Summer's signing off
£13.04
In stock
US imports may differ from local products. Additional terms apply. Learn More.

Amazon Global Store

  • International products have separate terms, are sold from abroad and may differ from local products, including fit, age ratings, and language of product, labeling or instructions.
  • Manufacturer warranty will not apply. Please review Amazon’s return policy, which usually offers free returns within 30 days of receipt.
  • Learn more about Amazon Global Store.
££13.04 () Includes selected options. Includes initial monthly payment and selected options. Details
Price
Subtotal
££13.04
Subtotal
Initial payment breakdown
Delivery cost, delivery date and order total (including tax) shown at checkout.
Dispatches from
Amazon US
Amazon US
Dispatches from
Amazon US
Payment
Secure transaction
Your transaction is secure
We work hard to protect your security and privacy. Our payment security system encrypts your information during transmission. We don’t share your credit card details with third-party sellers, and we don’t sell your information to others. Learn more
Kindle app logo image

Download the free Kindle app and start reading Kindle books instantly on your smartphone, tablet or computer – no Kindle device required.

Read instantly on your browser with Kindle for Web.

Using your mobile phone camera - scan the code below and download the Kindle app.

QR code to download the Kindle App

Follow the authors

Joe Mugnaini
Follow
Ray Bradbury
Follow
Something went wrong. Please try your request again later.

The October Country: Stories Paperback – Illustrated, 1 Oct. 1996

by Ray Bradbury (Author)
4.4 out of 5 stars 1,641 ratings
{"desktop_buybox_group_1":[{"displayPrice":"£13.04","priceAmount":13.04,"currencySymbol":"£","integerValue":"13","decimalSeparator":".","fractionalValue":"04","symbolPosition":"left","hasSpace":false,"showFractionalPartIfEmpty":true,"offerListingId":"ANa0lKji4T4JDiosahlOZJr3ngcGToWQOVe2Zs2T37IOQr9s7GHTevkssEQ24eKPCxkCg%2BtRGKOlPClDE5rYQI%2FGI346iVVZjiKoTFUZ9vVdEtOkfYPr9ydYSF%2BeCwPs1GKoHW9SjR8ovcindMrcUV64dpJ6xYqncaROiJfmPLbTmGy3%2FDdT5yz4y%2BDiKP6r","locale":"en-GB","buyingOptionType":"NEW","aapiBuyingOptionIndex":0}]}

Purchase options and add-ons

The October Country is Ray Bradbury's own netherworld of the soul, inhabited by the horrors and demons that lurk within all of us. Renowned for his multi-million-copy bestseller, Fahrenheit 451, and hailed by Harper's magazine as "the finest living writer of fantastic fiction," Ray Bradbury proves here that he is America's master of the short story.

This classic collection features:

The Emissary: The faithful dog was the sick boy's only connection with the world outside--and beyond . . .
The Small Assassin: A fine, healthy baby boy was the new mother's dream come true--or her worst nightmare . . .
The Scythe: Just when his luck had run out, Drew Erickson inherited a farm from a stranger; and with the bequest came deadly responsibilities . . .
The Jar: A chilling story that combines love, death . . . and a matter of identity in a bottle of fear.
The Wonderful Death of Dudley Stone: A most remarkable case of murder--the deceased was delighted . . .

Plus fourteen more unforgettable tales!

"An author whose fanciful imagination, poetic prose, and mature understanding of human character have won him an international reputation."--The New York Times

Read more
Previous slide of product details
  1. Print length
    352 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Del Rey Books
  4. Publication date
    1 Oct. 1996
  5. Dimensions
    13.82 x 1.78 x 20.73 cm
  6. ISBN-10
    0345407857
  7. ISBN-13
    978-0345407856
  8. Lexile measure
    780L
Next slide of product details
Save 15% on Baby Einstein
Popular highlights in this book
What are Popular highlights?
Previous page
  1. In order for a thing to be horrible it has to suffer a change you can recognize.
    Highlighted by 243 Kindle readers
  2. “The minute you get a religion you stop thinking,” he said. “Believe in one thing too much and you have no room for new ideas.”
    Highlighted by 208 Kindle readers
  3. It was September. In the last days when things are getting sad for no reason.
    Highlighted by 170 Kindle readers
Next page

