Robot Grandmas

Yes, folks, its time for another reading update. But first, just look at how lovely this cover is. I nicely happened upon this first edition hardcover version of the 1969 collection of Ray Bradbury's short stories entitled I Sing the Body Electric! at the Literacy Austin booksale earlier this year [note that the link goes to a newer version of the book on Amazon that includes an additional 10 stories].

And if you weren't impressed enough with the cover, take a gander at one of the coolest author photos of all time:




I really like Ray Bradbury -- The Martian Chronicles and The Illustrated Man are two of my favorite short story collections ever. I Sing the Body Electric! has a different, more nostalgic feel to it than the earlier collections, and balances out more on the side of traditional fiction than the science fiction that Bradbury is known for. That makes this collection different from his others, but really just as strong.

"The Inspired Chicken Motel" is my favorite story title in the book (although the title story is probably my favorite read, and it involves the Robot Grandma, by the way). Just read this paragraph, describing said motel, and try not to run out and buy the book:

"By its smell, some wild parties had died here. There was an odor of false sincerity and lust masquerading as love. A wind blew up between the floorboards redolent of chickens under the bungalow who spent nights running crazy from diarrhea induced by pecking the bathtub liquor that seeped down through the fake Oriental linoleum."

I dare you...