Long After Midnight: RAY BRADBURY in 1980s 'A Format' Paperback Overview

[@outlawbookselleroriginal]

Since shooting this video I have purchased the Hard Case Crime hardcover edition of 'Killer, Come Back To Me: The Collected Crime Stories of Ray Bradbury'. As the majority of the stories in 'A Memory of Murder' are NOT included in the new collection, as I state in the video, this example acts as a reminder that 'Collected' does not mean 'Complete'.

[@tarzan8575]

'Something Wicked this way Comes' My absolute favorite book of any kind from my absolute favorite author.

[@kurthallsman7259]

Oh, I almost forgot, maybe they were just in the U.S., but we had the collections: R is for Rocket & S is for Space! When I worked in the bookstore in the 80’s, most of his Bantam pb’s had cover art by Ian Miller (who may be a Brit?) Wonderful stuff.

[@outlawbookselleroriginal]

They were Pan in the UK for many years, I used to have them- I excluded them from this video as this was 'a format' books only, I have shown my slipcased limited editions of those collections in another video and will do so again in another Bradbury feature.

[@sylvanyoung]

Thanks so much for this Stephen . Bradbury is one of the few authors i grab stat . I have and have read most of what is shown here . There are some fine collections . I love his pose . And his poetry is ok .Of the non SF/ fantasy there is "Death is A lonely Country " . Love ( live ? ) " Dandelion Wine " . The movie of " Fahrenhetit 451 " was unusual in that the opening credits were voiced with pictutes tv antennae . And now this . i found an old pages falling out SF anthology " Three Times Infinity " and in it is Bradbury / Leigh Bracket story " Lorelei Of The Red Sand " . I have not read or even looked at it .I am saving it for a cold rainy milk and cookies night . Thanks again .Ps " R is For Rocket " is another collection.

[@outlawbookselleroriginal]

Hey Sylvan, good to hear from you as ever- I have the 'Rocket' and 'Space' collections in limited hardcovers from PS, used to have the Pan ones many years ago. He was so great, right? The Leigh Bracket is classic planetary romance- her books need reissues with decent covers at the moment.

[@outlawbookselleroriginal]

Sylvan, what sort of quality is 'Lorelei' - is it a proper jacketed hardcover, or some cheap print on demand thing in boards only?

[@sylvanyoung]

@@outlawbookselleroriginal Paper back . It is in an anthology named ' Three Times Infinity ' . Along with the said story there are ' The Golden Helix ' by Theodore Sturgeon and ' Destination Moon ' by Robert Heinlein . Edited by Leo Margulies .Second Gold Medel printing July 1963 . Top right hand of cover has the logo with d1324 .Interestly the inside says Copyright c1958 Fawcett Publications , Inc .

[@outlawbookselleroriginal]

@@sylvanyoung -Thanks, I was assuming you had the recent edition, cheers.

[@waltera13]

Somebody probably beat me to it but it is "The 8th Pan Book of Horror Stories" where "The Illustrated Man" by Bradbury appears.

[@outlawbookselleroriginal]

Yeah, they did pip you to the post, but I'd looked it up anyway, I'm always doing stuff like that...

[@GregSloman]

Thanks

[@outlawbookselleroriginal]

Many thanks to you Greg, for supporting the channel, very welcome. Hope I continue to keep pleasing you with my work here.

[@michaeldaly1495]

Really enjoyed this thanks. Bradbury was a formative writer for me in my early teens and I had many of the books you feature in the same editions - wish I had them still now as most have vanished in the winds of time. He is a writer who endures, unlike Asimov, Heinlein or others of his era (I'd say).

[@outlawbookselleroriginal]

Agreed. Bradbury's prose easily outshines pretty much everyone who came up in the Golden Age, with honourable mentions to Kuttner and Moore and Sturgeon.