Product description

From the Inside Flap

COUNTRY is Ray Bradbury's own netherworld of the soul, inhabited by the horrors and demons that lurk within all of us. This classic collection of short stories includes:
THE EMISSARY: The faithful dog was the sick boy's only connection with the world outside--and beyond. . .
THE SMALL ASSASSIN: A fine, healthy baby boy was the new mother's dream come true--or her worst nightmare. . .
THE SCYTHE: Just when his luck had run out, Drew Erickson inherited a farm from a stranger! And with the bequest came deadly responsibilities. . .
THE JAR: A chilling story that combines love, death . . . and a matter of identity in a bottle of fear!
THE WONDERFUL DEATH OF DUDLEY STONE: A most remarkable case of murder--the deceased was delighted!
Plus nineteen more terrifying tales!
Renowned for his five-million copy bestseller, Fahrenheit 451, and hailed as the finest living writer of fantastic fiction, Ray Bradbury shows with each of these nineteen stories his brilliant knac

From the Back Cover

THE OCTOBER COUNTRY is Ray Bradbury's own netherworld of the soul, inhabited by the horrors and demons that lurk within all of us. This classic collection of short stories includes:
THE EMISSARY: The faithful dog was the sick boy's only connection with the world outside--and beyond. . .
THE SMALL ASSASSIN: A fine, healthy baby boy was the new mother's dream come true--or her worst nightmare. . .
THE SCYTHE: Just when his luck had run out, Drew Erickson inherited a farm from a stranger! And with the bequest came deadly responsibilities. . .
THE JAR: A chilling story that combines love, death . . . and a matter of identity in a bottle of fear!
THE WONDERFUL DEATH OF DUDLEY STONE: A most remarkable case of murder--the deceased was delighted!
Plus nineteen more terrifying tales!
Renowned for his five-million copy bestseller, Fahrenheit 451, and hailed as the finest living writer of fantastic fiction, Ray Bradbury shows with each of these nineteen stories his brilliant knack for extracting the chilling essence of a world's insanities, disorders, and hang-ups. Once again he proves himself to be America's master of the short story.
"An author whose fanciful imagination, poetic prose, and mature understanding of human character have won him an international reputation."
--The New York Times

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Del Rey Books
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ 1 Oct. 1996
  • Edition ‏ : ‎ Illustrated
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 352 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0345407857
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0345407856
  • Item weight ‏ : ‎ 272 g
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 13.82 x 1.78 x 20.73 cm
  • Lexile measure ‏ : ‎ 780L
  • Best Sellers Rank: 2,215,884 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • Customer reviews:
    4.4 out of 5 stars 1,641 ratings

About the authors

Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.
Previous page
  1. Joe Mugnaini

    Joe Mugnaini

    Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.
    Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

    Discover more of the author’s books, see similar authors, read book recommendations and more.

    See more on the author's page
  2. Ray Bradbury

    Ray Bradbury

    Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.
    Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

    In a career spanning more than seventy years, Ray Bradbury, who died on June 5, 2012, at the age of 91, inspired generations of readers to dream, think, and create. A prolific author of hundreds of short stories and close to fifty books, as well as numerous poems, essays, operas, plays, teleplays, and screenplays, Bradbury was one of the most celebrated writers of our time. His groundbreaking works include Fahrenheit 451, The Martian Chronicles, The Illustrated Man, Dandelion Wine, and Something Wicked This Way Comes. He wrote the screen play for John Huston's classic film adaptation of Moby Dick, and was nominated for an Academy Award. He adapted sixty-five of his stories for television's The Ray Bradbury Theater, and won an Emmy for his teleplay of The Halloween Tree. He was the recipient of the 2000 National Book Foundation Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters, the 2004 National Medal of Arts, and the 2007 Pulitzer Prize Special Citation, among many honors.

    Throughout his life, Bradbury liked to recount the story of meeting a carnival magician, Mr. Electrico, in 1932. At the end of his performance Electrico reached out to the twelve-year-old Bradbury, touched the boy with his sword, and commanded, "Live forever!" Bradbury later said, "I decided that was the greatest idea I had ever heard. I started writing every day. I never stopped."

    See more on the author's page
Next page

Customer reviews

4.4 out of 5 stars
1,641 global ratings

Review this product

Share your thoughts with other customers
Write a customer review

Customers say

Customers enjoy the stories in this book, with one mentioning it's a great collection of Bradbury short stories. The writing quality receives positive feedback, with one customer noting the simple and buoyant tone. Customers find the book creepy.

Select to learn more

Story qualityCreepinessWriting quality
17 customers mention ‘Story quality’17 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the stories in this book, with one review highlighting the unnerving tales about people and places, while another mentions it's a good read in the run-up to Halloween.

"Some stories were good while others were weird but a good read. Give it time as you might find it off putting when you first start to read it" Read more

"...Great little stories to just pick up and read whenever." Read more

"I enjoyed this book because I am a devotee of weird fiction. Not all of the stories have the same attraction...." Read more

"...of these stories in other collections but this is the book I remember vividly from childhood...." Read more

3 customers mention ‘Creepiness’3 positive0 negative

Customers find the book creepy.

