Ray Bradbury, �The Halloween Tree�
Reading this kind of screws up my running bookstore joke. I�ve never read much science fiction or fantasy, and I�ll get a lot of people asking to suggest authors in that genre. It usually goes like this:
�Can you recommend any sci-fi authors?�
�Actually, I�ve only started the �A� section, since I�ve read Douglas Adams and Richard Adams.�
Long blank stare.
Well, I guess I�ve moved on to the B�s and in fact, this is the second Bradbury book I�ve read (The other being Fahrenheit 451). I guess I need new material.
This is the problem with having sex with people. They tell you about a book they liked and you suddenly want to check it out. Thank god the Red Hot Punk Rock Goddess told me she never wants to speak to me again, as now I don�t feel obligated to read The Prince of Tides.
Anyway, this is a cute though slightly disturbing piece where an old man teaches a group of young boys what death and Halloween mean across time and around the world. Along the way one boy named Pipkin keeps getting killed, or sealed in an Egyptian pyramid, or turned into a dog. Finally, in order to save him the other boys have to agree to each cut their lives short by one year. They all accept, but you know they�re gonna get pissed off at poor Pipkin later on in life, and will probably beat the holy hell out of him. I can picture myself reading this to my kids (if I�m ever unfortunate enough to have kids) around October. Of course, I can also picture me reading them Animal Farm.
Overall, the book made me want to listen to the Misfits, which is what I�m doing right now. You better think about it baby-babe.