[@BonesPhoto]

I love that you have put Bradbury in the spotlight for a little while on your channel. I adore Bradbury’s writing style. I think he’s a master storyteller. Like many readers, I was introduced to Bradbury though Fahrenheit 451 in school. From there, I went on my own journey of discovery and it was a case of falling deeper in love with his style of commentary on life as I discovered more and more of his work. A few of the short stories that totally captivated me in my teens and early 20s were The Scythe (incredible), The Picasso Summer (only 7 pages but wow and what a great last line to end it), and All Summer in a Day (heart wrenching). As happens with many musicians, artists, and writers, they get known on a massive scale for one specific piece of work but there’s better work to be discovered if you get to know them a bit more. Loved the video and you’ll have me reading Bradbury in the summer sun this week.

[@outlawbookselleroriginal]

I love "The Scythe". I am going to do some more on Bradbury this summer as I find the weather does influence what I decide to read in a major way.

[@khomo12]

Great author! Thank you!👍👍👍🤖🤖📚🚀

[@BooksForever]

I’ve said it before and I stand by it… Bradbury had such facility with words and sentence structure that he could describe paint drying in real time and the reader would be well served.

[@outlawbookselleroriginal]

Absolutely.

[@sylvanyoung]

👍👍

[@themojocorpse1290]

Thank you for this it was brilliant . Having just read Martian chronicles I was really surprised how dark some of it was. Beautifully written totally gripping loved it . Lots more Bradbury to read what a master and some of the best titles ever .

[@outlawbookselleroriginal]

Yeah, I didn't really touch in any detail on why I love his writing so much in this, I'm saving that for another time - 'Martian' is sublime, I feel, much as I like '451'- which is more original- it's the palette of moods across the story cycle in 'Martian' that really does it for me alongside his unparalleled lyricism. More younger SF writers should read Bradbury to see how important style is to saying truly great things in prose.

[@themojocorpse1290]

@@outlawbookselleroriginal I used to read lots of short story stories a few years back inspired me to dust off a few . Golden apples and illustrated man look like a good place to start . On pastel city at the moment was torn between that and pavane . Thanks for all the recommendations mate🫡👍🏻

[@bradburymedia100]

That ILLUSTRATED MAN cover (by Peter Goodfellow if I recall correctly) is a work of genius, and one of my favourite Bradbury covers!

[@outlawbookselleroriginal]

Agreed, lovely bit of artwork...

[@nickroberts8116]

Great video, as always. I have the Folio edition of Something Wicked This Way Comes, it is a thing of beauty.

[@outlawbookselleroriginal]

I finally cracked and ordered one, though Evri seem incapable of delivering it currently.

[@robertmicallef9732]

There's two Bradbury shorts that I try to recall when I lose my joy for living. First, is from the collection We'll Always Have Paris titled, Massinello Pietro. If there was ever a story that conveys a way of that conveys a way of being in the world that he endorses it would be this one. The second is from the Martian Chronicle story titled, June 2001-the Moon be still and bright. Here's one of the gems found therein: ‘On the contrary, those are God symbols, symbols of life. Man had become too much man and not enough animal on Mars too. And the men of Mars realized that in order to survive they would have to forgo asking that one question any longer: Why live? Life was its own answer. Life was the propagation of more life and the living of as good a life as possible. The Martians realized that they asked the question “Why live at all?” at the height of some period of war and despair, when there was no answer. But once the civilization calmed, quieted, and wars ceased, the question became senseless in a new way. Life was now good and needed no arguments.’

[@kurthallsman7259]

I’ve been hearing people say lately, that they like The Martian Chronicles more than Fahrenheit 451. Fahrenheit is one of Bradbury’s few, true novels, and I think it holds together much better than the linked story books: Martian Chronicles or The Illustrated Man. Even though The Illustrated Man has a great premise, but in the end, it’s just a short story collection. I think Simak’s City suffers from this as well. What do you call them(?) “fix ups”? Anyway, great video! I even recognized one of the covers this time!

