The Golden Apples of the Sun
Encyclopedia
The Golden Apples of the Sun is an anthology
of 22 short stories
by Ray Bradbury
; it was first published in 1953.
The book's namesake is one of the short stories in the collection. Bradbury drew the title for the story from the last line of the final stanza to W. B. Yeats' poem "The Song of Wandering Aengus" (1899):
collected most of the stories from R Is for Rocket
(1962) and the 1953 edition of The Golden Apples of the Sun into a semi-omnibus edition titled Classic Stories 1
. In 1997 Avon Books printed a new edition of the omnibus, titling it The Golden Apples of the Sun and Other Stories. Harper Perennial
titled their 2005 edition as A Sound of Thunder and Other Stories.
, Charles Poore reported that Bradbury "writes in a style that seems to have been nourished on the poets and fabulists of the Irish Literary Renaissance," praising him as being "wonderfully adept at getting to the heart of his story without talking all day long about it and around it."
Reviewer Groff Conklin
praised the original edition, saying it included "some of the best imaginative stories he [Bradbury] or anyone else has ever written. One cannot even begin to describe their delights." Boucher
and McComas
, however, found Golden Apples to be a "most uncertain reading experience . . . material of a curiously mixed quality; writing that is often simply and perceptively moving [and] just as often sadly lacking any particular strength or color" Imagination
reviewer Mark Reinsberg, although praising Bradbury as "a gifted writer," complained that he had "a tendency to overestimate the power of style to nourish anemic themes."
Anthology
An anthology is a collection of literary works chosen by the compiler. It may be a collection of poems, short stories, plays, songs, or excerpts...
of 22 short stories
Short story
A short story is a work of fiction that is usually written in prose, often in narrative format. This format tends to be more pointed than longer works of fiction, such as novellas and novels. Short story definitions based on length differ somewhat, even among professional writers, in part because...
by Ray Bradbury
Ray Bradbury
Ray Douglas Bradbury is an American fantasy, horror, science fiction, and mystery writer. Best known for his dystopian novel Fahrenheit 451 and for the science fiction stories gathered together as The Martian Chronicles and The Illustrated Man , Bradbury is one of the most celebrated among 20th...
; it was first published in 1953.
The book's namesake is one of the short stories in the collection. Bradbury drew the title for the story from the last line of the final stanza to W. B. Yeats' poem "The Song of Wandering Aengus" (1899):
1953 edition
- "The Fog HornThe Fog Horn"The Fog Horn" is a 1951 science fiction short story by Ray Bradbury, and the first in his collection The Golden Apples of the Sun. The story was the basis for the 1953 film The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms.-Plot summary:...
" (1952) - "The PedestrianThe Pedestrian"The Pedestrian" is a short story by author Ray Bradbury. This story was originally published in 1951 by The Fortnightly Publishing Company. It is included in the collection The Golden Apples of the Sun .-Summary:...
" (1951) - "The April WitchThe April Witch-Reception:Boucher and McComas described the story as one of Bradbury's "reassuringly lovely flights of fancy."-Publication history:The story was included in several of Bradbury's short story collections:* The Golden Apples of the Sun, 1953...
" (1951) - "The WildernessThe Wilderness (short story)"The Wilderness" is a science fiction short story by Ray Bradbury first published in 1952 in his collection The Golden Apples of the Sun.The year is 2003, and Janice and Leonora are spending their last days on Earth before leaving for Mars to join Janice's husband Will...
" (1952) - "The Fruit at the Bottom of the BowlThe Fruit at the Bottom of the Bowl"The Fruit at the Bottom of the Bowl" is a short story by Ray Bradbury. It was first published in Detective Book Magazine in November 1948. The story was also published as "Touch and Go" in EQMM in January 1953.- Plot summary :...
" (1948) - "Invisible Boy" (1945)
- "The Flying Machine" (1953)
- "The MurdererThe Murderer"The Murderer" is a short story by Ray Bradbury, published in his collection The Golden Apples of the Sun.-Plot summary:The scene is set in the near future, in an apparently sterile and clinical building...
" (1953) - "The Golden Kite, the Silver WindThe Golden Kite, The Silver Wind"The Golden Kite, The Silver Wind" is a short story by Ray Bradbury, one of his collection The Golden Apples of the Sun.-Background:The story was published during the Cold War...
" (1953) - "I See You NeverI See You Never"I See You Never" is a short story by author Ray Bradbury. This story was originally published in 1947 by The New Yorker Magazine, Inc. It is included in the collection A Sound of Thunder and Other Stories .-Plot summary:...
