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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