The October Country is Ray Bradbury’s own netherworld of the soul, inhabited by the horrors and demons that lurk within all of us. Renowned for his multi-million-copy bestseller, Fahrenheit 451, and hailed by Harper’s magazine as “the finest living writer of fantastic fiction,” Ray Bradbury proves here that he is America’s master of the short story. This classic collection features: The Emissary: The faithful dog was the sick boy’s only connection with the world outside—and beyond . . . The Small Assassin: A fine, healthy baby boy was the new mother’s dream come true—or her worst nightmare . . . The Scythe:  Just when his luck had run out, Drew Erickson inherited a farm from a stranger; and with the bequest came deadly responsibilities . . . The Jar:  A chilling story that combines love, death . . . and a matter of identity in a bottle of fear. The Wonderful Death of Dudley Stone:  A most remarkable case of murder—the deceased was delighted . . .  Plus fourteen more unforgettable tales! “An author whose fanciful imagination, poetic prose, and mature understanding of human character have won him an international reputation.”— The New York Times Ray Bradbury's first short story collection is back in print, its chilling encounters with funhouse mirrors, parasitic accident-watchers, and strange poker chips intact. Both sides of Bradbury's vaunted childhood nostalgia are also on display, in the celebratory "Uncle Einar," and haunting "The Lake," the latter a fine elegy to childhood loss. This edition features a new introduction by Bradbury, an invaluable essay on writing, wherein the author tells of his "Theater of Morning Voices," and, by inference, encourages you to listen to the same murmurings in yourself. And has any writer anywhere ever made such good use of exclamation marks!? COUNTRY is Ray Bradbury's own netherworld of the soul, inhabited by the horrors and demons that lurk within all of us. This classic collection of short stories includes: THE EMISSARY: The faithful dog was the sick boy's only connection with the world outside--and beyond. . . THE SMALL ASSASSIN: A fine, healthy baby boy was the new mother's dream come true--or her worst nightmare. . . THE SCYTHE: Just when his luck had run out, Drew Erickson inherited a farm from a stranger! And with the bequest came deadly responsibilities. . . THE JAR: A chilling story that combines love, death . . . and a matter of identity in a bottle of fear! THE WONDERFUL DEATH OF DUDLEY STONE: A most remarkable case of murder--the deceased was delighted! Plus nineteen more terrifying tales! Renowned for his five-million copy bestseller, Fahrenheit 451, and hailed as the finest living writer of fantastic fiction, Ray Bradbury shows with each of these nineteen stories his brilliant knac THE OCTOBER COUNTRY is Ray Bradbury's own netherworld of the soul, inhabited by the horrors and demons that lurk within all of us. This classic collection of short stories includes: THE EMISSARY: The faithful dog was the sick boy's only connection with the world outside--and beyond. . . THE SMALL ASSASSIN: A fine, healthy baby boy was the new mother's dream come true--or her worst nightmare. . . THE SCYTHE: Just when his luck had run out, Drew Erickson inherited a farm from a stranger! And with the bequest came deadly responsibilities. . . THE JAR: A chilling story that combines love, death . . . and a matter of identity in a bottle of fear! THE WONDERFUL DEATH OF DUDLEY STONE: A most remarkable case of murder--the deceased was delighted! Plus nineteen more terrifying tales! Renowned for his five-million copy bestseller, Fahrenheit 451, and hailed as the finest living writer of fantastic fiction, Ray Bradbury shows with each of these nineteen stories his brilliant knack for extracting the chilling essence of a world's insanities, disorders, and hang-ups. Once again he proves himself to be America's master of the short story. "An author whose fanciful imagination, poetic prose, and mature understanding of human character have won him an international reputation." --The New York Times Ray Bradbury  (1920–2012) was America's foremost writer of science fiction and fantasy. Among his most popular adult books were  Fahrenheit 451 ,  The Martian Chronicles ,  The Illustrated Man ,  Dandelion Wine,  and  Death Is a Lonely Business . In addition, he wrote several books for children, including  Switch on the Night . In recognition of his stature in the world of literature, Bradbury was awarded the National Book Foundation's 2000 Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters and the National Medal of Arts in 2004. THE DWARF Aimee watched the sky, quietly. Tonight was one of those motionless hot summer nights. The concrete pier empty, the strung red, white, yellow bulbs burning like insects in the air above the wooden emptiness. The managers of the various carnival pitches stood, like melting wax dummies, eyes staring blindly, not talking, all down the