The Dragon (short story)

"The Dragon" is a short story by American writer Ray Bradbury, originally published in 1955 in the magazine Esquire. A limited edition (352 copies, signed and numbered or lettered) of the story was published by Footsteps Press in 1988. It appears in A Medicine for Melancholy (1959), R is for Rocket (1962), Classic Stories 1 (1990), and Bradbury Stories (2003).

"The Dragon"
AuthorRay Bradbury
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Genre(s)Fantasy
Published inEsquire
Publication typePeriodical
Media typePrint (Magazine)
Publication dateAugust 1955
The Dragon
dust-jacket from the first edition
AuthorRay Bradbury
IllustratorKen Snyder
Cover artistKen Snyder
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
GenreFantasy short story
PublisherFootsteps Press
Publication date
1988
Media typePrint (Paperback)
Pages15 pp

Plot

The story concerns two knights who have a mission to slay a dragon. They describe the dragon as huge, fire-breathing, and horrific, having only one eye. They charge the dragon but fail, presumably dying in the attempt.

The "dragon" is then revealed to be a steam train, and its single eye is the train's headlight. The operators discuss the encounter but continue on without attempting to find the knights.

Sources

  • Chalker, Jack L.; Mark Owings (1998). The Science-Fantasy Publishers: A Bibliographic History, 1923-1998. Westminster, MD and Baltimore: Mirage Press, Ltd. p. 264.
  • Brown, Charles N.; William G. Contento. "The Locus Index to Science Fiction (1984-1998)". Retrieved 2007-12-12.
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