A Worthy Tribute

I’m a huge fan of Ray Bradbury, but I actually found this in the process of hunting down a copy of Joe Hill’s By the Silver Water of Lake Champlain, which is included in this collection. Pretty much every story here is a winner, though, and definitely worth reading for Bradbury fans.

Here’s a full list of everything included. I particularly enjoyed Lee Martin’s Cat on a Bad Couch, Jacqueline Mitchard’s Two Of A Kind, Charles Yu’s Earth: (A Gift Shop) and Julia Keller’s Hayleigh’s Dad. Overall, though, there aren’t any duds. And I really liked how each author followed up his or her story with a little afterword explaining the inspiration for what they wrote, and what Bradbury means to each of them. Dan Chaon has a great story about writing to Bradbury, and a few of the others carried on correspondence  with him, or had personal relationships. Their stories just serve to add to the respect I have for Bradbury as a writer, as well as a person.

Sam Weller and Mort Castle – Introduction
Ray Bradbury – Second Homecoming
Neil Gaiman – The Man Who Forgot Ray Bradbury
Margaret Atwood – Headlife
Jay Bonansinga – Heavy
Sam Weller – The Girl In The Funeral Parlor
David Morrell – The Companions
Thomas F. Monteleone – The Exchange
Lee Martin – Cat on a Bad Couch
Joe Hill – By The Silver Water Of Lake Champlain
Dan Chaon – Little America
John McNally – The Phone Call
Joe Meno – Young Pilgrims
Robert McCammon – Children Of The Bedtime Machine
Ramsey Campbell – The Page
Mort Castle – Light
Alice Hoffman – Conjure
John Maclay – Max
Jacqueline Mitchard – Two Of A Kind
Gary Braunbeck – Fat Man And Little Boy
Bonnie Jo Campbell – The Tattoo
Audrey Niffenegger – Backwards In Seville
Charles Yu – Earth: (A Gift Shop)
Julia Keller – Hayleigh’s Dad
Dave Eggers – Who Knocks?
Bayo Ojikutu – Reservation 2020
Kelly Link – Two Houses
Harlan Ellison – Weariness