Shadow Show: All-New Stories in Celebration of Ray Bradbury

by Sam Weller (Editor), Mort Castle (Editor)

Overview

An anthology of all-new stories inspired or informed by the work of the great Ray Bradbury, written by some of today’s celebrated authors.

“Ray Bradbury is, without a doubt, one of this or any century’s greatest and most imaginative writers. Shadow Show, a book of truly great stories, is the perfect tribute to America’s master storyteller.” —Stan Lee, legendary former president and chairman of Marvel Comics

What do you imagine when you hear the name . . . Bradbury?

You might see rockets to Mars. Or bizarre circuses where otherworldly acts whirl in the center ring. Perhaps you travel to a dystopian future, where books are set ablaze . . . or to an out-of-the-way sideshow, where animated illustrations crawl across human skin. Or maybe, suddenly, you’re returned to a simpler time in small-town America, where summer perfumes the air and life is almost perfect . . . almost.

Ray Bradbury—peerless storyteller, poet of the impossible, and one of America's most beloved authors—is a literary giant whose remarkable career has spanned seven decades. Now twenty-six of today’s most diverse and celebrated authors offer new short works in honor of the master; stories of heart, intelligence, and dark wonder from a remarkable range of creative artists.

Featuring stories by Margaret Atwood, Dave Eggers, Harlan Ellison, Neil Gaiman, Joe Hill, Alice Hoffman, Kelly link, Robert McCammon, Jacquelyn Mitchard, Audrey Niffenegger, and many more.

2012 Bram Stoker Award winner/Superior Achievement in an Anthology

2012 Finalist Shirley Jackson Award

2012 Finalist Audie Award/Excellence in audio production

“Shadow Show is a treasure-trove for Ray Bradbury enthusiasts as for all readers who are drawn to richly imaginative, deftly plotted, startlingly original and unsettling short fiction.” —Joyce Carol Oates, The New York Times—bestselling author

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780062122698
Publisher:	HarperCollins
Publication date:	01/17/2024
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	467
File size:	2 MB

About the Author

Sam Weller is the authorized biographer of Ray Bradbury and a two-time Bram Stoker Award finalist. He is the author of The Bradbury Chronicles: The Life of Ray Bradbury (William Morrow, 2005), and Listen to the Echoes: The Ray Bradbury Interviews (Melville House Publishers/Stop Smiling Books, 2010). Weller has written for the Paris Review, National Public Radio, and is the former Midwest Correspondent for Publishers Weekly. His short fiction has been published in numerous journals and magazines.

Mort Castle is a horror author and a writing teacher who has published over 500 short stories. Twice a winner of the Black Quill award, seven times a Bram Stoker Award nominee, Castle edited On Writing Horror, the primary reference work for dark fiction authors. He lives near Chicago with Jane, his wife of 40 years.

Sam Weller is the authorized biographer of Ray Bradbury and a two-time Bram Stoker Award finalist. He is the author of The Bradbury Chronicles: The Life of Ray Bradbury (William Morrow, 2005), and Listen to the Echoes: The Ray Bradbury Interviews (Melville House Publishers/Stop Smiling Books, 2010). Weller has written for the Paris Review, National Public Radio, and is the former Midwest Correspondent for Publishers Weekly. His short fiction has been published in numerous journals and magazines. He lives in Chicago with his wife Jan and three daughters.

Mort Castle is a horror author and a writing teacher who has published over 500 short stories. Twice a winner of the Black Quill award, seven times a Bram Stoker Award nominee, Castle edited On Writing Horror, the primary reference work for dark fiction authors. He lives near Chicago with Jane, his wife of 40 years.

What People are Saying About This

Joyce Carol Oates

“SHADOW SHOW is a treasure-trove for Ray Bradbury enthusiasts as for all readers who are drawn to richly imaginative, deftly plotted, startlingly original and unsettling short fiction.”

Hugh Hefner

“Great new tales of imagination in the Bradbury tradition.”

Stan Lee

“Ray Bradbury is without a doubt, one of this, or any century’s greatest and most imaginative writers. SHADOW SHOW, a book of truly great stories, is the perfect tribute to America’s master storyteller.”

