# Ray Bradbury



## Tony Richards (Jul 6, 2011)

If -- God forbid -- I ever had to choose one imaginative author and throw away the books of all the others, well ... I'd linger over Leiber, and grit my teeth mightily over Harlan Ellison in his heyday. But, if push came to shove, I'd have to choose Ray Bradbury. There are plenty of great writers out there, but Bradbury's more than that. He is a magic man.

Some of his SF, for sure, is rather dated these days. But even some of that is so poetic in conception that it hardly matters. And _Fahrenheit 451_ will never cease to be a relevant and important novel.

But when it comes to dark fantasy, his best work beats everyone else's into a cocked hat. _Something Wicked This Way Comes_? Superb novel. And there are stories in collections like _The October Country_ that you could include in an anthology of great American writers, that would hold their own against the likes of Hemingway and Faulkner.

He must have influenced more writers of dark fantasy than any other living author. But the sad thing is, I recently checked how much Bradbury there is on Kindle, and there's very little. That's tragic. If I could name anyone who ought to be introduced to a brand-new generation of readers, then that author would be Uncle Ray.


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## Carol (was Dara) (Feb 19, 2011)

Ooh, I listened to some Ray Bradbury stories on tape when I was a kid and they were so creepy. I still have nightmares about _The Wind_ and _The Ravine_. *Shudder*


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## 31842 (Jan 11, 2011)

If you're ever in Los Angeles, Ray Bradbury is an active member of the Fremont Theatre in South Pasadena.  For awhile, they were producing a new play of his every year (and he usually showed up at opening night).


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## NogDog (May 1, 2009)

That pretty well sums up how I feel about Roger Zelazny -- who I think shares more similarities than differences with Bradbury, both being very imaginative and very lyrical in their writing. While in the long term I suspect posterity will have judged Bradbury to have been the more important writer (if for no other reason, then because of _Fahrenheit 451_), I must profess to getting a bit more enjoyment out of reading Zelazny. I'm not sure why; I guess he just resonates better with me for some reason. 

Unfortunately, Mr. Zelazny's estate (or whoever owns his copyrights) has not seen fit to publish any of his work in e-book form yet.


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## Tony Richards (Jul 6, 2011)

KateDanley said:


> If you're ever in Los Angeles, Ray Bradbury is an active member of the Fremont Theatre in South Pasadena. For awhile, they were producing a new play of his every year (and he usually showed up at opening night).


Haven't been to LA for a while. But next time I'm there, I'll bear that in mind.


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## Tony Richards (Jul 6, 2011)

NogDog said:


> That pretty well sums up how I feel about Roger Zelazny -- who I think shares more similarities than differences with Bradbury, both being very imaginative and very lyrical in their writing. While in the long term I suspect posterity will have judged Bradbury to have been the more important writer (if for no other reason, then because of _Fahrenheit 451_), I must profess to getting a bit more enjoyment out of reading Zelazny. I'm not sure why; I guess he just resonates better with me for some reason.
> 
> Unfortunately, Mr. Zelazny's estate (or whoever owns his copyrights) has not seen fit to publish any of his work in e-book form yet.


I'm _sure_ a friend of mine recently downloaded some Zelazny -- for free -- onto his Kindle. I'll enquire.


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## NogDog (May 1, 2009)

Tony Richards said:


> I'm _sure_ a friend of mine recently downloaded some Zelazny -- for free -- onto his Kindle. I'll enquire.


Oh, yes, you can find pirated copies very easily, but we don't condone that here. Besides, I have everything he wrote (except maybe a couple short stories) in print versions -- though if his estate ever does put them out for Kindle at a reasonable price, they'll likely make quite a few more dollars from me.


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## intinst (Dec 23, 2008)

NogDog said:


> Oh, yes, you can find pirated copies very easily, but we don't condone that here. Besides, I have everything he wrote (except maybe a couple short stories) in print versions -- though if his estate ever does put them out for Kindle at a reasonable price, they'll likely make quite a few more dollars from me.


Me, too.


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## Tony Richards (Jul 6, 2011)

NogDog said:


> Oh, yes, you can find pirated copies very easily, but we don't condone that here. Besides, I have everything he wrote (except maybe a couple short stories) in print versions -- though if his estate ever does put them out for Kindle at a reasonable price, they'll likely make quite a few more dollars from me.


Wow, someone who understands what copyright means, and puts principle over blagging a freebie. My hat comes off to you, sir!


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

I think you'll find that a lot of us here are with Nog on this. . . .


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## Tony Richards (Jul 6, 2011)

Ann in Arlington said:


> I think you'll find that a lot of us here are with Nog on this. . . .


Ann, you've just restored my faith in humanity.


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## joshtremino (Jul 31, 2010)

He did some great stuff. I loved Fahrenheit 451. =-)


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## StaceyHH (Sep 13, 2010)

I adore Ray Bradbury, and devote a not insignificant amount of my precious shelf space to his works. It's always the first section I check at Powells, and over the years I've found some treasures in out of print and first or special editions. Fahrenheit 451... well, it might have saved my life, but that's a story for another day. 

Also +1 on legal ebooks.


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## Harry Shannon (Jul 30, 2010)

I grew up on Bradbury. Every Halloween my daughter and I read The Halloween Tree. I got her a signed copy of Something Wicked This Way Comes for her 12th birthd--Ray's 90th. The man was just brilliant. I remember The Martian Chronicles deeply affecting my youth.


