![]() *remember the one about the doctor who gave his patient six weeks to live? The patient couldn’t pay his bill so the doctor gave him another six weeks. I found this story in a few places online. It’s titled The Omnibus of Science Fiction, first published in 1952, it includes 42 stories, many by pioneers in the genre What other books or stories of his would you recommend? I acquired this story in an anthology picked up at a used book sale. Not a bad story, but not among the best I’ve read this year either.Įver since the news of Ray Bradbury’s death earlier this year, I’ve been wanting to read more of his work, which, with the exception of “Fahrenheit 451” I had thus far neglected. Of all the crew, he is the only one for whom his trajectory will lead him to fall into Earth, which allows a cute, poignant ending to this tale. He muses about things in his life left undone and dreams unfulfilled. The character from whose point of view the story is predominantly told is the captain, Hollis. Some with childlike terror, some with bitterness, some with meanness, some with the contentedness of A Life Well Lived. Knowing their doom is imminent, the men react different ways. The radio transmitters in the helmets are functional, though, and that allows the handful of crew mates to maintain conversation as they fly apart in whichever direction the blast sent them. Though hurtled into space through a gaping hole in their ship, the crew are protected by their spacesuits, but do not possess any means of locomotion. As our medical science has become more precise, so has its ability to more closely estimate the time of our “expiration date.” In this short story by Bradbury, the crew of a rocket ship that has been rocked by an explosion knows exactly how much time will elapse before their life must end. We do not hear the old-time stories where a doctor gives his patient “six-weeks” to live* or some other somewhat arbitrary period as often as we used to. One of these ways, which this story led me to ponder about would be a human’s sometimes increased knowledge of the specific time of our inevitable death. The human experience has been changed in many ways by technology. An argument could be made that this Bradbury story qualifies on all three grounds. This year, stories in that suit are supposed to be of the “Ghost, Scary, or Sci-Fi” category. I drew the six of spades from my short story deck this past weekend. I am participating in this meme in conjunction with my own short story reading project for 2013 – “Project: Deal Me In!” ![]() Many times the stories posted about are available for free on line and are linked within the post – as mine is this week. It’s a great way to learn about new stories and writers. Participants read (at least) one short story a week and post about it, usually linking to their post in a comment on Nancy’s site. “It’s like it never was.” Hollis exclaims his thoughts to Lespere who replies that it is not the same Lespere has the memories, Hollis only has his meanness.Short Stories on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Nancy at A Simple Clockwork. But in that moment, Hollis’s jealousy evaporates as he realizes that they share the same fate. Hollis had always been jealous of Lespere his confidence, promiscuity, riches. Lespere is proud of the life he has led and is not afraid to die. Read online and download as many books as you like for personal use. ![]() Full supports all version of your device, includes PDF, ePub, Mobi and Kindle version. The other men keep chattering Lespere goes on and on bragging about his multiple wives on multiple planets. Download and Read Kaleidoscope by Ray Bradbury Download and read book is easy. ![]() He is able to twist his suit and he ties off the sleeve to seal the leak. Hollis is then struck by a meteor and loses his left hand. Applegate gets on the radio again and begins releasing his fury against the Captain and Hollis. Hollis then punches the visor of the man’s helmet, thus relieving him of the infinitely worse death from a meteor strike or plummet to the moon or Earth. Hollis notices one of them floating nearby, and he reaches out and grabs the man. Two of the men suddenly begin to scream relentlessly.
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