October and Autumn in general mark my favorite time of year and always make me think of one of my very first favorite authors, Ray Bradbury. I first discovered his writings in Junior High School in the 1960’s and have been a fan ever since.
Ray Douglas Bradbury was born on August 22nd, 1920, and died June 5th, 2012, at the age of 91. In between those dates he did, in my opinion, pen some wonderful writing including such memorable works as “Fahrenheit 451,” “The Martian Chronicles,” “Dandelion Wine,” and the “Illustrated Man.” The one I most remember this time of year is “Something Wicked This Way Comes,” a title inspired by Shakespeare’s Macbeth and the witches with their utterance “By the pricking of my thumbs, something wicked this way comes.”
In this haunting tale, two 13-year-old friends, Jim Nightshade and William Halloway, are drawn into a chilling adventure when a sinister carnival rolls into their hometown of Green Town, Illinois, on October 24th. Encountering the eerie characters of the carnival, the boys grapple with their fears. The carnival is led by the enigmatic Mr. Dark, who appears to have the ability to fulfill the hidden wishes of the townspeople. However, in truth, he and the carnival thrive on absorbing the vitality of their captives. As darkness looms, Charles Halloway–the local library’s janitor and Will’s father–emerges as a beacon of hope. Charles confronts his own deep-rooted fears of aging, feeling out of step as an older father to young Will. The novel combines elements of fantasy and horror, examining the conflicting natures of good and evil that exist within all individuals.
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Bradbury is one of my favorites!
Thank you, GP. Mine, too.
Sounds captivating!
Thank you, Rinnah!
Welkie
Halloween Tree is one of my favorite Bradbury stories. Perfect read for October nights. It’s free online with a Google search.
Yes, Paula! Thank you for that. It totally skipped my mind. Good one.
One of my favorite books and movies!
Mine, too, Dawn! Thank you!
Bradbury really is inspiring. Happy creating.
Agree, Teagan! Thank you for your comment.
Bradbury was definitely one of the all-time greats! I believe I read everything he ever wrote, and now that you’ve mentioned him, I think I’m due for some re-reads. Thanks for the reminder! 😊
You are welcome, Marcia and thank you for your comment. Can’t get too much Bradbury! :-)_
Bradbury was one of the all-time greats, that’s for sure. I think I’ve read everything he ever wrote, and now that you’ve reminded me, I believe it’s time for some re-reads. Not sure if this comment will show up or not as WordPress is messing with me again, but hope it does. I really enjoyed this post.
Got your comments Marcia and agree, Bradbury is one of the best. Thanks for your comments.
We sure agree on that, Jack. Now if I could just find a way to follow your blog, I definitely would enjoy doing so. Help?
Hi, Marcia. It seems when I merged my blog with my online store, WordPress (or maybe I inadvertently did it) deleted my “Follow” button. I have now re-installed it and it can be found in the right column of the blog just under the copyright notices. Look for the black button “Subscribe”. Thank you so much for pointing this out to me and for becoming a subscriber. Cheers!
I love the imagery in this book, it’s perfect for autumn, eerie and atmospheric
Agree, Winter. Thank you for that!
This is probably my favorite Ray Bradbury book, and the movie from the 1980s was pretty good, too. For the longest time after that I couldn’t think of Jonathan Pryce as anything other than Mr. Dark.
It’s a good one, for sure. Pryce made a good Mr. Dark. Thanks for the comment, James.
How did I miss Ray Bradbury books growing up? His book (with carneys!) would have been right up my alley. It probably still is. 🙂
Never too late to enjoy a great piece of Ray Bradbury writing! Thank you, Nancy, for your comment.
Great job, Jack. That’s surely a fascinating book.
Thank you, T. W.!
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