Thursday, October 30, 2008

Bits and/or Pieces

Halloween moves ever closer. It holds little personal interest for me in real life, but I appreciate a good Halloween depiction in literature or film. So, too, does this Guardian book blog, one of the few general Bradbury appreciations I have seen in the British press.

Out of sync with the season, I today received my copy of Summer Morning, Summer Night. This is the missing link between Dandelion Wine and its sequel Farewell Summer. Literally. Bradbury conceived of one large work, but back in the '50s decided to publish only half (DW). Just recently the second half (FS) was published, and as a follow up SM, SN is now available from Subterranean Press - but order soon, as it sounds like stocks will sell out.

Just over a half of SM, SN is material previously published in short story form. The remainder is material previously unpublished, mostly in the form of short fragments, episodes that somehow didn't fit into the text of either of the other two books. There are some longer stories, however, and I have enjoyed the tiny amount of the book I have read so far. However, it feels like a book that will only make sense to a completist, someone already familiar with both DW and FS.

Last weekend I saw the Catherine Wheels/National Theatre of Scotland production of Something Wicked This Way Comes. A splendid production of one of Bradbury's most awkward stage plays. If you get the chance to see this production, I highly recommend it. However, abandon your preconceptions of what SWTWC should be like, and be prepared for a fun, energetic and inventive piece of theatre. I hope to post a full review soon.

Monday, October 06, 2008

Welcome to Bradburyville

Bradburyville is a new town (for want of a better word, and no doubt there is a proper word for it) in Second Life. There were some opening events yesterday, albeit too late in the day for UK residents to enjoy, but the place remains open for you to wander around and explore. The landscape is dotted with familiar Bradbury places: a place to get dandelion wine, a carousel, a porch where you can just sit and swing. The most shocking element is Mr Electrico's electric chair. If you see it, think twice before sitting!

Second Life requires you to register and adopt a fictional identity. It also requires you to download the Second Life client, which is around 34MB.

I spent some time in there yesterday, but didn't have time to explore thoroughly. It was slightly deserted when I visited, but I did see someone I knew. Although, of course, he looked different, being an avatar.

The following link will take you there, and provides further instructions if you haven't a clue what I'm talking about!

http://slurl.com/secondlife/Bradburyville/129/127/24