Other editions of book THE GOLDEN APPLES OF THE SUN

A half century after its initial appearance, Bradbury’s fourth published book remains vivid and memorable. The original table of contents is restored (under Joe Mugnaini’s iconic original cover art), with Bradbury’s familiar and characteristically wistful, dreamy fantasy, such as “The April Witch,” a haunting tale of teenage dream-traveler Cecy and her desperate desire for romance, mingling with brilliant science fiction like the title story and the widely reprinted “A Sound of Thunder.” A few pieces have not aged so well, such as “The Big Black and White Game,” a clumsy discussion of race that was bold for its time but does little for the modern reader, but they’re well balanced by the inclusion of two charming short plays: “The Fog Horn,” an incomplete radio play that inspired the iconic if maladapted film The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms , and “En la Noche,” which succeeds on page or stage, like most Bradbury, as a story of human sensitivities.

Only Ray Bradbury could make plausible a deep sea monster's infatuation with a flirtatious foghorn, or a misunderstood man with a perfectly reasonable explanation for murdering his house, or a nubile young witch who works out an ingenious method for experiencing human love, or a space ship captain determined to gather a cupful of sun, or...18 other bizarre and wonderful tales.