From: "Dan'l Danehy-Oakes" 
Subject: RE: (urth) "Petting Zoo"
Date: Tue, 26 Mar 2002 09:08:46 -0800

Though I haven't read "Petting Zoo" I can repsond to this. Mantis wrote:

> Hmm, Bradbury.  From my perspective, Bradbury stories about childhood are
> either nostalgic for a real (more authentic) past (Bradbury's childhood
> years) or dread for a nightmarish present/future from around 1960 onward
> ("The Playground," "The Little Assassin," eek, these two are quite
> Ballardian).

Ummmm... well, "The Small Assassin" was written _well_ before '60, and
(if I'm not mistaken) appeared in Bradbury's first collection, "Dark
Carnival." Indeed, a number of Bradbury's childhood stories are 
exaggerations/portrayals of the very real dreads children feel - i.e.,
"Fever Dream." 

The nostalgic element you mention (summed up in DANDELION WINE) is 
neatly combined with the "childhood fears" element in at least two of
Bradbury's finest novels: SOMETHING WICKED THIS WAY COMES (ignore the
movie) and THE HALLOWE'EN TREE.

--Dan'l


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