"Quicker than the Eye is a major literary event, the first new collection in nearly a decade from America's preeminent storyteller. Here Ray Bradbury, at the height of his powers, displays with a sorcerer's skill the imagination and warmth that has earned him a well-deserved reputation as one of our greatest living writers. These twenty-one stories run the gamut from total reality to light fantastic, from high noon to long after midnight. Amazing...

When the Fickett family decides to adopt a little black boy, they are faced with threats, angry phone calls, a burning cross on the lawn, and an ultimatum from their oldest daughter. The Reverend Fickett, his wife and four children live comfortably in a privileged and conservative small town in California. They adopt Edgar Allan, a black child. The impact on their community and family is described.

Thirteen crime stories by a Canadian writer. In one, a writer advises a fan how to murder his wife, in another a man meeting a teacher outside a school finds himself accused of the murder of a schoolgirl.

The drama, unfolded around the filming activities on the campus of a university in Tokyo, presents the modern youth of Japan, their personal life and love.

"On a warm suburban night, the sound of lawn sprinklers is drowned out by the rumble of hot rods. Suddenly, a car careens onto a family's neat front yard, teenage boys spill out brandishing chains and leather, and a young man cries out for the girl he loves. Tonight, fathers will pick up snow shovels and rakes to defend their turf, and children will witness a battle fuelled by fierce and true love. This is the night they will talk about and remember...

Oliver is different. He enjoys his solitude. He likes playing with his friends, who are puppets, stuffed animals, and other toys. With his rich imagination, Oliver's day is never dull. But maybe toys don't always give a boy everything he needs. Maybe he needs another kind of companion. Will Oliver discover a way to be, well, different? When his tennis ball rolls across the lawn into the yard of the girl next door, he just might be surprised.

Irish immigrant Maggie Malone wants no part of the war. She'd rather let "the Americans" settle their differences -- until her brothers join Missouri's Union Irish Brigade, and one of their names appears on a list of injured soldiers. Desperate for news, Maggie heads for Boonville, where the Federal army is camped. There she captures the attention of Sergeant John Coulter. When circumstances force Maggie to remain with the brigade, she discovers how...

"In a large country house shut off from the world by a gated garden, three young governesses responsible for the education of a group of little boys are preparing a party. The governesses, however, seem to spend more time running around in a state of frenzied desire than attending to the children's education. One of their main activities is lying in wait for any passing stranger, and then throwing themselves on him like drunken Maenads. The rest of...

"April Hamilton wants you to know she hasn't been on Craigslist since that time she sold her futon after college. She doesn't even spend that much time online. And even if she did, she would not be looking up personal ads. But going home alone for her family's summer reunion is an invitation for every single relative to butt into her personal life. She simply can't handle another blind date with the butcher, the baker or the candlestick maker from...