[@outlawbookselleroriginal]

The 'fix-up' - Van Vogt's terminology, popularised by the SF Encyclopedia since 1977 - is used to indicate books constructed from magazine stories/serials and often augmented by linking material or frame narratives. This is due to the fact that there were no books with 'Science Fiction' printed on their jackets until the late 1940s, genre SF being a US magazine phenomenon. 'Just a short story collection,' I'll take you to task on, as I think many genre devotees recognise that some of the very best work in SF is in short forms- personally, I judge writers ultimately on how good they are at short stories much of the time- writers like Ellison worked almost exclusively in shorter forms. I'd warmly suggest revisiting this assumption about collections and fix-ups, as they have resulted in some stunning work - virtually every genre SF novel published before the mid 1950s is a fix-up. Re 'City', I partially agree with you, but largely because I'm never that impressed by his work compared to Bradbury's.

[@rickkearn7100]

My life is so bloody busy, that I rely on Stephen to steer my TBR list. My only exposure to Bradbury before seeing this post were two of his books; "Fahrenheit 451" and "The Illustrated Man". Now I've been made aware of some books of his, recommended by a most trusted source, that I would never have been exposed to. Thanks so much OB! Cheers.

[@outlawbookselleroriginal]

Pleasure as ever...

[@richardthomson6730]

Thanks for great video. I love Bradbury and have a few of these Granada/Grafton’s ( now I know correct order) strange timing .. as I had spent all this morning printing and sticking on a new spine to Granada Martian chronicles as the red ink had completely disappeared. Shall have to store in paper bags next! Great video makes me want to explore some over titles starting with golden apples I 🤔

[@outlawbookselleroriginal]

Diligent of you to effect a repair-well done!

[@strelnikoff1632]

Really enjoyed this one. I readGolden Apples maybe 65 years ago when I was 9. Thanks for bringing back a beautiful memory

[@danieldelvalle5004]

I love Ray Bradbury. He was a gateway for me. What puzzles me is that most film and TV adaptations of his work are mediocre to just passable, even when Bradbury himself participated in their creation. The movie Fahrenheit 451 has its merits, but I don't think that the definitive Bradbury film has yet to be made.

[@outlawbookselleroriginal]

I'd agree with you, Dan - although I enjoyed Truffaut's '451' more than ever before the last time I watched it, it's still too cold and European (and it's not often I'd say that!). Personally, I'd like to see a film of 'Dandelion Wine', which I think could be translated simply- it would just need some great acting and a strong visual sense. My preferred Bradbury film is actually the rather terse 'Illustrated Man', which has its flaws- mostly Claire Bloom, I'd say- but merits too.

[@SciFiScavenger]

I'm always super impressed by how absolutely mint every single book of yours seems to be. Tip top. Last weekend I picked up a half decent (well, somewhat scruffy) Penguin SF copy of The Day it Rained Forever, i think it must be from the 60s as it's priced in shillings & pence.

[@outlawbookselleroriginal]

Well, I do know how to look after books having worked in the industry for almost forty years, but I would say that some of the books I bought new are suffering from spinefade in some cases. When buying secondhand, I've always gone for condition except in the pre-internet days when it was 'I've found it, never seen one before, I'll buy it,' was the rule. I do upgrade a little now as well, replacing paperbacks in particular with better copies- there are very few books I'd buy in any condition now. If you're patient and dilligent, the books will come to you-eventually!

[@leakybootpress9699]

It's great to have your thoughts on Bradbury, Steve. I love his work, I admire him as a stylist, I admire his clever use of alliteration and repetition. He was a great storyteller, but was he a great writer in a literary sense, on that I'm not so sure? It doesn't matter to me, really, because I read and reread his books. I have a pretty good collection of his books in UK and US first editions, but collecting him is a minefield because frequently, there were story changes between the UK and US editions. PS Publishing did sterling work with their Bradbury reissues a few years ago, they included as supplemental material correspondence between Rupert himself and Bradbury as to why those changes were requested. The Small Assasin, by the way, was a UK paperback original, first published around 1960 by a publisher called Ace Books, unconnected I think with the US Ace Books. It's an extremely rare edition.

