The Collected Stories of Ray Bradbury is an ongoing scholarly, multi-volume series published by Kent State University Press, aiming to collect every short story written by American author Ray Bradbury in chronological order.[1] The series is edited by William F. Touponce and Jonathan R. Eller,[2] with extensive textual apparatus providing critical insights and annotations. The project is expected to span eight volumes[1] and has received approval from the Modern Language Association (MLA) for its academic rigor.[3] Each story is edited based on Bradbury's original manuscripts, with commentary on textual variants and publication history .
Background
The series brings together Bradbury's entire body of short fiction, including his early and lesser-known works, as well as his more famous stories. By arranging the stories chronologically and providing detailed commentary, the project gives readers and scholars insight into Bradbury's growth as a writer. The editorial apparatus includes information on the original publications, textual revisions, and critical interpretations.[3]
Contents
Volume 1
The first volume, The Collected Stories of Ray Bradbury: A Critical Edition – Volume 1, 1938–1943 (ISBN978-1606350713), was published on February 21, 2011.[4]
"Autopsy" ("Killer, Come Back to Me!") (1943, published 1944)
"The Long Night" (1943, published 1944)
"Lazarus Come Forth" (1943, published 1944)
"There Was an Old Woman" (1943, published 1944)
"The Trunk Lady" (1943, published 1944)
"Jack-in-the-Box" (1944, published 1947)
"Where Everything Ends" (1944, published 2010)
"Bang! You're Dead!" (1944)
"Enter - the Douser" ("Half-Pint Homicide") (1944)
"Rocket Skin" (1944, published 1946)
"Forgotten Man" ("It Burns Me Up!") (1944)
"The Jar" (1944)
Volume 3
The third volume, The Collected Stories of Ray Bradbury: A Critical Edition - Volume 3, 1944-1945 (ISBN978-1-60635-071-3), was published in May, 2017.[6]
"No Phones, Private Coffin" ("Yesterday I Lived!) (1944)
"If Paths Must Cross Again" (1944, published 2009)
"The Miracles of Jamie" (1944, published 1946)
"The Long Way Around" ("The Long Way Home") (1944, published 1945)
"The Very Bewildered Corpses ("Four-Way Funeral") (1944)
"The Reincarnate" (1944, published 2005)
"Chrysalis" (1944, published 2004)
"The Poems" (1944, published 1945)
"Defense Mech" (1944, published 1946)
"Mr. Priory Meets Mr. Caldwell" ("Hell's Half-Hour") (1944, published 1945)
"'I'm Not So Dumb'" (1944, published 1945)
"Invisible Boy" (1944, published 1945)
"Ylla" ("I'll Not Ask for Wine") (1944, published 1945)
"The Tombstone" (1944, published 1945)
"The Watchers" (1944, published 1945)
"Lorelei of the Red Mist" (1944, published 1946)
"One Minus One" ("Corpse-Carnival") (1944, published 1945)
"The Sea Cure" ("Dead Men Rise Up Never") (1944, published 1945)
"Skeleton" (1944, published 1945, distinct from 45-5)
"Riabouchinska" ("And So Died Riabouchinska") (1945, published 1953)
"Skeleton" (1945, distinct from 45-11)
"The Black Ferris" (1945, full draft sent to Congdon, Sept. 19, 1947)