The Illustrated ManThe Illustrated Man
Score Classic
What it's about
Ray Bradbury's 1951 collection of 18 science fiction stories. Again and again, they set the cold mechanics of technology against human psychology.
Why it's worth reading
It's on TIME's list of the 100 best young-adult books. It's classic Bradbury in short form.
You'll love it if you liked
The Martian Chronicles
Fahrenheit 451
FiccionesGood to know
It's a story collection, so you can dip in and out.
By the numbers
- Readers46 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics41 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Bestseller30 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Buzz0 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
Where it ranks
- #169 of the 333 science fiction books we rank
- #545 of the 924 classics we rank
- #1734 of the 3,057 books we rank
Why it made the list
Reads as
Adventurous
More by Ray Bradbury
If you like this, read next
Ender's Game
The Lord of the Rings
Dune
Hyperion
The Dispossessed
FoundationExplore the best-of lists
All 36 best-of lists →
Quick answers
Is The Illustrated Man worth reading?
Yes. It's on TIME's list of the 100 best young-adult books. It ranks #1,734 of the 3,057 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 67.1 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is The Illustrated Man about?
Ray Bradbury's 1951 collection of 18 science fiction stories. Again and again, they set the cold mechanics of technology against human psychology.
How long does it take to read The Illustrated Man?
About 6 hours (244 pages), or about 2 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What should I read after The Illustrated Man?
If you liked it, try The Martian Chronicles by Ray Bradbury, Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury or Ficciones by Jorge Luis Borges.