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Indeholder "Den illustrerede mand", "Kalejdoskop", "Den anden fod", "Manden", "Regnen", "Raketpiloten", "Ildballonerne", "Ræven i skoven", "Dukkerne".
"Den illustrerede mand" handler om en mand, der har illustrationer over hele kroppen. De spår om fremtiden. Og om aftenen forandrer de sig. Han
"Kalejdoskop" handler om nogle astronauter, der dør i rummet efter en eksplosion. En af dem bliver til et stjerneskud, meget lig da rumfærgen Columbia brændte op i 2003. En dreng når at ønske, da han ser stjerneskuddet.
"Den anden fod" handler om de sorte amerikanerne, der udgør den første koloni på Mars. Nede på Jorden udbrød krig og nu tyve år efter, kommer den første raket fra Jorden. Der er en hvid mand i den og han beder om tilgivelse og lover at gøre alt, bare de vil hjælpe Jorden. Alt er brændt og der er højst en halv million tilbage på Jorden. Alabama, Memphis og de andre sydstatsbyer er brændt, så de sorte pakker deres planer om omvendt apartheid sammen.
"Manden" handler om nogle mænd, der lander på en planet som de første og opdager at indbyggerne er ligeglade med dem, for dagen før kom en mand, der helbredte og gjorde mirakler, men han er taget afsted igen. Kaptajn Hart bliver vred og tager afsted igen i håb om at finde manden.
"Regnen" handler om Venus, hvor Løjtnanten, Simmons, Pickard og resten af folkene vandrer afsted i endeløs regn for at finde en solkuppel. De finder en, men den er helt ødelagt og på vej til den næste falder alle andre end Løjtnanten fra.
"Raketpiloten" handler om en dreng, hvis far er raket pilot og altid ude i rummet. Dog kommer han tilbage en gang imellem, måske hver tredje måned og næste gang skal han nok blive. Det bliver aldrig og en dag falder rumskibet ind i solen og drengens mor undgår sollyset i lang tid.
"Ildballonerne" handler om fader Stone og fader Peregrine der sammen med en flok andre præster skal til Mars for at missionere. De indfødte Mars-boere er blå ildkugler. Så man må studere dem og finde deres skjulte synder. I stedet ser det ud til at de blå ildkugler frelser Stone og Peregrine mere end en gang. En Stemme taler til Peregrine, men det er ikke det forventede. De blå ildballoner har engang været som mennesker, men har lagt deres legemer, begær og kiv bag selv. Så det er lige før at Peregrine og Stone selv bliver omvendte.
"Ræven i skoven" handler om Ann og Roger Kristen, der er født i 2155, men tidsrejser er blevet en mulighed og de vil gerne slippe væk fra krigen og tager til Mexico i 1938. En kontrolant finder dem ganske let og siger det til dem. De nægter, men han kommer forbi hotelværelset om natten og siger 'Harerne kan gemme sig i skoven, men ræven finder dem altid.' De kan ikke give sig til kende overfor folk i 1938, for der er indgivet dem en psykisk blokering inden tidsrejsen begyndte. Simms lokker med at de kan undgå tortur, hvis de følger frivilligt med, men Roger slår ham ihjel ved at køre ham over med en bil. Men et filmhold viser sig at være kontrollanter og tager dem med tilbage til 2155.
"Dukkerne" handler om et par mænd, Braling og Smith, der har problemer med deres koner. Heldigvis er det nye selskab, Dukkeleg, i stand til at lave robotter, der ligner dem på en prik og siger tik-tik. Men fru Smith siger allerede tik-tik. Og Braling-to er blevet forelsket i fru Braling. Så det er farvel til den rigtige Braling.
Som rosin i pølseenden er der en naturvidenskabelig gennemgang af Saturns ringe og hvordan de kan være blevet dannet.
"Den illustrerede mand" handler om en mand, der har illustrationer over hele kroppen. De spår om fremtiden. Og om aftenen forandrer de sig. Han
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leder efter hende, der tatoverede dem. Hvis han finder hende, vil han slå hende ihjel. Et tomt felt bliver fyldt ud, når han er sammen med nogen og det viser deres fremtid. Og så bliver han smidt ud eller fyret. Der er mange illustrationer og fortælleren ser på dem. Det er selvfølgelig de følgende historier."Kalejdoskop" handler om nogle astronauter, der dør i rummet efter en eksplosion. En af dem bliver til et stjerneskud, meget lig da rumfærgen Columbia brændte op i 2003. En dreng når at ønske, da han ser stjerneskuddet.
"Den anden fod" handler om de sorte amerikanerne, der udgør den første koloni på Mars. Nede på Jorden udbrød krig og nu tyve år efter, kommer den første raket fra Jorden. Der er en hvid mand i den og han beder om tilgivelse og lover at gøre alt, bare de vil hjælpe Jorden. Alt er brændt og der er højst en halv million tilbage på Jorden. Alabama, Memphis og de andre sydstatsbyer er brændt, så de sorte pakker deres planer om omvendt apartheid sammen.
"Manden" handler om nogle mænd, der lander på en planet som de første og opdager at indbyggerne er ligeglade med dem, for dagen før kom en mand, der helbredte og gjorde mirakler, men han er taget afsted igen. Kaptajn Hart bliver vred og tager afsted igen i håb om at finde manden.
