talk about sf with me, but admires Bradbury's poetry.

I think this is why his insights are so valuable. And also why he manages to phrase them so simply.

To my knowledge this veteran author of SF and Fantasy classics has written three books of true poetry, although many of his stories have a lyrical quality that comes to poetry. His first collection; WHEN ELEPHANTS LAST IN THE DOORYARD BLOOMED I haven't been able to find, but this collection, and his third book of poetry,THE HAUNTED COMPUTER AND THE ANDROID POPE. This exploration in verse by Bradbury is fascinating and enjoyable, especially for those who are Bradbury fans to begin with.

I will not claim Bradbury to be the most brilliant poet, but there are many gems among these pages. "Byzantium I Come Not From" is a wonderful example of the richness of memory and boyhood summers. His subject matter ranges from childhood memories to popular movies. From heartbreak to The Nefertiti-Tut Express. From ghosts to rocketships and robots. The author brings his lyrical skills, love of sound and word to these themes and more. Anyone who has read Bradbury's books will recognize his themes from books expanded in verse.

For anyone who is a wonderer, with a fascination in the what if? the macabre, the fantastic worlds of paranormal side by side scientific and the melding of all these elements, if you can discover a copy of this, read and enjoy. There's nothing quite like them I've found anywhere else.

Let's get one thing straight: Ray Bradbury is one of my favorite writers. His novel _Something Wicked This Way Comes_ is one of my personal favorites. I have read Bradbury stories aloud to live audiences, and performed a couple of them from memory as well.

But Bradbury is not much of a poet. On the spectrum from Eliot and Stevens down to McKuen, he comes much closer to the latter. Bradbury writes rich, poetic prose which works as such most of the time, but his poems are rarely more than mildly interesting or pretty thought-rambles.

So it is with "Dogs Think That Every Day Is Christmas," a Hallmark-card-ish tribute to our lively four-footed friends. The illustrations by Louise Reinoehl Max are nice enough, but hardly inspired.

What makes this inexpensive bauble collectible for Bradbury completists (which includes me -- I ordered one from Amazon, after all), or perhaps for people who are VERY sentimental about canines, is the introduction, which includes a story about a boyhood trauma relating to a dog, and the lifelong effects.

I'm glad to have a copy to add to my collection, but I doubt I'll ever open it again.

if you think that your dog is a real person then you will love the illustrations! Dogs have personalities and you will love these dogs. Both Ray Bradbury and Louise Max have captured the essence of dogs and their unique individual character!

A very good book, it was creative, and well written. Nice Job!

This has got to be the wierdest book I have ever read in my entire life. It has the numbest little stories with utterly ridiculous themes that make no sense to me whatsoever. Never have I been so disapionted in a book that was recomended to me. I hated this, so called "novel." Ray Bradbury has definitly had a lot better books than this junk.

Too many books, so little time...I finally picked up this collection of Bradbury classics and loved nearly every story. These stories cover the gamut from time travel, to monsters, to the wonder of a child getting a new pair of sneakers for the summer. I found that many of the stories had children of child like themes. _The Sound of Summer Running_ definately hit home for me. _The Long Rain_ reminded me of H.P. Lovecraft's story about man being stranded on Venus. And _A Sound of Thunder_ is a classic story of the consequences of theoretical time travel...at the expense of a single butterfly. This is NOT a novel, it is a collection of short stories. Many of them fantastical...few based in science, since at the time little was known about Mars, or Venus, or space travel. Definately Golden Age sci-fi here.

I am quite baffled by the previous review of this book. Our reviewer from Maine insists that Mr. Bradbury has produced much better material than this "junk" and that this "novel" was a weird, disappointing read. R is For Rocket is an anthology, not a novel, and does not (nor is it intended to) provide any semblance of a sequential story line. Furthermore, R is For Rocket is largely a collection of previously released material, containing some of Bradbury's most popular and acclaimed works from earlier anthologies (such as The Golden Apples of the Sun), and includes such landmark works as "A Sound of Thunder", easily among Bradbury's Top 10 Short Fiction Works. Every story in this anthology is not a masterwork, but there are enough masterworks present to make up for the occasional misstep. Anyone who has ever had childhood fantasies of becoming an astronaut cannot help but be moved by the title story. And mainstream fiction stories like "The Sound of Summer Running" should tweak the heartstrings of anyone who has ever taken pleasure in being a child, even if one has never harbored a burning desire for space flight or distant worlds. Bradbury's timeless prose evokes nostalgia for a time that never was, a future that never occurred, but oh, it should have. Most of these stories have been rendered obsolete by technology, but the style and mythic quality present in them will ensure their continued presence long after many of Ray Bradbury's contemporaries are forgotten. Weird, perhaps. Junk, most definitely not. If flowery flights of fantasy and fond remembrances of childhood don't float your boat, then perhaps you should try Thomas Disch.