Editorial Reviews

Ray Bradbury’s recent death renders this loving tribute anthology—a “homecoming” of “fantastic brethren from all over the world,” as Bradbury writes in the introduction—all the more poignant. The nameless narrator of Neil Gaiman’s “The Man Who Forgot Ray Bradbury” has forgotten Bradbury’s name, but not his stories. The heroine of Alice Hoffman’s “Conjure” has her destiny and her closest friendship changed by Something Wicked This Way Comes. Bonnie Jo Campbell tells the origin story of an illustrated man in “The Tattoo,” and Bayo Ojikutu’s “Reservation” describes a dystopia that is a near cousin to that of Fahrenheit 451. Some of the best stories pay tribute in their evocation of Bradburyian themes: the vast possibilities and indescribable melancholy of childhood in Joe Hill’s “By the Silver Water of Lake Champlain,” the profundity of loss in John McNally’s “The Phone Call,” and the renewing power of storytelling in Robert McCammon’s “Children of the Bedtime Machine.” Bradbury biographer Weller and horror doyen Castle have produced a fine remembrance of a great writer, a deeply moving testament to his enduring appeal. (July)

Publishers Weekly

Ray Bradbury is without a doubt, one of this, or any century’s greatest and most imaginative writers. SHADOW SHOW, a book of truly great stories, is the perfect tribute to America’s master storyteller.” — Stan Lee, legendary comic book writer and former president and chairman of Marvel Comics

“Great new tales of imagination in the Bradbury tradition.” — Hugh Hefner, publisher and founder of Playboy Enterprises

“SHADOW SHOW is a treasure-trove for Ray Bradbury enthusiasts as for all readers who are drawn to richly imaginative, deftly plotted, startlingly original and unsettling short fiction.” — —Joyce Carol Oates, New York Times bestselling author

“This anthology reflects the high imagination, visionary ideas, and fantastic writing that Ray is loved and known for around the world.” — Former public school teacher, librarian, and First Lady Laura Bush

“Editorial interest and experience converge here to produce an exciting book.” — Booklist (starred review)

From the Publisher

This anthology reflects the high imagination, visionary ideas, and fantastic writing that Ray is loved and known for around the world.

Former public school teacher

SHADOW SHOW is a treasure-trove for Ray Bradbury enthusiasts as for all readers who are drawn to richly imaginative, deftly plotted, startlingly original and unsettling short fiction.

Joyce Carol Oates

Editorial interest and experience converge here to produce an exciting book.

Booklist (starred review)

Ray Bradbury is without a doubt, one of this, or any century’s greatest and most imaginative writers. SHADOW SHOW, a book of truly great stories, is the perfect tribute to America’s master storyteller.

Stan Lee

Great new tales of imagination in the Bradbury tradition.

Hugh Hefner

"Editorial interest and experience converge here to produce an exciting book."

Booklist

Weller’s lengthy introduction to these 26 stories fully justifies the tribute being made to the late Ray Bradbury and the diverse reach of his work. Narrators match the tone and atmosphere of each story, with writers including rare bits of insight about the craft and art of storytelling. Contributing authors include John McNally, Margaret Atwood, Charles Yu, and Audry Niffenegger, to name a few, and narrators include F. Murray Abraham, Robert Petkoff, and Neil Gaiman. Gaiman wrote and delivers “The Man Who Forgot Ray Bradbury,” giving a cool, relaxed performance in a low, confiding voice. George Takei gives an outstanding and loud performance of Atwood’s “Headlife.” “A Second Homecoming,” written by Bradbury, is read by his friend Abraham, who mines its meaning, irony, and wit. “The Phone Call,” by John McNally, is read by Petkoff with empathy as its protagonist talks to his dead mother and his younger self over their old rotary telephone. This production features an array of measured yet expressive readings. S.C.A. 2013 Audies Finalist © AudioFile 2012, Portland, Maine

JULY 2012 - AudioFile

Weller’s lengthy introduction to these 26 stories fully justifies the tribute being made to the late Ray Bradbury and the diverse reach of his work. Narrators match the tone and atmosphere of each story, with writers including rare bits of insight about the craft and art of storytelling. Contributing authors include John McNally, Margaret Atwood, Charles Yu, and Audry Niffenegger, to name a few, and narrators include F. Murray Abraham, Robert Petkoff, and Neil Gaiman. Gaiman wrote and delivers “The Man Who Forgot Ray Bradbury,” giving a cool, relaxed performance in a low, confiding voice. George Takei gives an outstanding and loud performance of Atwood’s “Headlife.” “A Second Homecoming,” written by Bradbury, is read by his friend Abraham, who mines its meaning, irony, and wit. “The Phone Call,” by John McNally, is read by Petkoff with empathy as its protagonist talks to his dead mother and his younger self over their old rotary telephone. This production features an array of measured yet expressive readings. S.C.A. 2013 Audies Finalist © AudioFile 2012, Portland, Maine

JULY 2012 - AudioFile