[@outlawbookselleroriginal]

Thanks for that James- I'm aware of the textual variations, these things are always difficult to remember I find, wasn't aware of the Ace 'Small Assassin'. I have a few of the PS slipcased limiteds, lovely books.

[@chumbucketunderrated5837]

This channel is truly a joy. Thanks for everything.

[@outlawbookselleroriginal]

You're very kind, keep watching, lots more good stuff to come.

[@ManOfPrayer]

I picked up copies of both The Illustrated Man and I Sing the Body Electric in my local newsagents in the mid seventies. They were published by Corgi SF Collector’s Library and came in dark blue covers. I wish I still had them. If memory serves, I think the covers were textured.

[@outlawbookselleroriginal]

I know the ones you mean, they did have textured covers, very nice books.

[@aeroplano111]

In reference to the title "The Golden Apples of the Sun," Bradbury got it from a poem by W. B. Yeats - THE SONG OF WANDERING AENGUS Went out to the hazel wood, Because a fire was in my head, And cut and peeled a hazel wand, And hooked a berry to a thread. And when white moths were on the wing, And moth-like stars were flickering out, I dropped the berry in a stream And caught a little silver trout. When I had laid it on the floor I went to blow the fire a-flame, But something rustled on the floor, And some one called me by my name: It had become a glimmering girl With apple blossom in her hair Who called me by my name and ran And faded through the brightening air. Though I am old with wandering Through hollow lands and hilly lands, I will find out where she has gone, And kiss her lips and take her hands; And walk among long dappled grass, And pluck till time and times are done The silver apples of the moon, The golden apples of the sun.

[@outlawbookselleroriginal]

Yes, I'm sure I mentioned Yeats in the video somewhere, if not in another video mentioning this book. If you watch my review video for Dick's 'Our Friends From Frolix 8', you'll see me discuss the Yeats relevance there too.

[@jackkaraquazian]

I do have a Corgi edition of I Sing The Body Electric which may have been from 1971.

[@outlawbookselleroriginal]

Yes, there was a Corgi but after that a long hiatus with no UK edition for around 20 years, hence my USA copy.

[@jackkaraquazian]

@@outlawbookselleroriginal I assume Corgi were his main UK publisher in the 60s/70s before Granada took over as I've got a mixture of both.

[@outlawbookselleroriginal]

@@jackkaraquazian -Yeah, that's right- Corgi did that series with textured covers, see them pop up now and then.

[@bradburymedia100]

I hope it's not the one with the awful recursive, wraparound centaur on the cover (which has nothing at all to do with the contents of the book).

[@jackkaraquazian]

@@bradburymedia100 yes, that's the one, which is a shame as the other Corgi paperbacks have really nice covers. I know they did at least two in their SF Collector's Library: Golden Apples of the Sun and Fahrenheit 451.

[@boromirjonah5774]

"The Illustrated Man" was the first book I read in one sitting. I think my favorite story is "The Man" but almost everything he wrote is pure genius. He is my favorite writer. I have been slowly checking off his short stories. I still have a lot to go.

[@outlawbookselleroriginal]

Reading as much of the Bradbury oeuvre as possible is a good literary gambit, I found.

[@leakybootpress9699]

Further to my previous comment, I'm still unsure whether British editions titled The Martian Chronicles follow the contents of The Silver Locusts or have reverted to the contents of the original Doubleday edition.

[@outlawbookselleroriginal]

I'd have to look it up as well! I know they were different originally.

