The October Country: Stories

The October Country: Stories

The October Country is Ray Bradbury?s own netherworld of the soul, inhabited by the horrors and demons that lurk within all of us. Renowned for his multi-million-copy bestseller, Fahrenheit 451, and hailed by Harper?s magazine as ?the finest living writer of fantastic fiction,? Ray Bradbury proves here that he is America?s master of the short story. This classic collection features:The Emissary: The faithful dog was the sick boy?s only connection with the world outside-and beyond . . .The Small Assassin: A fine, healthy baby boy was the new mother?s dream come true-or her worst nightmare . . .The Scythe:?ust when his luck had run out, Drew Erickson inherited a farm from a stranger; and with the bequest came deadly responsibilities . . .The Jar:? chilling story that combines love, death . . . and a matter of identity in a bottle of fear.The Wonderful Death of Dudley Stone:? most remarkable case of murder-the deceased was delighted . . .?lus fourteen more unforgettable tales!?An author whose fanciful imagination, poetic prose, and mature understanding of human character have won him an international reputation.?-The New York Times From the Inside Flaprrowing, and downright horrifying, this classic collection from the modern master of the fantastic features:THE SMALL ASSASSIN: a fine, healthy baby boy was the new mother's dream come true -- or her nightmare . . .THE EMISSARY: the faithful dog was the sick boy's only connectioin with the world outside -- and beyond . . .THE WONDERFUL DEATH OF DUDLEY STONE: a most remarkable case of murder -- the deceased was delighted!And more!From the Back CoverHaunting, harrowing, and downright horrifying, this classic collection from the modern master of the fantastic features:THE SMALL ASSASSIN: a fine, healthy baby boy was the new mother's dream come true -- or her nightmare . . .THE EMISSARY: the faithful dog was the sick boy's only connectioin with the world outside -- and beyond . . .THE WONDERFUL DEATH OF DUDLEY STONE: a most remarkable case of murder -- the deceased was delighted!And more!About the AuthorRay Bradbury?1920-2012) was America's foremost writer of science fiction and fantasy. Among his most popular adult books were?ahrenheit 451,?he Martian Chronicles,?he Illustrated Man,?andelion Wine,?nd?eath Is a Lonely Business. In addition, he wrote several books for children, including?witch on the Night. In recognition of his stature in the world of literature, Bradbury was awarded the National Book Foundation's 2000 Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters and the National Medal of Arts in 2004.Excerpt. ?Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.THE DWARFAimee watched the sky, quietly.Tonight was one of those motionless hot summer nights. The concrete pier empty, the strung red, white, yellow bulbs burning like insects in the air above the wooden emptiness. The managers of the various carnival pitches stood, like melting wax dummies, eyes staring blindly, not talking, all down the line.Two customers had passed through an hour before. Those two lonely people were now in the roller coaster, screaming murderously as it plummeted down the blazing night, around one emptiness after another.Aimee moved slowly across the strand, a few worn wooden hoopla rings sticking to her wet hands. She stopped behind the ticket booth that fronted the MIRROR MAZE. She saw herself grossly misrepresented in three rippled mirrors outside the Maze. A thousand tired replicas of herself dissolved in the corridor beyond, hot images among so much clear coolness.She stepped inside the ticket booth and stood looking a long while at Ralph Banghart?s thin neck. He clenched an unlit cigar between his long uneven yellow teeth as he laid out a battered game of solitaire on the ticket shelf.When the roller coaster wailed and fell in its terrible avalanche again, she was reminded to speak.?What kind o