"Regnen" handler om Venus, hvor Løjtnanten, Simmons, Pickard og resten af folkene vandrer afsted i endeløs regn for at finde en solkuppel. De finder en, men den er helt ødelagt og på vej til den næste falder alle andre end Løjtnanten fra.
"Raketpiloten" handler om en dreng, hvis far er raket pilot og altid ude i rummet. Dog kommer han tilbage en gang imellem, måske hver tredje måned og næste gang skal han nok blive. Det bliver aldrig og en dag falder rumskibet ind i solen og drengens mor undgår sollyset i lang tid.
"Ildballonerne" handler om fader Stone og fader Peregrine der sammen med en flok andre præster skal til Mars for at missionere. De indfødte Mars-boere er blå ildkugler. Så man må studere dem og finde deres skjulte synder. I stedet ser det ud til at de blå ildkugler frelser Stone og Peregrine mere end en gang. En Stemme taler til Peregrine, men det er ikke det forventede. De blå ildballoner har engang været som mennesker, men har lagt deres legemer, begær og kiv bag selv. Så det er lige før at Peregrine og Stone selv bliver omvendte.
"Ræven i skoven" handler om Ann og Roger Kristen, der er født i 2155, men tidsrejser er blevet en mulighed og de vil gerne slippe væk fra krigen og tager til Mexico i 1938. En kontrolant finder dem ganske let og siger det til dem. De nægter, men han kommer forbi hotelværelset om natten og siger 'Harerne kan gemme sig i skoven, men ræven finder dem altid.' De kan ikke give sig til kende overfor folk i 1938, for der er indgivet dem en psykisk blokering inden tidsrejsen begyndte. Simms lokker med at de kan undgå tortur, hvis de følger frivilligt med, men Roger slår ham ihjel ved at køre ham over med en bil. Men et filmhold viser sig at være kontrollanter og tager dem med tilbage til 2155.
"Dukkerne" handler om et par mænd, Braling og Smith, der har problemer med deres koner. Heldigvis er det nye selskab, Dukkeleg, i stand til at lave robotter, der ligner dem på en prik og siger tik-tik. Men fru Smith siger allerede tik-tik. Og Braling-to er blevet forelsket i fru Braling. Så det er farvel til den rigtige Braling.
Som rosin i pølseenden er der en naturvidenskabelig gennemgang af Saturns ringe og hvordan de kan være blevet dannet.
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Collection
Publication
Nyt Dansk Forlag, Kbh, 128 s. Planetbog nr 1
Description
Fantasy. Fiction. Science Fiction. Short Stories. HTML: You could hear the voices murmuring, small and muted, from the crowds that inhabited his body. A peerless American storyteller, Ray Bradbury brings wonders alive. The Illustrated Man is classic Bradbury�?? eighteen startling visions of humankind's destiny, unfolding across a canvas of decorated skin. In this phantasmagoric sideshow, living cities take their vengeance, technology awakens the most primal natural instincts, Martian invasions are foiled by the good life and the glad hand, and dreams are carried aloft in junkyard rockets. Provocative and powerful, Ray Bradbury's The Illustrated Man is a kaleidoscopic blending of magic, imagination, and truth�??as exhilarating as interplanetary travel, as maddening as a walk in a million-year rain, and as comforting as simple, familiar rituals on the last night of the world… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member StigE
Suprisingly dated. Occasional beauty. Mostly interesting for sci-fi historians.
LibraryThing member figre
It pays to go back and revisit where you've been before. Often, that revisit shows that, in the past, our undeveloped tastes were not very discriminating. For example, a few years ago I got the chance to see the old "Patty Duke Show". As a kid it was one of my favorites. Not to put too fine a point
And so it is when we revisit some of our favorite literature. As a science fiction fan I can point you to classics that continue to hold up upon rereading (having just read Brunner's Stand on Zanzibar one more time I will point you that direction for a perfect example), ones that only work because they put you back into the moment when you read them, or ones that do not stand the test of time.
It was with that background – the fear that memories do not often live up to the actual experience – that I picked up The Illustrated Man with a combination of excitement and trepidation. I already knew there were classics in here ("The Last Night in the World" can still give me chills just by reading the title), but I also knew my memory had been tainted by the rather tepid attempt to, years ago, bring this collection to the movie screen. (The less said about what this movie did with "The Last Night in the World", the better.)
The fears, worries, trepidations, and concerns were quickly put to rest. This is a classic for good reason and still holds up well. Bradbury is justly famous for his skills and, in particular, a rather home-spun approach to stories that makes even the most hard-core city dweller – one who has never seen a field, a small town, or middle America – feel a touch of nostalgia for an experience few of us have really ever lived. All of that comes out in these stories. But do not think that this means they are only stories about the heartland. There is space flight, virtual realities, and many of the science fiction tropes that still resonate. It is just that, even in the hardest of science fiction stories, Bradbury brings a feeling of magic that no one else can touch.
Before I even started I remembered classics such as "The Veldt", "Marionettes, Inc." and the aforementioned "The Last Night in the World". Re-reading them I once again felt that punch-in-the-gut that means you've read a great story. But there were excellent stories that I hadn't recalled until visiting them once again, stories such as "The Rocket Man", "The Exiles", and "No Particular Night or Morning". (Your mileage and memory may differ.)
