There exists little doubt that Ray Bradbury has had, in a figurative sense, a colorful career. His work has appeared in a variety of formats--short stories, novels, poems and screen plays, and in a diverse range of genres, from science fiction to mystery to dark fantasy. Now, with the publication of Jerry Weist's "A Journey to Far Metaphor," one can see that Bradbury has had a colorful career in a literal sense as well.

The book opens by charting Bradbury's influences, tracing the works that inspired that fertilized his imagination, ranging from HG Wells' novels to Buck Rogers comic strips. Next, the early days of Bradbury's professional career are documented, as are the various editions of Bradbury's masterpieces such as "The Martian Chronicles" and "Fahrenheit 451." Most intriguing however, are such curiousities as playbills for staged adaptations of "Chronicles" and comic book versions of Bradbury's short stories.

This book is an absolute joy to look at. There's something here for every sort of Bradbury, and science fiction, fan.