The Illustrated Man (1951) by Ray Bradbury is a visionary collection of 18 interconnected science fiction stories, framed by the tale of a vagabond whose tattoos—bestowed by a mysterious woman—come to life at night, each foretelling a different dystopian future. From the haunting “The Veldt” (children’s deadly obsession with a virtual nursery) to the poignant “The Rocket Man” (a spacefarer torn between the stars and his family), Bradbury’s tales blend poetic lyricism with chilling warnings about technology, censorship, and human folly.
A cornerstone of mid-century SF, the collection’s themes of alienation and wonder remain eerily prescient.