Oh, who am I kidding? There is not a story in this collection that would not be a standout in any current collection. This is Bradbury at his height, and it is some of the finest reading you will do in your life – whether it is your first visit or your 100th.
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on it, upon revisit I found it awful; as dated and unfunny as the tacked-on laugh track. Sometimes that revisit is not as much about taste as it is about a chance to revisit a certain time. I will never hold "The Monkees" up as one of the pinnacles of television history (in spite of MTV's attempts a number of years ago to breathe life back into the franchise by claiming it represented the first music videos), but they remind me of a time and place and, for that reason alone, I can watch and rewatch them. But sometimes, that revisit shows that our memories are of items that deserve the status of classics. To continue my television metaphor, I will still hold "The Dick Van Dyke Show" up as a classic. Yes, occasionally dated, but the humor is so fundamental to the human experience that it still works.And so it is when we revisit some of our favorite literature. As a science fiction fan I can point you to classics that continue to hold up upon rereading (having just read Brunner's Stand on Zanzibar one more time I will point you that direction for a perfect example), ones that only work because they put you back into the moment when you read them, or ones that do not stand the test of time.
It was with that background – the fear that memories do not often live up to the actual experience – that I picked up The Illustrated Man with a combination of excitement and trepidation. I already knew there were classics in here ("The Last Night in the World" can still give me chills just by reading the title), but I also knew my memory had been tainted by the rather tepid attempt to, years ago, bring this collection to the movie screen. (The less said about what this movie did with "The Last Night in the World", the better.)
The fears, worries, trepidations, and concerns were quickly put to rest. This is a classic for good reason and still holds up well. Bradbury is justly famous for his skills and, in particular, a rather home-spun approach to stories that makes even the most hard-core city dweller – one who has never seen a field, a small town, or middle America – feel a touch of nostalgia for an experience few of us have really ever lived. All of that comes out in these stories. But do not think that this means they are only stories about the heartland. There is space flight, virtual realities, and many of the science fiction tropes that still resonate. It is just that, even in the hardest of science fiction stories, Bradbury brings a feeling of magic that no one else can touch.
Before I even started I remembered classics such as "The Veldt", "Marionettes, Inc." and the aforementioned "The Last Night in the World". Re-reading them I once again felt that punch-in-the-gut that means you've read a great story. But there were excellent stories that I hadn't recalled until visiting them once again, stories such as "The Rocket Man", "The Exiles", and "No Particular Night or Morning". (Your mileage and memory may differ.)
Oh, who am I kidding? There is not a story in this collection that would not be a standout in any current collection. This is Bradbury at his height, and it is some of the finest reading you will do in your life – whether it is your first visit or your 100th.
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LibraryThing member sturlington
This is a collection of many of Ray Bradbury's best science fiction short stories, including "The Veldt," a chilling tale that is often assigned as school reading. The stories are tied together by the conceit that they are all represented by tattoos on the body of the "illustrated man," a circus
Bradbury's style is poetic and evocative, and his stories are fascinating. However, if you are very interested in the science aspect of science fiction, I'd say these stories aren't for you. Bradbury himself isn't concerned with the science; he pilots spaceships with only rudimentary concern for how they might work, and sends his characters to neighboring planets without worrying whether they could breathe the atmosphere or withstand the temperatures. Bradbury is much more concerned with the what-if question that sparks each tale. What if you were stranded on Venus, where it rained without relenting? What if you were banished to Mars and met a man who could conjure up images of anywhere you wanted to be? What if your spaceship exploded, and you and your fellow astronauts were set adrift in space?
Bradbury wants to explore how people react to these extreme situations, and he often throws in a twist. The atmosphere of these stories remind me strongly of the old Twilight Zone series, where the science fiction or supernatural premise is merely a device to expose human psychology to extremes and see how it holds up. I admire Bradbury for following his stories through all the twists and turns, for exploring the darkest corners. My favorites: "Kaleidoscope"; "The Long Rain"; "No Particular Night or Morning"; and "The Rocket."
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sideshow freak who is wandering a dusty backroad in the collection's prologue; he has been kicked out of the circus because his tattoos, and the stories they tell, are too frightening and also tend to come true. The conceit fades away after the first couple of stories, but returns at the end with the final tale, "The Illustrated Man," and an epilogue.Bradbury's style is poetic and evocative, and his stories are fascinating. However, if you are very interested in the science aspect of science fiction, I'd say these stories aren't for you. Bradbury himself isn't concerned with the science; he pilots spaceships with only rudimentary concern for how they might work, and sends his characters to neighboring planets without worrying whether they could breathe the atmosphere or withstand the temperatures. Bradbury is much more concerned with the what-if question that sparks each tale. What if you were stranded on Venus, where it rained without relenting? What if you were banished to Mars and met a man who could conjure up images of anywhere you wanted to be? What if your spaceship exploded, and you and your fellow astronauts were set adrift in space?
Bradbury wants to explore how people react to these extreme situations, and he often throws in a twist. The atmosphere of these stories remind me strongly of the old Twilight Zone series, where the science fiction or supernatural premise is merely a device to expose human psychology to extremes and see how it holds up. I admire Bradbury for following his stories through all the twists and turns, for exploring the darkest corners. My favorites: "Kaleidoscope"; "The Long Rain"; "No Particular Night or Morning"; and "The Rocket."