" (1947) - "Embroidery" (1951)
- "The Big Black and White Game" (1945)
- "A Sound of ThunderA Sound of Thunder“A Sound of Thunder” is a science fiction short story by Ray Bradbury, first published in Collier’s magazine in 1952. As of 1984 it was the most re-published science fiction story up to the present time...
" (1952) - "The Great Wide World Over There" (1953)
- "Powerhouse" (1948)
- "En la Noche" (1952)
- "Sun and ShadowSun and Shadow (short story)"Sun and Shadow" is a short story by Ray Bradbury. Bradbury first published in 1953 in an American news magazine called The Reporter. Later that same year, Bradbury anthologized it in The Golden Apples of the Sun....
" (1953) - "The MeadowThe MeadowThe Meadow is a radio drama by Ray Bradbury, written for a 1947 episode of the radio series World Security Workshop. It was included in the anthology Best One-Act Plays of 1947-1948. Bradbury later revised it into a short story and a stage play ....
" (1947) - "The Garbage Collector" (1953)
- "The Great Fire" (1949)
- "Hail and Farewell" (1953)
- "The Golden Apples of the Sun" (1953)
1997 edition
- "The Fog HornThe Fog Horn"The Fog Horn" is a 1951 science fiction short story by Ray Bradbury, and the first in his collection The Golden Apples of the Sun. The story was the basis for the 1953 film The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms.-Plot summary:...
" (1952) - "The April WitchThe April Witch-Reception:Boucher and McComas described the story as one of Bradbury's "reassuringly lovely flights of fancy."-Publication history:The story was included in several of Bradbury's short story collections:* The Golden Apples of the Sun, 1953...
" (1951) - "The Wilderness" (1952)
- "The Fruit at the Bottom of the BowlThe Fruit at the Bottom of the Bowl"The Fruit at the Bottom of the Bowl" is a short story by Ray Bradbury. It was first published in Detective Book Magazine in November 1948. The story was also published as "Touch and Go" in EQMM in January 1953.- Plot summary :...
" (1948) - "The Flying Machine" (1953)
- "The MurdererThe Murderer"The Murderer" is a short story by Ray Bradbury, published in his collection The Golden Apples of the Sun.-Plot summary:The scene is set in the near future, in an apparently sterile and clinical building...
" (1953) - "The Golden Kite, the Silver WindThe Golden Kite, The Silver Wind"The Golden Kite, The Silver Wind" is a short story by Ray Bradbury, one of his collection The Golden Apples of the Sun.-Background:The story was published during the Cold War...
" (1953) - "I See You NeverI See You Never"I See You Never" is a short story by author Ray Bradbury. This story was originally published in 1947 by The New Yorker Magazine, Inc. It is included in the collection A Sound of Thunder and Other Stories .-Plot summary:...
" (1947) - "EmbroideryEmbroidery (Bradbury)"Embroidery" is a science fiction short story by author Ray Bradbury. This story was originally published in 1951 by Stadium Publishing Corp. It is included in the collection A Sound of Thunder and Other Stories ....
" (1951) - "The Big Black and White Game" (1945)
- "The Great Wide World Over There" (1953)
- "Powerhouse" (1948)
- "En la Noche" (1952)
- "Sun and ShadowSun and Shadow (short story)"Sun and Shadow" is a short story by Ray Bradbury. Bradbury first published in 1953 in an American news magazine called The Reporter. Later that same year, Bradbury anthologized it in The Golden Apples of the Sun....
" (1953) - "The MeadowThe MeadowThe Meadow is a radio drama by Ray Bradbury, written for a 1947 episode of the radio series World Security Workshop. It was included in the anthology Best One-Act Plays of 1947-1948. Bradbury later revised it into a short story and a stage play ....
" (1947) - "The Garbage Collector" (1953)
- "The Great Fire" (1949)
- "The Golden Apples of the Sun" (1953)
- "R Is for RocketR is for RocketR is for Rocket is a short story collection by Ray Bradbury, compiled for Young Adult library sections. It contains fifteen stories from earlier Bradbury collections, and two previously uncollected stories.-Contents:* "R Is for Rocket"...
" (1943) - "The End of the Beginning" (1956)
- "The Rocket" (1950)
- "The Rocket Man" (1953)
- "A Sound of ThunderA Sound of Thunder“A Sound of Thunder” is a science fiction short story by Ray Bradbury, first published in Collier’s magazine in 1952. As of 1984 it was the most re-published science fiction story up to the present time...
