Something Wicked This Way Comes is the story of Jim Nightshade and Will Halloway, two boys on the cusp of growing up when Cooger & Dark's Pandemonium Shadow Show, a mysterious carnival, rolls into town in the middle of summer. The two boys must face the carnival's frightening and mystical owners while also confronting the harsh truths of adulthood and the end of the metaphorical summer of their childhoods. It dwells on themes of magic, innocence, and filial love.
The Big Sleep is the story of Philip Marlowe, a hard-boiled private investigator called in by a wealthy client to deal with blackmail attempts leveled against the client. Marlowe uncovers a nest of familial dysfunction and double-crossing during the course of his investigation. He survives many close calls with death as he exposes the full extent of the labyrinthine plots occurring within his client's family. He is able to solve the case through guile and perseverance.
The Martian Chronicles is a collection of science fiction short stories that recount the colonization of Mars, told both from the perspective of refugee humans from Earth and from the viewpoint of native Martians. This series of vignettes depicts an Earth devastated by atomic weapons, the difficulties of early settlers to a new planet, and the strange powers of aliens. As one of the first science fiction books to gain mainstream success, The Martian Chronicles has been extremely influential on both the sci-fi genre and widespread perceptions of alien life.