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LibraryThing member bookworm12
Oh Bradbury, how I love your twisted imagination! After reading Fahrenheit 451 and The Martian Chronicles Bradbury had already won a permanent place in my heart, but this one certainly secured that spot. I’m so glad I finally read it.
The book begins when our narrator meets a man covered in
Every plot delves into the inner-workings of society; examining everything from religion, sanity, and discrimination to individual motivations and choices. The whole book is so wonderfully put together that each piece adds to the overall themes, exploring a new aspect.
A few that particularly stood out to me:
The Rocket Man – A young boy’s father returns from his most recent trip into space and thrills his family with anecdotes from his latest adventure. Yet all the while they know he won’t stay long and this dread hangs heavy in the air. So many science-fiction stories are about astronauts and the new planets they travel to. This one feels unique because we never hear about the family that’s left behind.
The Veldt – This was one I had read before, but it’s just as deliciously creepy the second time around. Two spoiled children are acting up and their parents decide to take away their most prized possession, a nursery room that brings your wildest dreams to life.
Marionettes, Inc. – A man buys a robot to take his place in his boring home situation. He wants to travel without his wife and decides this is the perfect solution, but nothing is ever that simple.
Zero Hour – Kids all over earth are playing a game called Invasion, in which aliens are trying to take over the earth. Their parents think it’s funny, but as the zero hour approaches they begin to think it might not be a game.
"There were differences between memories and dreams. He had only dreams of things he had wanted to do, while Lespere had memories of things done and accomplished. And this knowledge began to pull Hollis apart, with a slow, quivering precision.” … - Kaleidoscope
The book begins when our narrator meets a man covered in
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tattoos; each one moves and tells a story of things to come. Each of the tales is a brilliant short stories in its own right and I actually realized I’d read a couple of them in other collections in the past. Every plot delves into the inner-workings of society; examining everything from religion, sanity, and discrimination to individual motivations and choices. The whole book is so wonderfully put together that each piece adds to the overall themes, exploring a new aspect.
A few that particularly stood out to me:
The Rocket Man – A young boy’s father returns from his most recent trip into space and thrills his family with anecdotes from his latest adventure. Yet all the while they know he won’t stay long and this dread hangs heavy in the air. So many science-fiction stories are about astronauts and the new planets they travel to. This one feels unique because we never hear about the family that’s left behind.
The Veldt – This was one I had read before, but it’s just as deliciously creepy the second time around. Two spoiled children are acting up and their parents decide to take away their most prized possession, a nursery room that brings your wildest dreams to life.
Marionettes, Inc. – A man buys a robot to take his place in his boring home situation. He wants to travel without his wife and decides this is the perfect solution, but nothing is ever that simple.
Zero Hour – Kids all over earth are playing a game called Invasion, in which aliens are trying to take over the earth. Their parents think it’s funny, but as the zero hour approaches they begin to think it might not be a game.
"There were differences between memories and dreams. He had only dreams of things he had wanted to do, while Lespere had memories of things done and accomplished. And this knowledge began to pull Hollis apart, with a slow, quivering precision.” … - Kaleidoscope
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LibraryThing member bohemiangirl35
[The Illustrated Man] by [[Ray Bradbury]] is a collection of short stories written in the 50s which was released as an audio collection last year. Paul Michael Garcia is a superb narrator. Most of the stories are centered around a space/futuristic theme and many involve the planet Mars. The Mars
Bradbury explores man's relationship with technology and the way we treat others in unique fashion. Although the endings are predictable, the stories are interesting and well-told.Marionettes, Inc., Zero Hour, The Man and The Fox and The Forest were my favorites.
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theme gets a little old after the third or fourth tale. However, they are all worth reading.Bradbury explores man's relationship with technology and the way we treat others in unique fashion. Although the endings are predictable, the stories are interesting and well-told.Marionettes, Inc., Zero Hour, The Man and The Fox and The Forest were my favorites.
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LibraryThing member bartt95
A stunning collection of apocalyptic stories written at the dawn of the atom bomb and rapid technological development.
The stories highlight the fears that were omnipresent in the post-WWII period in the U.S. Children that are moulded and controlled by an Oculus Rift-like chamber. Astronauts
The science, the book having been written in the 50s, is obviously inaccurate and unrealistic. The book does not aim for scientific accuracy, however. This is never the aim of science fiction. What it does aim for, and what is successfully accomplished in this book, is a haunting vision of alienation, degeneration, and loss of humanity. But spread throughout, one can also find the survival of humanity regardless of the number of obstacles or supposed defeats in its way.
Bradbury is a brilliant writer who always manages to capture the very essence of what, above all, makes us human.
The stories highlight the fears that were omnipresent in the post-WWII period in the U.S. Children that are moulded and controlled by an Oculus Rift-like chamber. Astronauts
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pondering their life, floating towards death after their rocket exploded. Marionettes bought to replace spouses in failed relationships. Themes of nuclear apocalypse, the diaspora of mankind throughout the Galaxy, dreams of space travel. The science, the book having been written in the 50s, is obviously inaccurate and unrealistic. The book does not aim for scientific accuracy, however. This is never the aim of science fiction. What it does aim for, and what is successfully accomplished in this book, is a haunting vision of alienation, degeneration, and loss of humanity. But spread throughout, one can also find the survival of humanity regardless of the number of obstacles or supposed defeats in its way.
Bradbury is a brilliant writer who always manages to capture the very essence of what, above all, makes us human.
