BRADBURY THIRTEEN

In this collection of half-hour radio performances, more than a dozen performers bring Bradbury’s stories about Martians, dinosaurs, space travel, and mystery to life. As with any collection, some fare better than others. One of the best is “Dark They Were and Golden Eyed,” performed by a full cast. It’s about a family of Earthlings that moves to Mars, where they’re haunted by the long-dead Martians. The actors, sound effects, and Bradbury’s spooky unfolding of the plot act in perfect unison. It’s a story made for audio. At the other end of the spectrum is “The Happiness Machine,” in which the actors try so hard to sound Jewish that the result is distracting. M.S. © AudioFile 2010, Portland, Maine [Published: AUGUST 2010]