The October Country: Stories

Ray Bradbury is undoubtedly one of our greatest short stories writers of our time, and perhaps of all time. Whichever collection of his you find yourself picking up, you will instantly be delighted with his magical worlds and lyrical prose. A lot of his stories go one step further, leaving you with a sense of wonder and contemplation. Bradbury shouldn't be simply considered and categorized as a science fiction or fantasy writer; he ultimately writes about people and their interactions with each other and with reality, albeit true or made up. The October Country is a perfect example of this, with a most unique anthology of stories.

In the opening tale, "The Dwarf," we get to meet a most unusual character of short stature who spends his days paying what little money he has at the carnival to visit the Hall of Mirrors where he stares at himself, taller than life. In "Skeleton," true horrors are revealed in this brilliant story where a man becomes convinced that his bone structure is trying to escape his body, until he meets a doctor who agrees with him and apparently has a penchant for one's marrow. In "The Small Assassin," a child is a precious thing, but this newborn seems to have a vengeful urge to kill the one who gave birth to it. "The Scythe" is a story about a poor family discovering an abandoned farmstead; they move in and live off the land, enjoying the food and life it provides, but the father knows there is a cost to bear each day he goes out and scythes the field that was clear the day before. In perhaps the most haunting tale of the collection, "The Wind," we pay witness to an invisible force that wants to kill.

The October Country is a powerful collection featuring many of Bradbury's best stories and revealing his excellence as both a storyteller and a skilled writer. Readers looking to try Bradbury for the first time would do well to start with this collection.

Originally written on May 18, 2012 ©Alex C. Telander.

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No doubt about, this man has probably one of the top three imaginations I've ever had the pleasure of reading. Only with Clive Barker and Ray Bradbury (King and Gaiman are up there too) am I consistently impressed at the originality as well as the uniqueness of their plots.

This book did kind of fall into the trap of me having such super high expectations for it. After reading Bradbury's incredible Illustrated Man, I couldn't wait for this. I figured in October, near Halloween was the perfect time. While many of the stories were wonderfully weird, a few weren't that great in my opinion. Probably my biggest disappointment was The Next in Line, reason being that I felt after 40-plus pages, the payoff wasn't quite worth it and the ending was predictable. Also, something I really loved about the Illustrated Man is that Bradbury's stories are direct, and they hit the reader hard. In The October Country, some of the stories were a bit too deceptive, leaving a little more to the imagination than I might of liked (I felt this was with Touched With Fire).

Still, there's much about this book I liked. This is the first time I've ever read a short story collection in order. The book starts and end very nicely, as The Dwarf kicks off the bizarreness, and The Wonderful Death of Dudley Stone caps the collection off with an ironic tale that's much more enlightening than most of the stories.
The Emissary was a great story, about a bed-ridden boy and his faithful dog.
Uncle Einar (and of course Homecoming) both displayed Bradbury's excellent creativity.
The Small Assassin, The Wind, Skeleton, and The Jar: all memorable stories.

The October Country is a good, solid collection, and fans of Bradbury, as well as fans who want the weird and creepy without the blood and violence, will certainly enjoy many of these stories.

Ray Bradbury's first book was _Dark Carnival_ (1947), a collection of 27 stories that was published by Arkham House. In the mid 1950s, Bradbury reprinted 15 stories from _Dark Carnival_-- most of them were rewritten-- and added four new tales. The new stories were: "The Dwarf" (_Fantastic_, 1954), "The Watchful Poker Chip of H. Matisse" (_Beyond_,1954), "Touched With Fire," (_Maclean's_, 1954) and "The Wonderful Death of Dudley Stone," (_Charm_, 1954). The result was _The October Country_ (1955). It is truly a classic collection of fantasy tales that deserves to be placed beside Fritz Leiber's _Night's Black Agents_ (1947), Theodore Sturgeon's _A Touch of Strange_ (1958), and John Collier's _Fancies and Goodnights_ (1951).

Let us take the new stories first. The first is set in a carnival and is about outer ugliness and inner evil. The second is one of the most unusual tales in the book (and that is saying something!). It is about the amazingly dull man who is discovered by the _avante garde_, and how he becomes unusual... for a price. The third is about a woman who almost begs to be murdered... when conditions are just right. The last is about a famous author who is "murdered" in an unconventional manner-- much to his delight.