"Ray Bradbury at his best, with spooky and sometimes unnerving stories about people and places...." Read more

"...These tales are timeless and are as creepy now as they were all those years ago!" Read more

"Ray Bradbury is just about my favourite author. He can be funny, scary, exciting and heart warming. A wonderful command of..." Read more

3 customers mention ‘Writing quality’3 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the writing style of the book, with one noting its beautiful prose and another mentioning its simple and buoyant tone.

"...But as a stylist he is less dependable. Some sentences and passages are astonishingly good. But the composite effect is unconvincing...." Read more

"...In fact the tone is simple and buoyant. Ray Bradbury has such a light touch and these stories are so clever, even moving...." Read more

"Beautifully written prose. Always entertains. Always has meaning - if a little oblique, at times." Read more

Top reviews from United Kingdom

  • Edgar Graham
    5.0 out of 5 stars Enjoyable experience!
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 11 July 2023
    Verified Purchase
    I enjoyed this book because I am a devotee of weird fiction. Not all of the stories have the same attraction. I was mainly interested in: "The Jar", because I saw the TV adaptation as part of: "Alfred Hitchcock Presents" , years ago. I liked all of the stories, and recommend this book to anyone who is passionate about slightly spooky stories.
    I would compare Ray Bradbury stories to those of Shirley Jackson(The Lottery etc.).
    Helpful
     Report
  • ashton455
    5.0 out of 5 stars Sheer Brilliance
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 13 July 2012
    Verified Purchase
    I have got most of these stories in other collections but this is the book I remember vividly from childhood. It is quintessential Ray Bradbury complemented by the atmospheric drawings by Joe Mugnaini.The book begins with 'The Dwarf', which is left out of some later collections, perhaps for reasons of political correctness. All of the stories are well worth reading and the illustrations are magical. Ray Bradbury inhabits a realm that transcends genres like fantasy, the horror story,or science fiction. This is a very special land, aptly given the title 'The October Country'. It is a classic.
    6 people found this helpful
    Helpful
     Report
  • Graham G Grant
    4.0 out of 5 stars ‘An embarrassment of horror’
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 27 October 2023
    Verified Purchase
    Bradbury’s eerie tales are something of a mixed bag. The premise is almost always superior to its execution. But the ideas are superlative. One of the stories, The Small Assassin, seems to anticipate The Omen, or Rosemary’s Baby. Another, The Scythe, is a wonderfully macabre tale inspired by the Grim Reaper. None of these stories outstays its welcome - or at least not by much. Some may be familiar to viewers of Ray Bradbury’s Theatre, the anthology TV series which turned some of these stories into Twilight Zone-style episodes. For the most part, the series was a disappointment (or what I’ve seen of it - in the UK, it’s on Amazon FreeVee). Much the same can be said of the stories. They promise more than they deliver. That said, when they deliver they do so in style. Bradbury is a master of ideas. But as a stylist he is less dependable. Some sentences and passages are astonishingly good. But the composite effect is unconvincing. He can be very verbose and OTT (see his novel Something Wicked This Way Comes - a great novel marred by ornate prose). A fairer reckoning might be 3.5 stars - but overall there are enough clever, well-written tales in this collection to hold your interest. It’s a good read in the run-up to Halloween.
    One person found this helpful
    Helpful
     Report
  • Alex M
    5.0 out of 5 stars Ray Bradbury at his best
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 15 October 2018
    Verified Purchase
    Ray Bradbury at his best, with spooky and sometimes unnerving stories about people and places. It's a long time since I have read Bradbury, and these stories did not disappoint. Engrossing, short stories that you can pick up and read when you need to fill in some time, although some may not be ideal to read at bedtime, lol.
    4 people found this helpful
    Helpful
     Report
  • EmilyB
    3.0 out of 5 stars A creepy collection
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 19 November 2021
    Verified Purchase
    This is the first thing I've read by Bradbury and it didn't disappoint.

    As with all anthologies of short stories, I found that some of them really stood out above others.

