S is for Space

by Ray D Bradbury

[lovelybookshelf]

I first heard about "S is for Space" from Lianne at The Towering Pile. I've been wanting to read more sci-fi - I mean, I love watching sci-fi, and obviously I love reading... but when it comes to sci-fi books, I'm so picky! Reading Lianne's review, as well as having read and liked "Fahrenheit 451," I was pretty sure this would be a good match for me.

It's important to remember that this collection of short stories was published in 1966. The role of women in these stories continues to portray a 1950's ideal, which kind of surprised me since most of the stories take place so far in the future, even for we readers of 2013. Plus, space exploration was still very new in the 60's. So in many of the stories, we read of a Mars that is a short journey away, a planet with breathable air, flowing rivers, and fertile soil for flower beds and crops. There is evidence of past civilization, such as mosaic paths, fountains that still run, abandoned highways and small cities. Even though we now have photos of the surface of Mars showing a much different picture, it was still fun to imagine it otherwise.

There's a great variety among the stories in this collection. People undergoing metamorphosis, time travel, alien invasions, dystopian future Earth, life on Mars, travel to distant planets, children privy to something major but ignored by adults, nostalgia, and even a bit of faith. And I have to say, "Zero Hour" terrified me to the core (peekaboo!).

Overall, this collection was a fast read which I thoroughly enjoyed.