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LibraryThing member Excalibur
This is the greatest short story collection I have ever read. The stories in this book are both profound and compelling. Bradbury manages to write about the future in a way that is nostalgic rather than mind bendingly futuristic. This nostalgic futurism causes us to look inward and backward while
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still forcing us outward and beyond. Like most great science fiction writers and seers Bradbury shapes our view of the present by giving us glimpses of the future. Show Less
LibraryThing member Kristelh
This is a collection of short stories by Ray Bradbury written in 1951. I enjoyed most of these stories that are framed by the Illustrated Man but otherwise not connected to each other. The stories address dehumanizing technology, danger of nuclear war, censorship. One story address the dark people
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who went to Mars (white supremacy), turning children into parent haters (The Veldt and Zero Hour). There is a couple that have time travel; The Fox and the Forest and The Visitor. I think several also work for horror reads. Show Less
LibraryThing member masterdeski
The only sci-fi book I've ever read that I didn't like.
LibraryThing member bookworm87
VERY interesting book, really makes you think about what the world could be in a few hundred years if mankind continues to follow on its current path. Happy in some parts, sad in others, "The Illustrated Man" tells the story of a strange man with magnificent tattoos over his entire body. They each
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tell a story--some of them very disturbing to those who manage a peek. All of the stories are told in true Ray Bradbury form colorful words, sci-fi settings and subjects all the way. Show Less
LibraryThing member turtlesleap
This is quintessential Brabury. His stories have worn well over the years although some are necessarily a little dated. His use of the language as a tool to evoke emotions in the reader, however, is still unparalleled. None of his work has ever translated particularly well to film and his
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nostalgia, looking back on a simpler sweeter time from the perspective of the 1960's, may not come through at all to today's reader. Still, a writer not to be missed. His short story, "The Pedestrian" is worth looking for. Show Less
LibraryThing member isabelx
According to the date in the front, I acquired this book of short stories second-hand in 1983. This could well be the first time I've re-read it in 20 years, as I only really remembered two of them: "The Veldt", about a futuristic house with a holographic playroom whose walls show whatever the
I think I prefer the more optimistic view of the future pictured in the John Varley stories that I read last month.
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children want and "Zero hour", another story about kids getting back at their parents. These stories, tattooed on the illustrated man's body, tend toward a pessimistic view of the future. They are peopled with astronauts driven mad by the emptiness of space, Martians invading earth who are themselves conquered by the banality of life in small-town America (a very misogynistic story), and women despairing about their men-folks' obsession with space. I think I prefer the more optimistic view of the future pictured in the John Varley stories that I read last month.
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LibraryThing member ajlewis2
This is only the second book of short stories that I've finished in recent memory. For the most part, I don't like short stories, but these were very good. They are unrealistic in their views of Mars and space travel coming from the late 1940s and early 1950s. The beauty is not the science in them,
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but rather it is the story-telling. There is a depth of feeling and a drawing out of thought about life. The true brilliance is the way with words to stir the imagination and the heart. Bradbury does this powerfully. These stories are charged, one in the horror of revenge and one in the beauty of family love and the span in between. Show Less
LibraryThing member Emma_Manolis
This is the first collection of short stories I have ever read and I was not in the least bit disappointed.I really love that it wasn't just a dumping of stories, Bradbury actually took the time to connect them with the illustrated man.
Some of the stories have the ability to remain with you past
Some of the stories have the ability to remain with you past
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your initial reading. For me those stories were "Zero Hour," "The Fox and the Forest" and "The Rocket." Beautifully crafted and really just a fantastic read. Show Less
LibraryThing member threadnsong
What great stories, what interesting twists, and what true innovation in seeing the world. For anyone wanting to know what the science fiction authors thought "back in the day" in the Golden Age of Science Fiction writing, this is a prime example. Some of the characterizations of women are sadly
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1950's, but others are much more elevated. I think my favorite is the priests who discover the real Martians and step down from thinking they need to teach them about God. Show Less
LibraryThing member ParadisePorch
I remember reading this in my teens and thinking it phenomenal, but my tastes have changed and I found it a little disappointing this time through.
The illustrated man of the title is covered in tattoos that come to life at night and reveal the stories herein. But the illustrated man is just a
The tales vary in quality and interest to me. The first one The Veldt is the one I particularly remembered from my first reading and is, in my opinion, the best of the bunch. It’s set in (what seems to be) the future, where a children’s playroom has interactive walls that provide atmospheric backdrop to their ‘play’. The Long Rain, the only story in this collection set on Venus, is also memorable from this reading, but the others all run together for me. It’s classic science-fiction, but it’s just not my genre.
Read this if: you’re a fan of short stories set in space; you’re a sci-fi fan who wants to cover the classics of the genre; or to celebrate Red Planet Day on November 29th. 3 stars
The illustrated man of the title is covered in tattoos that come to life at night and reveal the stories herein. But the illustrated man is just a
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device to string together a collection of Bradbury’s (mostly) previously published short stories. Most of the stories are set on Mars or other space venues, or are in the future (including two ‘end of the world’ stories.)The tales vary in quality and interest to me. The first one The Veldt is the one I particularly remembered from my first reading and is, in my opinion, the best of the bunch. It’s set in (what seems to be) the future, where a children’s playroom has interactive walls that provide atmospheric backdrop to their ‘play’. The Long Rain, the only story in this collection set on Venus, is also memorable from this reading, but the others all run together for me. It’s classic science-fiction, but it’s just not my genre.