"The Next in Line" was based upon a walk that Bradbury took through some Mexican catacombs. It is a chiller, but it is subtly done. Ask yourself: What exactly is happening in this story to the husband and the wife?

"Homecoming" and "Uncle Einar" are related stories, about members of an eccentric and supernatural family (not unlike the Adams family). A third story (not in this collection) of this family is "The April Witch". Not directly related to stories of the family, but similar in tone is "There Was an Old Woman," about the stubborn old lady who simply would not leave with Mr. Death.

Many of the remaining stories were chillers that appeared in _Weird Tales_. It seems incredible today, but the editors of _WT_ were not happy with most of these tales because they did not contain stock werewolf or vampire plots. Here is what Bradbury offered instead: "The Crowd," about the menacing mass of people who appeared near wrecks and _absorbed_ victims; "Skeleton," featuring that sinister villain M. Munigant who plays his victim's bones like a fife; "The Wind" and "The Cistern" about two forces that call to hapless protagonists; and "The Jar," about a _thing_ in a jar that keeps _changing_. "The Small Assassin" is about the most unnatural of killers. "The Man Upstairs" is a vampire story, but there is nothing stock about its treatment.

When Bradbury began to break into the slicks like _Mademoiselle_, _Collier's_, and _The Saturday Evening Post_, he began to leave _Weird Tales_ behind. But in fact, these early pieces from the old _Weird Tales_ are some of Bradbury's very best stories. And if the editors did not fully appreciate them back then, you will not find many _WT_ anthologies today that will fail to include at least one Bradbury story.

If you can, get an edition of this book illustrated by Joseph Mugnaini, that prince of Bradbury illustrators. The copy that I have at hand has a Mugnaini cover showing several Gothic gingerbread houses, some trees bending away from the wind, an old woman in a red cloak leaning into the wind, and a banded lizard scuttling along the ground. It catches the flavor of autumn leaves, chilly air, Halloween, pumpkins, and bonfire smoke. If you count yourself an autumn person (as do I), get this book and savor it.

I'm not qualified to opine on the worthiness of "literature" per se: all I know is that I know it when I read it. This is literature, a beautiful collection of short stories. Amazingly, it was (at least in part) published in pulp magazines like "Weird Tales" in the first half of the last century.

The October Country is an extract from 1947's Dark Carnival, with a few added stories. Other reviewers give the TOC, so I need not. As you adapt to Bradbury's writing style, the stories draw you in more and more, and it is at times a bleak place you are taken: like the title suggests, a time of autumnal chills and gusty winds, with people scurrying for warmth in the safety of their homes. But sometimes those homes are not so safe.

All sorts of horror are here: there is something for everyone. Even as a lover of pure adventure fiction, I enjoyed reading this collection, it was simply that good.

THE OCTOBER COUNTRY is a collection of short stories like no other.

It's one of my desert island books and along with such masterpieces of dark/disturbing/supernatural fiction as The Nighmare Factory-Thomas Ligotti; Tales of Mystery and Imagination-Edgar Allan Poe; The Dunwich Horror and Others-H. P. Lovecraft and few others, one of the best dark fiction collections ever to grace print and certainly the most underrated of all Bradbury books.Although collections like The Illustrated Man, The Martian Chronicles, The Golden Apples of the Sun, Medicine for Melancholy and I Sing the Body Electric contains very fine material IMHO none of them replicates the dark Bradburyan magic of such tales as The Scythe, The Wind, The Cistern, The Lake and many others.

Stories:

The Dwarf ============================= *****

The Next in Line ====================== **1/2

The Watchful Poker Chip of H. Matisse = -

Skeleton ============================== *****

The Jar =============================== ***1/2

The Lake ============================== *****

The Emissary ========================== *****

Touched with Fire ===================== ***

The Small Assassin ==================== *****

The Crowd ============================= *****

Jack-in-the-Box ======================= -

The Scythe ============================ ****1/2

Uncle Einar =========================== *****

The Wind ============================== *****

The Man Upstairs======================= **

There Was an Old Woman ================ -

The Cistern =========================== *****

Homecoming ============================ *****

The Wonderful Death of Dudley Stone === -

From the first page, which features the eerie carnival story "The Dwarf", to the final page graced by the philosophical work "The Wonderful Death of Dudley Stone", The October Country is a land of impossible concepts and wonderfully weird stories.
The qualities of the haunting short stories vary greatly. Some of the tales are mystical fairy tales, others are modern day horror vignettes. There are three crowning glories in this collection: "The Lake", "Jack in the Box", and "The Wonderful Death of Dudley Stone."
"The Lake" is a haunting tale of a little girl whose life was claimed by Lake Michigan. Through a touching first person point of view, the narrator offers a tear-jerking look into the little girl's life and his relationship with her.
"Jack in the Box" tells the story of a little boy who was raised in complete isolation in a house that was a world all its own.
"The Wonderful Death of Dudley Stone" chronicles the life of a fictional author who died a graceful "death", but still continues to live his life.
Although each story in the October Country is worthy of praise, the reader MUST keep in mind that this is an IMMENSE collection. Reading it straight through, the weirdly characters and dreary plots can appear to be never-ending. The collection could have been cut in half, and I would still feel it worthy of praise.
To sum it up, the October Country is an essential collection and offers examples of superior short story writing. But much like the world it depicts, The October Country can continue for forever....and never allow you to leave.

A collection of creepy horror, in the majority, with the odd other story. Right on the consistent Bradbury sort of average score for me, and happily lacking in the overly twee mainstream stories.

So, very good examples of his fantasy work, or dark fantasy, or whatever you would like to call it.

October Country : The Dwarf - Ray Bradbury
October Country : The Next in Line - Ray Bradbury
October Country : The Watchful Poker Chip of H. Matisse - Ray Bradbury
October Country : Skeleton - Ray Bradbury
October Country : The Jar - Ray Bradbury
October Country : The Lake - Ray Bradbury
October Country : The Emissary - Ray Bradbury
October Country : Touched with Fire - Ray Bradbury
October Country : The Small Assassin - Ray Bradbury
October Country : The Crowd - Ray Bradbury
October Country : Jack-in-the-Box - Ray Bradbury
October Country : The Scythe - Ray Bradbury
October Country : Uncle Einar - Ray Bradbury
October Country : The Wind - Ray Bradbury
October Country : The Man Upstairs - Ray Bradbury
October Country : There Was an Old Woman - Ray Bradbury
October Country : The Cistern - Ray Bradbury
October Country : Homecoming - Ray Bradbury
October Country : The Wonderful Death of Dudley Stone - Ray Bradbury

3.5 out of 5

This is a collection of nineteen classic stories (1943-1955) all under the very general theme that they take place in autumn. Most have a supernatural element, while some are more psychological, but almost all have a darker edge to them.

A lonely dwarf finds a personal use for the mirrors in a carnival funhouse, until someone makes a cruel practical joke out of it. A man becomes obsessed with the bones beneath his skin. A new mother is convinced that her child is trying to kill her. A poor family inherits a farmland and a terrible duty as well. An obstinate old woman simply refuses to die. A neurotic man fears the wind.

With all the modern horror I read I find it refreshing to pick up Mr. Bradbury's work from time to time and travel back to a quieter, simpler era, and this anthology satisfies. The stories are no less chilling for being over fifty years old. If you like tales in the vein of 'The Twilight Zone' this is just the sort of thing you will like.

This edition contains an introduction by the author in which he talks about the origins of some of the stories, and illustrations by Joe Mugnaini.

Adapted from ISawLightningFall.blogspot.com

Autumn is the season that draws me back to my central-Kentucky childhood. Back then, the daytime temperature would hover just above freezing point, the sun a warm disc in the chill blue sky. Leaves would slowly shift to orange and ochre and brown before cascading down in piles that reached your knees. The air smelled of cider, and you could always find pumpkins -- lined for purchase in fields, in stacks at the grocery, by every front door. Nights were different. The cold came down like a hammer. It stiffened the leaves into parchment and brittled the grass with frost. Wind would moan around the eaves like an afflicted spirit. As the season crawled near to winter, I'd wake to find the water in the horses' paddocks frozen like a stone. Autumn was a thing of beauty and eeriness, as is Ray Bradbury's short-story collection The October Country.