    I very much enjoyed:
    - The Next in Line
    - The Jar
    - The Small Assassin
    - The Wind
    - There Was an Old Woman

    These are just the stand out ones I keep thinking about but on the whole I enjoyed the collection.
    One person found this helpful
    Helpful
     Report
  • Mark Nicholls
    5.0 out of 5 stars A classic from the master!
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 3 September 2018
    Verified Purchase
    First read this as a teenager and have loved Mr Bradbury ever since. Decided to revisit this in my mid 50s and it has lost non of its magic! These tales are timeless and are as creepy now as they were all those years ago!
    One person found this helpful
    Helpful
     Report
  • robin summers
    5.0 out of 5 stars classy stuff
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 23 December 2015
    Verified Purchase
    These are not really horror stories. There is no sense of tenebrous foreboding that you get with Thomas Ligotti. In fact the tone is simple and buoyant. Ray Bradbury has such a light touch and these stories are so clever, even moving. My favourites are "The Emissary" and " The lake" which is beautiful and sad.
    2 people found this helpful
    Helpful
     Report
  • Paul Large
    4.0 out of 5 stars Raymond Bradbury stories.
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 6 January 2021
    Verified Purchase
    Beautifully written prose. Always entertains. Always has meaning - if a little oblique, at times.
    2 people found this helpful
    Helpful
     Report

Top reviews from other countries

Translate all reviews to English
  • Josh Mauthe
    5.0 out of 5 stars Sure, there's horror here, but also heart, imagination, and humor - in other words, it's classic Bradbury
    Reviewed in the United States on 30 June 2018
    Verified Purchase
    Ray Bradbury's The October Country is often held up as the closest Bradbury ever came to doing a horror anthology, and while not every story here is a dark one, there's no shortage of nightmares here. There's "Skeleton," in which a man becomes horrifying aware of the bones within his body and becomes convinced that they're trying to take over his life; there's the surprisingly nasty ending of "The Man Upstairs," in which a young boy becomes convinced that the lodger living upstairs in a vampire; and there's "The Small Assassin," about a possibly murderous infant, and a story that has one of the nastiest last lines in memory. In other words, there's plenty of darkness here, and while Bradbury isn't going to be mistaken for the full-fledged horror of a King or a Barker, there's some wonderfully dark, Gothic material here.

    But more than that, there's the imagination and heart that Bradbury was so known for, and no story better unifies those ideas than the wonderful "Homecoming." A favorite of Neil Gaiman's (and the influence on Gaiman's world is evident), "Homecoming" tells the story of a family of monsters - vampires, ghosts, and more - coming together for a family reunion, all told from the perspective of the one "normal" child in the family. It's sweet, heartbreaking, and ends on an optimistic and heartfelt note that made me smile. Or take "The Emissary," about a young boy, confined to his room because of sickness, who experiences the world entirely through his roaming dog and the visitors he brings home - a story that opens with wonder and heart, slowly turns to heartbreak, and then becomes terrifying. And that's not all - once you add to the collection some stories that show off Bradbury's rich sense of humor - the elderly woman who refuses to die in "There Was an Old Woman," or the ridiculous satire of trend followers that is "The Watchful Poker Chip of H. Matisse" - and you have a wonderful collection that reminds you what made Bradbury so special.
    Report
  • Amazonのただの客
    5.0 out of 5 stars 懐かしいムニャイニのイラスト
    Reviewed in Japan on 8 December 2015
    Verified Purchase
    このイラストのためだけにでも買う価値があります！残念ながら、往年の創元推理文庫のカラーのカバーイラストはありませんが・・・。
    Report
  • MARCUS VINICIUS GASQUES
    5.0 out of 5 stars Imaginação inesgotável
    Reviewed in Brazil on 7 June 2021
    Verified Purchase
    O fantástico, o maravilhoso e o sombrio se encontram nesses 19 contos de Ray Bradbury. Imaginação e criatividade que só se esgotaram com o fim da vida do autor, há nove anos, em 2012. Esta edição, de 1996, traz um prefácio do escritor, em que ele pede para morrer antes que suas "vozes" silenciem. Bradbury não se foi antes de deixar obras como "Fahrenheit 451", "Algo Sinistro Vem Por Aí", poemas, roteiros e cerca de 500 contos e novelas.
    Report
  • Luis Arellano
    5.0 out of 5 stars Genial
    Reviewed in Mexico on 26 November 2023
    Verified Purchase
    Me encantó esta pequeña edición!!!
    Report
  • Kristine
    5.0 out of 5 stars Check your book for a PRINTING ERROR
    Reviewed in Canada on 7 September 2024
    Verified Purchase
    I have ordered a replacement of this book because there was a printing alignment error. Several pages of the book have words missing. I still gave this 5 stars for now. Hopefully the replacement will be fine.
    Customer image
    Kristine
    5.0 out of 5 stars
    Check your book for a PRINTING ERROR

    Reviewed in Canada on 7 September 2024
    I have ordered a replacement of this book because there was a printing alignment error. Several pages of the book have words missing. I still gave this 5 stars for now. Hopefully the replacement will be fine.
    Images in this review
    Customer imageCustomer imageCustomer image
    Report