A Pleasure to Burn

Last updated
A Pleasure to Burn
A pleasure to burn.jpg
A Pleasure to Burn cover
AuthorRay Bradbury
Cover artist Joseph Mugnaini
CountryUSA
LanguageEnglish
SubjectCensorship
GenreScience Fiction
Published2011 Harper Collins
ISBN 1596062908

A Pleasure to Burn: Fahrenheit 451 Stories is a collection of short stories by American writer Ray Bradbury, first published August 17, 2010. A companion to novel Fahrenheit 451 , it was later released under the Harper Perennial imprint of HarperCollins publishing was in 2011. [1]

Contents

Portions of A Pleasure to Burn: Fahrenheit 451 Stories were previously published in the collection Match to Flame: The Fictional Paths to Fahrenheit 451 and the chapbook The Dragon Who Ate His Tail .

The origins and evolution of Ray Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451 are explored this collection of 16 selected shorter works that prefigure Bradbury's novel. Classic, thematically interrelated stories alongside many crucial lesser-known ones, including, at the collection's heart, the novellas Long After Midnight and The Fireman.

Contents

"The Reincarnate"

A man rises from his grave to try and reclaim his former life, only to find that he is no longer welcome in the world.

"Pillar of Fire"

In the year 2349, the last cemetery on Earth is being removed. The bodies are to be burnt, as all others have been. Upon hearing the commotion of what is happening, the final corpse decides to rise in the night and hide from this ultimate fate. He learns that horror writers such as Poe and Lovecraft have had their books burned and removed from the planet, and that nobody in this future society knows what fear is. At this point, he decides that as the last anachronism of the former world, he will be the one to teach the new world of fear. This story is also found in Bradbury's short story collection S is for Space .

"The Library"

Government officials raid a library to burn the last known copies of classic literature. This short could have been a scene cut from Fahrenheit 451 .

"Bright Phoenix"

When the town's chief censor comes to use the library as a testing ground for burning selected books, a librarian angers him with his strange behavior. Originally written in 1947, the premise was later expanded upon and turned into The Fireman, the novella which was later expanded upon and turned into Fahrenheit 451 . [2]

"The Mad Wizards of Mars"

After burning all but a single copy of history's greatest horror writings, Earth attempts its first crewed expedition to Mars. The familiar, current occupants of the red planet aren't happy to see them coming. Originally published in Maclean's.

"Carnival of Madness"

A former library owner in a future in which the macabre has been banished uses the stories of Poe to plot his revenge on those who were responsible for the banishment of horror stories, films, Hallowe'en, etc. Revised as "Usher II" in The Martian Chronicles.

"Bonfire"

Two people have a phone conversation while waiting for the end of the world. One of them seems more concerned with the loss of all of the great art than with their lives.

"The Cricket on the Hearth"

When a couple discovers that the government is spying on them, it has a strange effect on their relationship. Originally included in the short story collection One More for the Road .

"The Pedestrian"

A man goes out for his routine evening stroll and ends up being stopped just for walking. Also included in the short story collection The Golden Apples of the Sun .

"The Garbage Collector"

A garbage collector learns that his job is no longer going to consist strictly of picking up garbage, but also something much more grisly. Also included in the short story collection The Golden Apples of the Sun.

"The Smile"

A little boy stands in line, awaiting his turn in a bizarre form of public entertainment involving the Mona Lisa.

"Long After Midnight"

Early version of the story that eventually became Fahrenheit 451.

"The Fireman"

Another early version of the original story that was later developed into Fahrenheit 451 .

Bonus Stories:

"The Dragon Who Ate His Tail"

A couple contemplates taking a time travel vacation. Also included in the chapbook The Dragon Who Ate His Tail .

"Sometime Before Dawn"

A seemingly strange couple is observed by a neighbor. Also included in the chapbook The Dragon Who Ate His Tail.