Nearly all of the material tilts toward horror, although it's an older kind that's unafraid to commingle sentiment and scares. Many of the stories are one-weird-idea tales, throwing an intentional kink in the order of things. In "The Scythe," a migrant farmer inherits a field of grain from a stranger, along with a sickle on which is engraved "Who Wields Me -- Wields the World!" He discovers too late why the wheat ripens in patches, why there's just enough for him to cut each day, and why it springs up again soon after he slices it down. "Skeleton" features a nervous hypochondriac whose bones might be rebelling against him or who may be in thrall to a sinister physician. Another doctor inadvertently aids "The Small Assassin" -- a newborn with the facilities of an adult and murder on his mind. A youngster dispatches a vampire residing in his grandmother's boarding house ("The Man Upstairs") and a newly married man reconnects with a long-lost love decades after her drowning ("The Lake").

While the collection contains more than a few spooky tropes, many of the shorts avoid the supernatural, focusing instead on the dreams and darknesses within the human heart. There is "The Dwarf" who nightly ventures through a circus hall of mirrors to watch his reflection stretch and elongate. A lonely Louisiana bumpkin becomes the center of small-town life when brings home "The Jar," in which floats a shrunken, pickled thing that might have once been human. Both light-hearted and gruesome, "The Watchful Poker Chip of H. Matisse" finds a boorish fellow becoming the cynosure of an avart-garde movement. When his admirers' interest begins to slacken, he decides to make his body into a work of art. Two retired life-insurance salesmen try to save future murderees from self-destruction ("Touched With Fire").

Not all of the stories work. There are plots that fail to gain traction ("The Next in Line") and characters flatter than the paper they're printed on ("The Cistern"). Interesting conceits get sidelined by swathes of expository dialogue ("The Wind"). The cheery tone and gushing prose of the final story, "The Wonderful Death of Dudley Stone," clashes with the others. But these are minor quibbles. Over fifty years after its original publication, The October Country can still chill, whether it's autumn or high summer.

Basically an edited and spruced up version of his short story collection Dark Carnival, this is still prime reading, even though it does make you want to see what the original collection was like. However the stuff here and some of Bradbury's greatest even if most of his fans don't remember or realize that in his early days he was an excellent writer of horror fiction, definitely more poetic than Stephen King and on many levels just as frightening. The best stories here are utterly disturbing in both the calmness of tone and the horror of the situation (notably "The Small Assassin") and several come close to his trademark nostalgia, for the most part it's absent here. Some of the other stories take a twist and turn it into terror, such as the one with the fact that people are more likely to murder at ninety two degrees in temperature. And all of it ranks as some of his best writing, even when the storieis themselves are merely okay, the lyrical nature of his writing resonates and shows why Bradbury can't be easily shoehorned into one catagory, whether people try to classify him as fantasy, horror, science-fiction, whatever. He's just a writer and in his case that's good enough.

Well, what shall i say about Ray Bradbury's 'October Country'? Imaginative. Nostalgic. Sad. Happy. Thoughtful. Provocative. hindsight Laden. Very, very very well written. At the momment, i'm reading LOTR:The Two Towers, a very good book as it is, but here and there, i couldn't help ducking into 'October Country' I have tried to restrain myself from reading too much of it before i'm done reading the Tolkien collection, but i have failed, at least three stories so far. I've read 'The Dwarf','The Lake' and 'The Emmisary'. All very very good stories, all very very thoughtprovocking. The one thing i like above all else when reading Mr' Bradbury's tales is the fact that he never tries to get above what your understanding might be. He allows you to think what you may about his story up to a point, then, he helps you to understand what you might've only thought you understood beforehand. But though this is so, he is never condescending or a lorder of intellect over your head. The tales are simple, yet complicated. Very very layered, yet simple enough for even the most basic of understanding readers to get. I went out and bought all four of his short story collections, and so far, i've read from two of these. Like nothing i have ever read. For God's sake, Bradbury makes me nostalgic for childhood, and i am but 23 yrs old! I can't say too much more about these collections, or October Country in particualr withoput giving anything away, but i will say this.....Mr. Bradbury has long been one of my absolute number one inspirations...for i am a novice writer, who one day hopes to meet the man, he and Stephen King, and Grant Morrison...I would'e liked to meet Ralp Ellison, but he's gone now. Anyone who sees this collection on the stands, pick it up. You won't regret it.
Hawksmoor...From The Bleed

