Something Wicked This Way Comes
Few American novels written this century have endured in the heart and memory as has Ray Bradbury's unparalleled literary classic SOMETHING WICKED THIS WAY COMES. For those who still dream and remember, for those yet to experience the hypnotic power of its dark poetry, step inside. The show is about to begin. The carnival rolls in sometime after midnight, ushering in Halloween a week early. The shrill siren song of a calliope beckons to all with a seductive promise of dreams and youth regained. In this season of dying, Cooger & Dark's Pandemonium Shadow Show has come to Green Town, Illinois, to destroy every life touched by its strange and sinister mystery. And two boys will discover the secret of its smoke, mazes, and mirrors; two friends who will soon know all too well the heavy cost of wishes. . .and the stuff of nightmare.
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What you might want to know about Something Wicked This Way Comes
The questions readers send us most often, answered without spoilers.
A week before Halloween in Green Town, Illinois, Cooger and Dark's Pandemonium Shadow Show rolls into town in the middle of the night. Best friends Will Halloway and Jim Nightshade go looking for it.
Yes. Something Wicked This Way Comes is widely cited as one of Ray Bradbury's most genuinely frightening novels. The autumnal carnival imagery has influenced horror writers including Stephen King for over 60 years.
Yes. A 1983 Disney film adaptation directed by Jack Clayton was released. Ray Bradbury wrote the screenplay. The film has gained cult appreciation despite a troubled production.
Something Wicked This Way Comes was written by Ray Bradbury, published in 1962 by Simon and Schuster Paperbacks.
Something Wicked This Way Comes is 278 pages in standard print editions, though page counts vary slightly between hardcover, paperback, and large-print formats.
At an average reading pace of about 250 words per minute, Something Wicked This Way Comes takes most readers 4 to 6 hours to finish.
Something Wicked This Way Comes is a standalone novel by Ray Bradbury, not part of a series.
Something Wicked This Way Comes is available in hardcover, paperback, ebook, and audiobook formats from Amazon, Bookshop.org, ThriftBooks, and most major bookstores.