"To the Future"

A couple takes advantage of a time travel vacation to try and hide from the miserable time in which they live. They are pursued by those who doesn't want them to escape. Also included in the chapbook The Dragon Who Ate His Tail. [3] [4]

Related Research Articles

<i>Fahrenheit 451</i> 1953 dystopian novel by Ray Bradbury

Fahrenheit 451 is a 1953 dystopian novel by American writer Ray Bradbury. It presents a future American society where books have been outlawed and "firemen" burn any that are found. The novel follows in the viewpoint of Guy Montag, a fireman who soon becomes disillusioned with his role of censoring literature and destroying knowledge, eventually quitting his job and committing himself to the preservation of literary and cultural writings.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ray Bradbury</span> American writer (1920–2012)

Ray Douglas Bradbury was an American author and screenwriter. One of the most celebrated 20th-century American writers, he worked in a variety of genres, including fantasy, science fiction, horror, mystery, and realistic fiction.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Robert Bloch</span> American fiction writer (1917–1994)

Robert Albert Bloch was an American fiction writer, primarily of crime, psychological horror and fantasy, much of which has been dramatized for radio, cinema and television. He also wrote a relatively small amount of science fiction. His writing career lasted 60 years, including more than 30 years in television and film. He began his professional writing career immediately after graduation from high school, aged 17. Best known as the writer of Psycho (1959), the basis for the film of the same name by Alfred Hitchcock, Bloch wrote hundreds of short stories and over 30 novels. He was a protégé of H. P. Lovecraft, who was the first to seriously encourage his talent. However, while he started emulating Lovecraft and his brand of cosmic horror, he later specialized in crime and horror stories working with a more psychological approach.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">William F. Nolan</span> American writer (1928–2021)

William Francis Nolan was an American author who wrote hundreds of stories in the science fiction, fantasy, horror, and crime fiction genres.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Poppy Z. Brite</span> Novelist, short story writer, food writer

William Joseph Martin, formerly Poppy Z. Brite, is an American author. He initially achieved fame in the gothic horror genre of literature in the early 1990s by publishing a string of successful novels and short story collections. He is best known for his novels Lost Souls (1992), Drawing Blood (1993), and Exquisite Corpse (1996). His later work moved into the genre of dark comedy, with many stories set in the New Orleans restaurant world. Martin's novels are typically standalone books but may feature recurring characters from previous novels and short stories. Much of his work features openly bisexual and gay characters.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Guy Montag</span> Protagonist of Ray Bradburys 1953 dystopian novel Fahrenheit 451

Guy Montag is a fictional character and the protagonist in Ray Bradbury's dystopia novel Fahrenheit 451 (1953). He is depicted living in a futuristic town where he works as a "fireman" whose job is to burn books and the buildings they are found in.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Fall of the House of Usher</span> 1839 short story by Edgar Allan Poe

"The Fall of the House of Usher" is a short story by American writer Edgar Allan Poe, first published in 1839 in Burton's Gentleman's Magazine, then included in the collection Tales of the Grotesque and Arabesque in 1840. The short story, a work of Gothic fiction, includes themes of madness, family, isolation, and metaphysical identities.

"The Exiles" is a science fiction short story by Ray Bradbury. It was originally published as "The Mad Wizards of Mars" in Maclean's on September 15, 1949 and was reprinted, in revised form, the following year by The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction. First collected in The Illustrated Man (1951), it was later included in the collections R Is for Rocket (1962), Bradbury Stories: 100 of His Most Celebrated Tales (2003), A Sound of Thunder and Other Stories (2005) and A Pleasure to Burn. It was also published in "The Eureka Years: Boucher and McComas's Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction" (ISBN 0553206737).