Ray Bradbury's name is synonymous with imagination and in this collection of short stories he proves that beyond a reasonable doubt. I know, I used to cringe at his name. That is before I learned that he didn't just write science fiction (a genre of which I am not too fond). These stories range from a bizarre account of one couple's visit to a Mexican town and the mummies that reside there (The Next In Line), a loyal dog that brings its young bed-ridden owner things from out in the world, even things from cemeteries (The Emissary), a baby born with an evil intelligence (The Small Assassin), a man who is the heir to Death's job (The Scythe), and an observant boy who deals with a tenant vampire in a very unique way (The Man Upstairs). The stories I have listed are of particualr impact and my favorites of the collection, but overall word for word, page for page each story is priceless. If you are a fan of horror fiction or just plain old imaginative writing in general invest in the works of Ray Bradbury, you won't regret it.

I originally read Ray Bradbury's short story collection, "The October Country," over twenty years ago. When I picked the book up back then I wasn't expecting much, as I knew this was a collection of stories from Bradbury's early period. I also knew that the stories were not originally published together as a collection, but were sold individually to various magazines. This only strengthened my belief that the writing was probably subpar when compared with Bradbury's more mature work.

Regardless of my being hesitant to give "The October Country" a chance, my desire to get acquainted with the young Mr. Bradbury won out in the end. I am grateful it did. From the opening lines of "The Dwarf," I was hooked! I could not believe how good the stories were! This was dark and creepy stuff, and unlike much of Bradbury's future writing. For sheer enjoyment it is right up there with ANY Bradbury classic! It may not have the depth of "Fahrenheit 451," but then again, Bradbury was not shooting for that level of complexity with these stories. These stories were aimed at that special area within ourselves that caused us to start reading in the first place. These stories were meant to entertain us. And, when looked at from that vantage point, this book definitely hits a home run!

I recently came across a pristine copy of a trade paperback version of "The October Country," for $6.95 at a local used bookstore. There are not many books that I have enjoyed so much that I choose to read them again. "The October Country" is definitely an exception. I can not wait to revisit this classic collection of short stories. I only wish there were more writers like Ray Bradbury!

I liked this book. Some of the stories veer a little too far into fantasy for my taste--with vampires, et cetera--but many of them are very original, and very memorable. Ray Bradbury, as anyone who's read "Dandelion Wine" can tell you, is not just a hack writer with good ideas: he's also a terrific writer, period. His prose is lovely; he could write any genre he wanted to. He could write about nothing and it would probably have good enough tone, style, sound, and metaphors to pull it off. But he doesn't. Instead, he crams his stories full of the weird and the unusual: a jar full of something that everyone obsesses over, a baby that kills, a man who finds himself becoming the grim reaper.

He finds the strangest plots, and then wraps them in beautiful words and gentle insights.

Not every story in this book is a classic. Some are trite and kind of dull--the story of the winged man, for one, and the story of his family--but most are well worth reading more than once.

When I finished this book I felt as if I'd just gone on countless journeys--each story made an almost perfect little world, and there was an undeniable feeling of whiplash from going from one world to the next to the next. I felt as if I'd just lived a long time, a long weird series of lives. And it was a good feeling.

"the october country" is one of the most singular and atmospheric horror anthologies i've ever come cross, and this is certainly not the sort of sentimental and light fluff that bradbury has been unfortunately accustomed to writing for years now. each story forces the reader to confront his own helplessness in the face of vaguely hinted at, elusive forces that toy with humans as they struggle to understand the bizarre and inexplicable in their lives. particularly fascinating is the tale with a couple vacationing in a foreign country, where they witness the day of the dead celebration and are touched by the evil they had so smugly written off as native superstition and primitive nonsense. i treasure this collection far more than "the martian chronicles", which is often misrepresented as bradbury's best work, whereas i would definitely say that title belongs to either to "october" or his incredibly imaginative and chilling, "something wicked this way comes". although his writing has always suffered from a mishmash of confused obscurity and an off putting desire to 'shock' with what he seems to think are surprising endings to his short stories, he comes into his own truly terrifying gems like this one. if you decide to read bradbury, start with "the october country"

When Bradbury speaks you feel like you grandfather is sitting on the porch telling you a ghost story . . . but to the tenth power. When Bradbury wrote this collection (originally under the title of Dark Carnival) he broke away from the influence of Lovecraft's dark gods from beyond. No where in this collection do you find nameless creatures from damned regions of the universe. But you do find homicidal strangers, a boy who lives in a magical palace(or is it?), and a man who undertakes a task which affects us all. You find others as well, not as malevolent as the others, like dear Uncle Einar. Bradbury spins stories that happen right next door, not in some nameless dimension. They happen in the world that we wake up in everyday, and that is what is so scary about them. So pull up a chair and listen to what story grandpa has for you in the October Country.

