Being a fan of the tattoo as an art form for storytelling, I found the idea of a man who has tattoos which predict the future fascinating. I can imagine the illustrations and the stories it told in my mind. You will have to imagine the story in your mind as it is, but then re-imagine these stories retold upon the skin of an embittered vagabond, moving from one city to the next, from one job to the next. The Illustrated Man is the medium through which Ray Bradbury told his 16 stories.
The short story format is a tricky one for me, because it is difficult to context switch from one story to the next. Jumping from one story to the next takes the shine from the stories themselves as altogether, different short stories lack cohesion. Bradbury’s prose is simple enough to establish the context right away and gets straight to the story.
And like most collections of short stories, it’s a mixed bag. There will be some stories that you love, some average, some you can do without. But like one of the stories, all these together made a kaleidoscope. An alien city plotting revenge on mankind, a planet where the rains never cease, nuclear holocaust and armageddon — the stories are prophetic, surreal, absurd and thought-provoking. All elements which make great sci-fi is present in this book. My personal favourite is Usher II, which is reminiscent of Fahrenheit 451.
The flaws I found with the weaker stories is the fact that they seem over the top: you are reminded that this after all, is just satire — the message is too forced. But most of these stories are worthwhile to read, and makes for a wonderful kaleidoscope.