Read this if: you’re a fan of short stories set in space; you’re a sci-fi fan who wants to cover the classics of the genre; or to celebrate Red Planet Day on November 29th. 3 stars
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LibraryThing member theokester
I've loved Bradbury's writing since I was first introduced to some of his short stories in elementary school and later read some of his novels in Junior High and High School. Even loving his work, there is so much of it that I've never read. I finally decided to remedy that problem. The Illustrated
The book consists of 18 different stories ranging from the ultra "sci-fi" to the less "sci-fi" tales of wonder. Think of it like an eclectic collection of 'Twilight Zone' episodes done with expert mastery. Even though these stories were written individually over a number of years, the framing together with the larger narrative made me look at these stories a little differently...not as a single cohesive story by any means, but I did notice ways in which some of them related to one another or "spoke to" themes and elements of others. Part of me wanted a little more "wrapping" to learn the story of the Illustrated Man and how he interacted with the characters in these various stories (granted, we get some of that in 'Something Wicket This Way Comes' but I was left wanting more here).
As with many (most? all?) of Bradbury's stories, there are certain twists and reveals that I don't want to spoil with a plot synopsis but I will comment that I absolutely enjoyed all of the stories in this book. Admittedly, some were better than others but I wouldn't say any are specifically "bad" stories...I'm certain some will be less liked than others but that will largely be an issue of preference as well as an early writer finding his voice.
As a parent, I felt a certain unease with the opening story ("The Veldt") which was then set back in balance by the closing story ("The Rocket"). I didn't do a full compare/contrast of the stories but I felt like this sort of balance was present in the book. I don't see any heavy handed balancing act in place but I was truly impressed with the selection and order of the stories in the book. I felt like everything flowed together in a way that felt natural and helped keep the reader engaged and with a good emotional ride.
There is definitely a fantastical element to all of the tales but whether you're a die hard fan of Bradbury and/or sci-fi or if you're just a lover of a well written story, The Illustrated Man will surely have something you will enjoy. I'm thinking about re-initiating our "bedtime story time" routine and reading these stories to my kids. This is a collection that is definitely recommended. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.
*****
4.5 out of 5 stars
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Man is an interesting "novel" to read as it is actually a short story collection framed within the concept of a tattooed man whose images come to life to tell true stories and have a prophetic aspect that effects anyone who watches them long enough. The book consists of 18 different stories ranging from the ultra "sci-fi" to the less "sci-fi" tales of wonder. Think of it like an eclectic collection of 'Twilight Zone' episodes done with expert mastery. Even though these stories were written individually over a number of years, the framing together with the larger narrative made me look at these stories a little differently...not as a single cohesive story by any means, but I did notice ways in which some of them related to one another or "spoke to" themes and elements of others. Part of me wanted a little more "wrapping" to learn the story of the Illustrated Man and how he interacted with the characters in these various stories (granted, we get some of that in 'Something Wicket This Way Comes' but I was left wanting more here).
As with many (most? all?) of Bradbury's stories, there are certain twists and reveals that I don't want to spoil with a plot synopsis but I will comment that I absolutely enjoyed all of the stories in this book. Admittedly, some were better than others but I wouldn't say any are specifically "bad" stories...I'm certain some will be less liked than others but that will largely be an issue of preference as well as an early writer finding his voice.
As a parent, I felt a certain unease with the opening story ("The Veldt") which was then set back in balance by the closing story ("The Rocket"). I didn't do a full compare/contrast of the stories but I felt like this sort of balance was present in the book. I don't see any heavy handed balancing act in place but I was truly impressed with the selection and order of the stories in the book. I felt like everything flowed together in a way that felt natural and helped keep the reader engaged and with a good emotional ride.
There is definitely a fantastical element to all of the tales but whether you're a die hard fan of Bradbury and/or sci-fi or if you're just a lover of a well written story, The Illustrated Man will surely have something you will enjoy. I'm thinking about re-initiating our "bedtime story time" routine and reading these stories to my kids. This is a collection that is definitely recommended. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.
*****
4.5 out of 5 stars
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LibraryThing member charlie68
Good introduction to Mr. Bradbury, some light themed stories and some deeper philosophical ones. There is a quaintness about what fifties people thought the future would be like and looking back from a perspective of sixty years it is amazing how much things have change. Although they may have got
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the technology wrong, the sociological issues surrounding it, they were pretty close. Show Less
LibraryThing member RBeffa
It is pretty easy for me to give this collection of stories 3 1/2-4 stars, in comparison to other works of 1950's era science fiction. There's a wraparound story here of the Illustrated Man, but it isn't much of anything as it turned out, despite a promising beginning, and just leaves this reader
The leadoff story "The Veldt" appeared in the Saturday Evening Post, which goes to show you how mainstream Ray Bradbury was, and yet so wildly imaginative. The Veldt is perhaps my favorite story in this collection. Another really good one is "The City", a tale about spacemen who find a city that has waited 20,000 years for revenge. Horror science fiction, that one is. Most, maybe all of the stories in the Illustrated Man are really science fiction stories - ot fantasy - outer space exploration is a running theme for example.