Howls and echoes through the soul like the winds of October... 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.

Captivated through suspense, innovation, and awe I award The October Country five of five stars. Ray Bradbury's ingenuity and flair become indubitably evidnet within the catacombs, deep cisterns, a town called Obscurity, and a seashore called the Past that lay through the looking glass. The New York Times calls Bradbury "the uncrown king of the science fiction writers". The simple astonishment of this collection will be enjoyed by many imaginative readers time and time again. Within great minds are immense possiblities, horrors, and twisted fate, as these await you inside The October Country.

Every year just before I reread The Homecoming. It was the first Bradbury story I ever read, way back in 5th grade, and I fell in love with it immediately. When Bradbury writes about an apple pie, in a few quick words you smell it. I love this collection, as I love Farenheit 451, The Martian Chronicles, and The Illustrated Man. The stories in here range from the odd to the silly to the chilling, the kind of stories you want to tell in a tent by a flashlight on a camping trip with your old buddies. They are for the child and the terror in us all. May you all fly with Uncle Einar!

I can see why so many authors find Bradbury's short fiction inspirational. There are several very strong stories, such as "The Dwarf" and "The Scythe". Probably my favorite in the whole batch is "The Skeleton" whose twist was effectively telegraphed yet still impactful. Then it is followed by the creepy little outro that is the horror shudder icing on the cake.

The darkly fascinating tales in this collection both entrance and repugn. They will keep you awake for hours, deliberating on what they reveal of the nature of our world. They will give you nightmares. They will give you hope. They will make you consider how you live your life. Ray Bradbury is one of the best science fiction authors I have read. And, though these are not science fiction, they are among the best short stories of any kind that I have read.

I found the first story to be mildly interesting, if a little predictable, and from there it seemed to slow down a bit. However, I stuck with it, and I'm glad I did, as this collection contains some excellent stories that really build up the suspense until endings that send a shiver through you and leave you feeling (contentedly) disquieted. My favorites were: Skeleton, The Jar, The Small Assassin, and The Scythe. (Maybe add The Wind to this list, on the basis of its ending.)

However, unfortunately, there are a few stories that I felt were a real let-down, and might be better skipped on first reading. Often these stories had some potential building up, but closed on a note that seemed out of nowhere and didn't satisfactorily resolve the strangeness and supernatural aspects of the story. The most egregious was the Jack-in-the-Box, which I would definitely skip, The Emissary and The Cistern were also a little disappointing.

If you enjoy Twilight-Zone/Alfred Hitchcock Presents - type of dark stories, often with a strong obsessive/psychological component, then I would definitely recommend this collection, on the strength of the stories I mentioned in the beginning.

This book makes you dive into an autumn atmosphere which is undoubtedly stunning. Bradbury's style results impressive, full of literary language and quite entertaining at the same time. However, in my opinion, while some stories seemed amazing to me, a few ones were very simple or predictable. What I enjoyed the most was the presence of some Spanish words among the stories: I love languages and I am Spanish. I have truly enjoyed this little masterpiece.

Having recently read a bunch of Bradbury, I'm going to go out on a limb and say that I like his short stories *much* better than his longer fiction. When I try to take the stories as masterpieces of fiction writing with all the pomp and ceremony of high literature...I just can't. But if I look at these as pulp stories ground out in the 40s and 50s, it's fun stuff, easy, quick reads, felicitously and skillfully written, with a simple twist somewhere along towards the end. I could have just as easily skipped the two stories from FROM THE DUST RETURNED, but really that's a small quibble.

This is probably one of my favorite collections of short stories by Mr. Bradbury. Centered around a family of monsters, ghouls, vampires, ghosts and other supernatural beings, he weaves a series of stories in only the way he can. The imagery his prose brings to mind is wonderful. I highly recommend this book to everyone.

