The timelessness of Ray Bradbury’s fiction is reflected in the title of his latest book NOW AND FOREVER, a collection of two new short novels on which the author has toyed for a number of decades in some form or another, from screenplays to stage to these current – and final, he writes – incarnations.

First up is SOMEWHERE A BAND IS PLAYING, in which journalist James Cardiff feels compelled to get off a train in the middle of the Arizona desert, with “Because” being his only reason. There amidst the dust and dirt, he finds a secret town whose citizenry includes the beautiful Egyptian princess Neferetti, with whom he falls in love.

It also is home to no children, and that’s just one of the off-the-radar town’s secrets. There’s a rationale for the magical place’s stealthiness, and its existence is threatened by a piece of news Cardiff shares.

Batting second is LEVIATHAN ‘99, which casts MOBY-DICK into the realm of out space. Like Herman Melville’s classic novel, it, too, begins with perhaps the most famous opening line in the history of fiction: “Call me Ishmael.”

The titular ‘99 refers to the year – 2099, mind you, not 1999 – when an astronaut named Ishmael and his giant-green-spider roomie Quell are part of a rocketship crew manned by a seemingly mad captain – a man obsessed with tracking down Leviathan, the world’s largest comet that blinded him 30 years prior. The captain wants revenge, which of course deviates from their stated 10-year mission and threatens their lives, so talk of mutiny boils as they come ever closer its tail.

Because of their brevity and tight concepts, it’s difficult to discuss much without getting their secrets away. Suffice to say, they both read like vintage Bradbury, with elements seemingly plucked from his ever-reliable playlist: apricot pie, library books, funeral music, autumn. Both novellas have their share of imagination, yet neither truly will surprise; after all, SOMEWHERE is cast in a pure Bradburyian template, while LEVIATHAN closely mirrors the plot of its inspiration.

That’s not a criticism, however. Bradbury’s genius lies in the effortless simplicity of his language; dialogue is direct, paragraphs can be a single sentence, chapters may comprise less than a page. But don’t confuse “simplicity” with “plainness” – as always, complex ideas are explored in his narratives, rich in ideas as well as in words. The man is a master; that cannot be disputed. Here are two more reasons why. –Rod Lott

Buy it at Amazon.

OTHER BOOKGASM REVIEWS OF THIS AUTHOR:
• THE DRAGON WHO ATE HIS TAIL by Ray Bradbury
• MATCH TO FLAME: THE FICTIONAL PATHS TO FAHRENHEIT 451 by Ray Bradbury
• SOMEWHERE A BAND IS PLAYING by Ray Bradbury