" (1952) - "The Long RainThe Long Rain"The Long Rain" is a short story by science fiction author Ray Bradbury. This story was originally published in 1950 by Love Romances Publishing Co., Inc.-Plot summary:The first paragraph reads as follows:The rain continued...
" (1950) - "The ExilesThe Exiles"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 15 September 1949 and was reprinted the following year by Fantasy Fiction, Inc...
" (1950) - "Here There Be TygersHere There Be Tygers"Here There Be Tygers" is a short story written by Ray Bradbury, originally published in the anthology New Tales of Space and Time in 1951. It was later collected in Bradbury's short story collections R is for Rocket and The Golden Apples of the Sun...
" (1951) - "The Strawberry Window" (1954)
- "The Dragon" (1955)
- "Frost and Fire" (1947)
- "Uncle Einar" (1947)
- "The Time Machine" (1957)
- "The Sound of Summer Running" (1957)
Editions
- ISBN 0-435-12360-2 (hardback, 1990)
- ISBN 0-380-73039-1 (paperbackPaperbackPaperback, softback or softcover describe and refer to a book by the nature of its binding. The covers of such books are usually made of paper or paperboard, and are usually held together with glue rather than stitches or staples...
, 1997) - ISBN 1-596-06136-7 (hardback, Subterranean PressSubterranean PressSubterranean Press is a small press publisher in Michigan. Subterranean is best known for publishing genre fiction, primarily horror, suspense and dark mystery, fantasy, and science fiction...
, 2008)
Derivative anthologies
In 1990, Bantam BooksBantam Books
Bantam Books is an American publishing house owned entirely by Random House, the German media corporation subsidiary of Bertelsmann; it is an imprint of the Random House Publishing Group. It was formed in 1945 by Walter B. Pitkin, Jr., Sidney B. Kramer, and Ian and Betty Ballantine...
collected most of the stories from R Is for Rocket
R is for Rocket
R is for Rocket is a short story collection by Ray Bradbury, compiled for Young Adult library sections. It contains fifteen stories from earlier Bradbury collections, and two previously uncollected stories.-Contents:* "R Is for Rocket"...
(1962) and the 1953 edition of The Golden Apples of the Sun into a semi-omnibus edition titled Classic Stories 1
Classic Stories 1
Classic Stories 1: From The Golden Apples of the Sun and R is for Rocket is a semi-omnibus edition of two short story collections by Ray Bradbury: The Golden Apples of the Sun and R is for Rocket ....
. In 1997 Avon Books printed a new edition of the omnibus, titling it The Golden Apples of the Sun and Other Stories. Harper Perennial
Harper Perennial
Harper Perennial is a paperback imprint of the publishing house HarperCollins Publishers. Harper Perennial has divisions located in New York, London, Toronto, and Sydney. The imprint is descended from the Perennial Library imprint founded by Harper & Row in 1964...
titled their 2005 edition as A Sound of Thunder and Other Stories.
Reception
Writing in The New York TimesThe New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
, Charles Poore reported that Bradbury "writes in a style that seems to have been nourished on the poets and fabulists of the Irish Literary Renaissance," praising him as being "wonderfully adept at getting to the heart of his story without talking all day long about it and around it."
Reviewer Groff Conklin
Groff Conklin
Edward Groff Conklin was a leading science fiction anthologist. He edited 40 anthologies of science fiction, one of mystery stories , wrote books on home improvement and was a freelance writer on scientific subjects as well as a published poet...
praised the original edition, saying it included "some of the best imaginative stories he [Bradbury] or anyone else has ever written. One cannot even begin to describe their delights." Boucher
Anthony Boucher
Anthony Boucher was an American science fiction editor and author of mystery novels and short stories. He was particularly influential as an editor. Between 1942 and 1947 he acted as reviewer of mostly mystery fiction for the San Francisco Chronicle...
and McComas
J. Francis McComas
Jesse Francis McComas was an American science fiction editor. McComas wrote several stories on his own in the 1950s using both his own name and the pseudonym Webb Marlowe....
, however, found Golden Apples to be a "most uncertain reading experience . . . material of a curiously mixed quality; writing that is often simply and perceptively moving [and] just as often sadly lacking any particular strength or color" Imagination
Imagination (magazine)
Imagination was an American fantasy and science fiction magazine first published in October 1950 by Raymond Palmer's Clark Publishing Company. The magazine was sold almost immediately to Greenleaf Publishing Company, owned by William Hamling, who published and edited it from the third issue,...
reviewer Mark Reinsberg, although praising Bradbury as "a gifted writer," complained that he had "a tendency to overestimate the power of style to nourish anemic themes."