<i>Fahrenheit 451</i> (1966 film) Film by François Truffaut

Fahrenheit 451 is a 1966 British dystopian drama film directed by François Truffaut and starring Julie Christie, Oskar Werner, and Cyril Cusack. Based on the 1953 novel of the same name by Ray Bradbury, the film takes place in a controlled society in an oppressive future, in which the government sends out firemen to destroy all literature to prevent revolution and thinking. This was Truffaut's first colour film and his only non French-language film. At the 27th Venice International Film Festival, Fahrenheit 451 was nominated for the Golden Lion.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Joe Hill (writer)</span> American writer (born 1972)

Joseph Hillström King, better known by the pen name Joe Hill, is an American writer. His work includes the novels Heart-Shaped Box (2007), Horns (2010), NOS4A2 (2013), and The Fireman (2016); the short story collections 20th Century Ghosts (2005) and Strange Weather (2017); and the comic book series Locke & Key (2008–2013). He has won awards including Bram Stoker Awards, British Fantasy Awards, and an Eisner Award.

"The Pedestrian" is a science fiction short story by American writer Ray Bradbury. This story was originally published in the August 7, 1951 issue of The Reporter by The Fortnightly Publishing Company. It is included in the collection The Golden Apples of the Sun (1953), but was dropped from later editions of this collection.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Edgar Allan Poe in television and film</span>

American poet and short story writer Edgar Allan Poe has had significant influence in television and film. Many are adaptations of Poe's work, others merely reference it.

<i>Fahrenheit 451</i> (video game) 1984 video game

Fahrenheit 451 is an interactive fiction game released in 1984 and based on the 1953 novel of the same name by Ray Bradbury. Originally released by software company Trillium, it was re-released in 1985 under the company's new name Telarium.

Sam Weller is an American journalist and author, best known as writer Ray Bradbury's authorized biographer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ray Bradbury bibliography</span>

The following is a list of works by Ray Bradbury.

<i>The Dragon Who Ate His Tail</i> Book by Ray Bradbury

The Dragon Who Ate His Tail is a collection of short stories, screenplay fragments and manuscript facsimiles by American writer Ray Bradbury. It was published by Gauntlet Press in 2007 as a chapbook. The title story was previously unpublished.

<i>In the Grip of Terror</i> Horror anthology

In the Grip of Terror is an anthology of horror short stories edited by Groff Conklin. It was first published in paperback by Permabooks in 1951.

<i>Nebula Awards 24</i> 1990 anthology edited by Michael Bishop

Nebula Awards 24 is an anthology of award-winning science fiction short works edited by Michael Bishop, the second of three successive volumes published under his editorship. It was first published in hardcover and trade paperback by Harcourt Brace Jovanovich in April 1990.

<i>Fahrenheit 451</i> (2018 film) 2018 film directed by Ramin Bahrani

Fahrenheit 451 is a 2018 American dystopian drama film directed and co-written by Ramin Bahrani, based on the 1953 book of the same name by Ray Bradbury. It stars Michael B. Jordan, Michael Shannon, Khandi Alexander, Sofia Boutella, Lilly Singh, Grace Lynn Kung and Martin Donovan. Set in a future America, the film follows a "fireman" whose job it is to burn books, which are now illegal, only to question society after meeting a young woman. After premiering at the 2018 Cannes Film Festival, the film aired on HBO on May 19, 2018 receiving mixed critical reviews, with praise for the performances and visuals, but criticism for the screenplay and lack of faithfulness to the source material.

References

  1. "Browse Inside A Pleasure to Burn: Fahrenheit 451 Stories by Ray Bradbury". Harpercollins.com. 2011-06-05. Archived from the original on 2012-03-19. Retrieved 2012-08-13.
  2. "The Big Read: One Book/One Community - About the Book". Ebr.lib.la.us. 2008-10-06. Archived from the original on 2012-05-11. Retrieved 2012-08-13.
  3. A Pleasure to Burn (2010). A Pleasure to Burn (9781596062900): Ray Bradbury: Books. ISBN   978-1596062900.
  4. Bradbury, Ray. "A Pleasure to Burn: Fahrenheit 451 Stories by Ray Bradbury — Subterranean Press". Subterraneanpress.com. Archived from the original on 2012-08-28. Retrieved 2012-08-13.