The contents are:
• 1 • Prologue: The Illustrated Man • (1951)
• 7 • The Veldt • (1950)
• 19 • Kaleidoscope • (1949)
• 27 • The Other Foot • (1951)
• 39 • The Highway • (1950)
• 42 • The Man • (1949)
• 53 • The Long Rain • (1950)
• 65 • The Rocket Man • (1951)
• 75 • The Fire Balloons • The Martian Chronicles • (1951)
• 90 • The Last Night of the World • (1951)
• 94 • The Exiles • (1949)
• 106 • No Particular Night or Morning • (1951)
• 114 • The Fox and the Forest • (1950)
• 128 • The Visitor • (1948)
• 139 • The Concrete Mixer • (1949)
• 156 • Marionettes, Inc. • (1949)
• 162 • The City • (1950)
• 169 • Zero Hour • (1947)
• 177 • The Rocket • (1950)
• 186 • Epilogue (The Illustrated Man) • (1951)
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wishing there was more. It should have been a beter story of the Illustrated man. The treasure here are the 18 stories assembled. This book is older than I am, which says something. I read this as a teenager in High School, and I don't think I read it since, although a number of the stories have appeared elsewhere and a few of those I have read more recently. Despite a few dated characteristics and ideas, the writing here is almost uniformly excellent and I really savored reading these stories one or two at a time. Bradbury slips in social commentary just about everywhere. I'd recommend this one as an introduction to Ray Bradbury.The leadoff story "The Veldt" appeared in the Saturday Evening Post, which goes to show you how mainstream Ray Bradbury was, and yet so wildly imaginative. The Veldt is perhaps my favorite story in this collection. Another really good one is "The City", a tale about spacemen who find a city that has waited 20,000 years for revenge. Horror science fiction, that one is. Most, maybe all of the stories in the Illustrated Man are really science fiction stories - ot fantasy - outer space exploration is a running theme for example.
The contents are:
• 1 • Prologue: The Illustrated Man • (1951)
• 7 • The Veldt • (1950)
• 19 • Kaleidoscope • (1949)
• 27 • The Other Foot • (1951)
• 39 • The Highway • (1950)
• 42 • The Man • (1949)
• 53 • The Long Rain • (1950)
• 65 • The Rocket Man • (1951)
• 75 • The Fire Balloons • The Martian Chronicles • (1951)
• 90 • The Last Night of the World • (1951)
• 94 • The Exiles • (1949)
• 106 • No Particular Night or Morning • (1951)
• 114 • The Fox and the Forest • (1950)
• 128 • The Visitor • (1948)
• 139 • The Concrete Mixer • (1949)
• 156 • Marionettes, Inc. • (1949)
• 162 • The City • (1950)
• 169 • Zero Hour • (1947)
• 177 • The Rocket • (1950)
• 186 • Epilogue (The Illustrated Man) • (1951)
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LibraryThing member rboyechko
Very similar in character to The Martian Chronicles with the same full helping of black humor and wild ideas.
LibraryThing member AshRyan
The Illustrated Man is a collection of eighteen pieces of short fantastic fiction by Ray Bradbury, one of the masters of the craft. Not all of the stories here are classics, but a surprising number of them are. A few are Mars stories that didn't quite fit into the overall narrative structure of The
Some other highlights include "Kaleidoscope", about a group of astronauts drifting through space to their deaths after their rocket explodes; "No Particular Night or Morning", about how deep philosophical skepticism ultimately amounts to solipsism and leads to death; and "Marionettes, Inc.", a very funny about the consequences of using a robot double to do your dirty work for you...actually it's really hard to pick standout stories, as several of the others are very good too.
There are a couple of stinkers as well, though, in particular "The Man", a really ludicrous story about Jesus visiting other planets after Earth...but on the whole, this is a solid collection of material from Bradbury, and well worth reading if you haven't already, and re-reading if you already have!
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Martian Chronicles, but are very good and make good additions to this set---for example "The Other Foot", in which Bradbury anticipated the civil rights movement by a decade or so (much like his pal Hugh Hefner, who originally published Fahrenheit 451 in the early issues of Playboy) by positing a situation in which blacks (having been sent to Mars first) constitute a majority and whites a minority. There is also "The Exiles", a tale of censorship which prefigured Fahrenheit 451.Some other highlights include "Kaleidoscope", about a group of astronauts drifting through space to their deaths after their rocket explodes; "No Particular Night or Morning", about how deep philosophical skepticism ultimately amounts to solipsism and leads to death; and "Marionettes, Inc.", a very funny about the consequences of using a robot double to do your dirty work for you...actually it's really hard to pick standout stories, as several of the others are very good too.
There are a couple of stinkers as well, though, in particular "The Man", a really ludicrous story about Jesus visiting other planets after Earth...but on the whole, this is a solid collection of material from Bradbury, and well worth reading if you haven't already, and re-reading if you already have!
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LibraryThing member EmScape
A man meets another man who has "pictures" all over his body. They look like tattoos, but he relates that he was "cursed by a witch" and that the pictures move. Unfortunately, the moving pictures tell stories so disturbing he doesn't like to go out in public. The first man spends an entire night
Usually, when I review a short story collection I go through and say something about each one, but I feel that this is more of a cohesive whole than other collections, that I would be repeating myself quite a lot, and also not wanting to overdose on spoilers. These are also a little shorter than most short stories, but not quite short-shorts. (I'd say the difference between 1 cigarette and 3, if one was reading these on a smoke break).