A must-read for any Bradbury fan. Full of creepy stories, so what's not to like? So nice that these are all in one place. I hate the thought that very soon I'm going to be done reading this. Highly recommended!

Ray Bradbury is an astounding writer of short horror stories and this book (oft cited on lists of best horror novels ever) is the best collection of his work. Unlike most collections of short stories there are few if any misses out the 19 tales. The tales that really chill the bone are 'the small assasin', 'the emmissary', 'the crowd', 'the skeleton.... infact they're ALL great. Every horror fan must own a copy of this book.

I first read October Country in October of 1962 and have never parted with my yellowing original copy. No Bradbury book -- novel or short story anthology-- has ever better encapsulated this remarkably individual talent, one of our greatest "artful naif" story-tellers, and the original cover art provided with this edition seems, even after all these many years, to fit the stories contained inside with a unique and preternatural appositeness. It's one of the great book covers of all time.

Ray Bradbury's collection of stories in the October Country are stunning and masterful. Each tale delicately balances beauty and horror in a way that may never be as effectively synthesized. Perhaps one of his most famous books, October Country existends, celebrates, mournes. A classic of American liturature

Bradbury, who had always wanted to write poetry was heartened when a collegue told him that he already was a poet, then read him some passages from Martian Chronicles. October Country,an edited version of his first collection called Dark Carnival, also shows this same promise. These are mostly tales of horror written for pulp magazines of the thirties and forties. They are frightening stories which resound with Bradbury's own unique poetic voice. These are tales that could easily have been told 'round the fire and that may be their best setting. Accompanied by Joe Mugnaini's lovely illustrations, it only leaves you wanting to know what the original edition was like. Unless you have great luck, or a large book buying budget, October Country will have to suffice.

This is not only a book for readers who like to be entertained. It is also a very useful lesson on how to write short fiction effectively, for all the emerging authors out there (myself included) Bradbury is in a class of his own with his story collections.

The October Country is one of the best horror fiction books I've ever read. It's in a class of its own. All the stories are great and if this is the only horror book you'll get, you'll never regret it.

Thsi was the first book I ever ordered from the store and it is, by far, one of my favorite books ever. The stories are so brilliantly written that you can actually feel the crunch of the brown,autumn leaves and the cool, crisp October air blow through your hair as you read this eerie book. A perfect halloween/autumn book for seasonal readers.
Bradley Eimer [email protected]

This is unquestionably Bradbury's best book. While some of the stories, such as The Man Upstairs and The Next in Line are not exactly high caliber, several are out and out incredible. 1.The Wonderful Death of Dudley Stone. 2.The Crowd 3.The Scythe 4.The Small Assassin 5.The Lake 6.Jack-in-the-Box 7.The Wind 8.Uncle Einar 9.The Emissary 10.The Watchful Poker Chip of H. Matisse Overall, an absolutely stunning collection for everyone and anyone.

From American's greatest living science-fiction writer, these tales of the human spirit showcase Ray Bradbury's versatility in every literary genre.

You'll love the pure joy of his storytelling as much as the irony and dramatic threads woven in each of these expertly-told tales.

Long live Ray Bradbury, and may the verse be with you.

Erin Medlicott

Fort Lee, NJ

I picked this version of the book on the store and ordered from this seller because I wanted the edition in the image (it was a gift and the image has some significance). I received a much larger, bulk edition of the book with a different image on the cover.

The stories in this book run a bit short on character and some of them have the stink of contrivance to them, but there are enough really good stories (The Jar, Uncle Einar, The Lake) that the flaws of the books are well out-weighed by the strengths.

The first half of this book seemed to drag on and on but the second half I did actually quite enjoy. Two favourites are "The Small Assassin" and "The Scythe". I was in a bit of a reading funk whilst reading this so who knows what my rating would be if I were in a different sort of mood but to begin with I just felt like an animosity, if you can call it that, toward the book for taking up my time. All in all it was okay.

I only read two stories: The Small Assasin and The Dwarf. If I wasn't required to read them, I would have put this book down weeks ago. I have to admit the Bradbury does have some excellent imagery, but in no way is the writing interesting at all. I tried to keep an open mind as I read this novel...but I really could not bring myself to enjoy it. Don't read this unless you HAVE to...or you are extremely bored.