The October Country

By: Ray Bradbury

Narrated by: David Aaron Baker

Length: 10 hrs and 59 mins

Publisher's summary

Haunting, harrowing, and downright horrifying, this classic collection from the modern master of the fantastic features:

• "The Small Assassin": a fine, healthy baby boy was the new mother's dream come true - or her nightmare....
• "The Emissary": the faithful dog was the sick boy's only connection with the world outside - and beyond....
• "The Wonderful Death of Dudley Stone": a most remarkable case of murder - the deceased was delighted!
• And more!

©1955 Ray Bradbury (P)2018 Recorded Books

just like going home and being embraced by Autumn!

This is a MUST read for anybody who enjoys reading in general. Dont go your whole life without getting into it with Bradbury. that would be a mistake.

Dark and Haunting

One of my goals is to read or listen to everything Ray Bradbury has written, so I decided what better time than to listen to The October Country to celebrate the season. Although, this collection isn't warm and fuzzy fall fodder to curl up in front of the fireplace with a hot cider. Bradbury wrote most of these short stories in the 1940s & 50s, post-war era, which were initially published in magazines and periodicals as diverse as Weird Tales, Beyond Fantasy, and Mademoiselle, and Harper's. However, this dark and haunting collection of short stories is timeless, as are the themes of self-doubt, loneliness, and death Bradbury explores in these disturbing tales. A few stories stood out to me, including 'The Next In Line,' which was somewhat gruesome and terrifying. 'The Small Assassin' was particularly disturbing considering the subject matter. 'The Emissary' was a great one for Halloween! 'The Wind' and 'The Homecoming' struck me as sad stories.

David Aaron Baker does an excellent job with the narration. I listened to this collection over a few days, and one criticism is that the tone of the narration is too similar from one story to the other. 4.5 Stars

It's Bradbury

Classic Bradbury . These stories show why he was a master of the short story. The characters are interesting and have their own desires and motives .

So Many Midnights and Ideas and Insanities

I’m so glad Bradbury’s The October Country is finally out in audio. This is one of my favorite collections by him, and it’s a treat to be able to hear it. There are so many fantastic stories within this collection that stand the test of time — from “The Dwarf” to “The Next in Line” Bradbury’s talent for mood and atmosphere have never been more apparent. I first read this collection years before so couldn’t remember the details of all the stories. “The Scythe” in particular surprised me in all the right ways and had a stunning narration by David Aaron Baker. Finally, of course, there’s the sublime melancholy heartbreak of “Homecoming” — one of my favorite Bradbury stories.

The October Country is a delightful listen to make Autumn anytime of the year.

Well written and well done

I’d recommend this to those who love to still get lost in yesteryear and a simpler time of living where the unknowing world around us was a great adventure just waiting in the mind’s eye. David Aaron Baker did a great job in evoking both emotions and drama to the voices while guiding us as the storyteller

An autumn feast

It's been quite a while since I read Bradbury, and I'd never read this particular collection. It's a good one, with stories tending mostly toward the darker side. But even his darker stories always have a flavor of wide-eyed magic. His language is, as always, rich, poetic, and evocative. A delight.

The narration took a story or two to grow on me, but after that I quite enjoyed it. The narrator does a good job with the various voices and emotions.

Perfect for Halloween

The best short story collection for Halloween, or any fans of Bradbury and/or beautiful prose.

Some of these stories are great, some are not.

Ray Bradbury is a fantastic writer, each of these stories is beautifully told and performed excellently by David Aaron Baker. The problem is, as beautiful as these stories are told, some of them are so similar to one another that it becomes a little tedious to hear them out. More than one story follows the path of "person obsesses over something that becomes their undoing". It's not enough to make me dislike the whole experience, the solid stories inside are that good and worth it, but it did make it a little boring to listen to from time to time to have to slug through another tale about a person undoing themself with irrational thinking. Overall, I'm glad I listened. It was a good experience, but not a must-read.

Not Bradbury's best

Compared to his really great works, this collection is only mediocre. Many authors would be glad to write something this good, but from Bradbury I expect more than this.

A masterpiece of storyteling and voice acting

Really, this one is incredible. I wasn't sold on the narrator at first, I had listened to another book with a deep voiced narrator beforehand and questioned this one, but his voice acting is impeccable! 12/10!