Definitely enjoyable, but certainly not for the faint of heart and those already scared to death of Martian invasions or sentient robots.
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watching the pictures in the firelight and the collected stories in this book are what he sees. A good description of these tales would be "science fiction nightmares." They go a step beyond even cautionary tales to the greatest fears man has of aliens, technology, and space travel. Usually, when I review a short story collection I go through and say something about each one, but I feel that this is more of a cohesive whole than other collections, that I would be repeating myself quite a lot, and also not wanting to overdose on spoilers. These are also a little shorter than most short stories, but not quite short-shorts. (I'd say the difference between 1 cigarette and 3, if one was reading these on a smoke break).
Definitely enjoyable, but certainly not for the faint of heart and those already scared to death of Martian invasions or sentient robots.
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LibraryThing member bexaplex
Creepy blend of the horror of mid-century life with possible futuristic horrors. Kids that say 'gee whiz!' build interdimensional alien transporters instead of soapbox cars. Organization Men colonize distant planets. California opens up a new market on Mars for cheesy action figures.
LibraryThing member danconsiglio
Bradbury is a beast. Good even if you don't like sci/fi.
LibraryThing member bderby
Any one of these 18 short stories could be used in the classroom on its own, but they are artfully woven together through the commonality of being depicted on the Illustrated Man. The stories range widely from a room which brings the African savannah to life, to a man who suffers an addiction to
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space so severe that he cannot stand to remain with his family, and their applications range widely as well. Any one of these stories could easily be paired with another text to hilight similar themes, or used to introduce a larger work by Bradbury such as Fahrenheit 451. Show Less
Awards
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
1951-02 (Collection)
1948 (The Man)
1948 (The Visitor)
1950 (The Veldt)
1951 (The Rocket Man)
1950 (The Rocket)
1951 (The Other Foot)
1951 (No Particular Night or Morning)
1949 (Marionettes ∙ Inc)
1946 (The Long Rain)
1950 (The City)
1951 (The Last Night of the World)
1949 (Kaleidoscope)
1950 (The Highway)
1950 (The Fox and the Forest)
1951 (The Fire Ballons)
1949 (The Exiles)
1949 (The Concrete Mixer)
1947 (Zero Hour)
Physical description
128 p.; 17.7 cm
Local notes
Omslag: Kurt Caesar
Omslaget viser en gammel mand, en pige, der forsøger at skræmme nogen, en stor glaskolbe og en eksplosion
Indskannet omslag - N650U - 150 dpi
Oversat fra amerikansk "The Illustrated Man" af Knud Müller
Oversat fra amerikansk "Prologue: The Illustrated Man" af Knud Müller
Oversat fra amerikansk "Kaleidoscope" af Knud Müller
Oversat fra amerikansk "The Other Foot" af Knud Müller
Oversat fra amerikansk "The Man" af Knud Müller
Oversat fra amerikansk "The Long Rain" af Knud Müller
Oversat fra amerikansk "The Rocket Man" af Knud Müller
Oversat fra amerikansk "The Fire Ballons" af Knud Müller
Oversat fra amerikansk "The Fox and the Forest" af Knud Müller
Oversat fra amerikansk "Marionettes, Inc." af Knud Müller
Oversat fra amerikansk "Epilogue" af Knud Müller
Planetbog, bind 1
Omslaget er taget fra et italiensk Urania hæfte, nr 74, "Resurrezione", dvs Jerry Sohl: The Altered Ego
Der er en signatur på originalforsiden "Caesar" og Kurt Caesar (1906-1974) er en kendt illustrator af italienske og tyske science fiction magasiner. Den danske udgave har skåret tegningen, så man ikke kan se signaturen og tegneren er heller ikke krediteret i kolofonen
Side 111: 2 billioner mennesker..
Omslaget viser en gammel mand, en pige, der forsøger at skræmme nogen, en stor glaskolbe og en eksplosion
Indskannet omslag - N650U - 150 dpi
Oversat fra amerikansk "The Illustrated Man" af Knud Müller
Oversat fra amerikansk "Prologue: The Illustrated Man" af Knud Müller
Oversat fra amerikansk "Kaleidoscope" af Knud Müller
Oversat fra amerikansk "The Other Foot" af Knud Müller
Oversat fra amerikansk "The Man" af Knud Müller
Oversat fra amerikansk "The Long Rain" af Knud Müller
Oversat fra amerikansk "The Rocket Man" af Knud Müller
Oversat fra amerikansk "The Fire Ballons" af Knud Müller
Oversat fra amerikansk "The Fox and the Forest" af Knud Müller
Oversat fra amerikansk "Marionettes, Inc." af Knud Müller
Oversat fra amerikansk "Epilogue" af Knud Müller
Planetbog, bind 1
Omslaget er taget fra et italiensk Urania hæfte, nr 74, "Resurrezione", dvs Jerry Sohl: The Altered Ego
Der er en signatur på originalforsiden "Caesar" og Kurt Caesar (1906-1974) er en kendt illustrator af italienske og tyske science fiction magasiner. Den danske udgave har skåret tegningen, så man ikke kan se signaturen og tegneren er heller ikke krediteret i kolofonen
Side 111: 2 billioner mennesker..
Other editions
Den illustrerede mand by Ray Bradbury (Paperback)
Similar in this library
Pages
128
DDC/MDS
| 813.54 |