[@ainstycastings1859]

You are looking for the Eighth Pan book of Horror Stories

[@outlawbookselleroriginal]

Yeah, I looked it up after making that comment- of course these days those anthologies are quite pricey even in very bad condition- I'm interested to see if "The Illustrated Man" is actually in any Bradbury collections, since it is not in 'The Illustrated Man'- although ISDB seems to indicate it is, I think people making contributions are assuming it's in that collection, though there may be variant versions of the book that do include the story. I'm hoping a serious Bradbury scholar will make a post here on this front, though I plan to do more research myself...

[@bradburymedia100]

@@outlawbookselleroriginal Serious Bradbury scholar here! "The Illustrated Man" short story is in the book Bradbury Stories: 100 of His Most Celebrated Tales, and also in The Vintage Bradbury. Most post-1997 US editions of the book called The Illustrated Man also have the short story added. I'm afraid the contents of Bradbury's collections have become rather messed up over the years, with stories being shifted around. And this after decades of the US and UK editions having different contents.

[@outlawbookselleroriginal]

@@bradburymedia100 Many thanks for that, much appreciated. As all my Bradbury collections date to 1970s/1980s, I haven't kept up with non-UK revisions. This rejigging of contents happens way too much, I find with the impact of original collections often diminished by careless lumping together of material- thanks again!

[@strelnikoff1632]

One of my favorite stories was "Pillar of Fire". I'd be surprised if you're not familiar w it. I tried classifying it using your criteria and determined it was fantasy/horror. Wondered if you agreed? It's on the edge of sf but don't think it quite makes the bar. Cheers PB!

[@outlawbookselleroriginal]

I have read it but it's been a long time. I'll look at it again and get back to you.

[@johnmooney9403]

Great video I want to read more Bradbury. I have only read Fahrenheit 451 which I want to reread. Do you buy any Scifi novels from Charity shops Stephen. I buy most of mine second hand shops

[@outlawbookselleroriginal]

Rarely, as most charity shops in the UK tend to have nothing but recent books- though now and then I'll nab something. I mostly buy from dealers I know - see my bookbuying trip videos at Zardoz/All You Need Is Books, Dorset Bob and Hay On Wye - scroll back a few months and there are lots of these to watch from Jan- March this year. Haven't filmed one for a while, will be another end of June.

[@PaliGap1]

I agree with you Martian chronicles is better than fareinheit 451. I also think that his short story "The Pedestrian' is also better than Fareinheit 451.

[@outlawbookselleroriginal]

Yes- I think 'The Pedestrian' is a classic example of how a short can be as effective as a novel.

[@RodneyAllanPoe]

More books to hunt down. I'm reading THE DARK SIDE OF THE EARTH during my Endless Commute to work - the 1964 paperback

[@outlawbookselleroriginal]

Let me know how you get on -these are stories to savour.

[@jameshendrix8217]

I haven't read much bradbury, 451 was ok but 1984 was far superior as far as distopia's go. Really need to read the martian chronicles though.

[@outlawbookselleroriginal]

"Nineteen Eighty-Four" (to give it its full and correct title, '1984' is Newspeak, of course LOL, which hasn't ironically stopped some of the more thoughtless designers from getting the title wrong on the covers and spines) is to me the finest SF novel ever. '451' is far gentler, but Bradbury's style makes it worthwhile, I'd say. 'Chronicles' you may enjoy more, as it is darker.

[@jameshendrix8217]

@@outlawbookselleroriginal Nineteen Eighty-Four ( yes I was too lazy to spell the whole thing out). That novel changed my literary life, I never studied it in school like most people did. I did however read it in my late teens/ early twenties and never realized a novel could be written like that. Never before had I become enthralled with an author's prose and characters. Now every dam book I read I tend to subconsciously to compare it to Nineteen Eighty-Four rightly or wrongly lol.

[@outlawbookselleroriginal]

@@jameshendrix8217 -I think if you have a yardstick for SF, it should be Orwell- genius. I read it at fourteen in my school library, as it was not studied in schools then. It's just the best.