THE OCTOBER COUNTRY is Ray Bradbury's own netherworld of the soul, inhabited by the horrors and demons that lurk within all of us. This classic collection of short stories includes:THE EMISSARY: The faithful dog was the sick boy's only connection with the world outside--and beyond. . . THE SMALL ASSASSIN: A fine, healthy baby boy was the new mother's dream come true--or her worst nightmare. . . THE SCYTHE: Just when his luck had run out, Drew Erickson inherited a farm from a stranger! And with the bequest came deadly responsibilities. . . THE JAR: A chilling story that combines love, death . . . and a matter of identity in a bottle of fear!THE WONDERFUL DEATH OF DUDLEY STONE: A most remarkable case of murder--the deceased was delighted!Plus nineteen more terrifying tales!Renowned for his five-million copy bestseller, Fahrenheit 451, and hailed as the finest living writer of fantastic fiction, Ray Bradbury shows with each of these nineteen stories his brilliant knack for extracting the chilling essence of a world's insanities, disorders, and hang-ups. Once again he proves himself to be America's master of the short story."An author whose fanciful imagination, poetic prose, and mature understanding of human character have won him an international reputation."--The New York Times