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## Tony Richards (Jul 6, 2011)

Loads of people associate Bradbury's work with their early reading years. Me too. I think he opened people's eyes to just how magical the written word could be in the right hands. J.K Rowling does it for kids these days, but back when I was young I read stuff like _The Illustrated Man_ wide-eyed, thinking 'Wow, what kind of mind does it take to even imagine this stuff, let alone set it down on the page so wonderfully?'


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## Mike D. aka jmiked (Oct 28, 2008)

Bradbury and Zelazny are both writers I go to when I want to read work by someone who has the "magic touch" when it comes to writing. Along with Clifford Simak, they make up most of the very small group of writers I re-read for the pleasure of how they use the language.

Mike


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## Glen Krisch (Dec 21, 2010)

Harry--I was about to mention The Halloween Tree.  The Edward Gorey illustrations are a great addition.  Great atmosphere.


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## Erick Flaig (Oct 25, 2010)

Ray Bradbury is awesome. My favorites (among many): _The Martian Chronicles; Something Wicked This Way Comes; The Illustrated Man; The October Country; R is for Rocket_.

And, of course, _The Halloween Tree_. The book that nearly got me arrested. Someday the tale will be told.


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## Todd Trumpet (Sep 7, 2011)

I haven't read a lot of Bradbury, but I've been impressed nevertheless. Not with the writing...

...but the speaker.

I live in Los Angeles and attend the L.A. TIMES FESTIVAL OF BOOKS annually. One year, Ray Bradbury was a featured speaker, in the big auditorium. I got in line, took my seat...

...and was dismayed to see the little old man shuffling out to the podium, Tim Conway style. It literally took him like 50 seconds to walk 10 feet. I thought, "Oh, no - this is going to be the most boring hour of my life."

Boy, was I wrong.

He gave what is still the best speech I've heard after 15 years of attending the Festival. Full of wisdom, yes. But equally full of _passion_. He talked about "FAHRENHEIT 451". He talked about writing the screenplay of "MOBY DICK" for John Huston. He talked about working on a public typewriter in the library across the courtyard when he couldn't afford one for himself. He energized the audience.

Then he took 50 seconds to shuffle back into the wings.

Legend.

Todd


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## KateEllison (Jul 9, 2011)

I haven't read a lot of his stuff, but I adored _Fahrenheit 451._


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## VincentHobbes (Jun 13, 2011)

Ray Bradbury is my favorite writer....always has and always will be an inspiration.


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## Tony Richards (Jul 6, 2011)

KateEllison said:


> I haven't read a lot of his stuff, but I adored _Fahrenheit 451._


_Something Wicked This Way Comes_ is another absolute must-read. And if you like short horror stories, _The October Country_ plain cannot be beat.


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## Tara Maya (Nov 4, 2010)

Does anyone remember the name of the Ray Bradbury story about the place (planet? future?) where it always rains? I think it was made into a tv show or movie.


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## Tony Richards (Jul 6, 2011)

Tara Maya said:


> Does anyone remember the name of the Ray Bradbury story about the place (planet? future?) where it always rains? I think it was made into a tv show or movie.


It was made into a TV show. And the story was called 'The Day it Rained Forever.'


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## R. M. Reed (Nov 11, 2009)

Ray is a great speaker. He is now ninety and uses a wheelchair and can't hear very well, but put a microphone in front of him and you will hear some great stories. At one book signing he couldn't hear me but he could hear other people. Something about the pitches that his hearing aids could pick up. One of the times I saw him speak was at the same library where he rented a typewriter at ten cents an hour to write Fahrenheit 451.


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## StaceyHH (Sep 13, 2010)

Tony Richards said:


> It was made into a TV show. And the story was called 'The Day it Rained Forever.'


She might be thinking of "All Summer in a Day," which was made into a short movie by Scholastic or Wonderwork or something like that, shown to and traumatized schoolchildren all over America. Heh. You can watch it on Youtube.


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## Libby13 (Jul 31, 2011)

I read Fahrenheit 451 and am now listening to it on audiobook.  Absolutely I feel like I need to read more of Mr. Bradbury's work.


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## KR Jacobsen (Jul 19, 2011)

For some reason I've been thinking of him, and his work, quite a bit lately and then here's this thread! It warms my heart to see it.

I was lucky enough to see him a couple of years ago when he came to town and spoke at a pretty small engagement. The place was packed, and it was full of teenagers and adults alike. He spoke for about an hour, about his books, his life, and about love. Incredibly passionate man, and absolutely riveting.

I didn't discover his writing until my twenties, but I'm so inspired by him and his beautiful, lyrical style. I still get shivers thinking about _Something Wicked_ and, well, so many others (_Illustrated Man_ has some great stuff in it).

He's a wonderful writer and a wonderful person. He doesn't do many engagements these days, but if you have the chance to see and hear him, go. Don't think about it, just go.


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## youngadultfiction (Jul 28, 2011)

I only just read Fahrenheit 451 a few months ago, and really loved it. Somehow i had heard of Ray but had never gotten around to reading any of his stuff. I get the feeling his writing will always be around, generation after generation


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## Thomas D. Taylor (Oct 12, 2011)

Tony Richards said:


> He must have influenced more writers of dark fantasy than any other living author. But the sad thing is, I recently checked how much Bradbury there is on Kindle, and there's very little. That's tragic. If I could name anyone who ought to be introduced to a brand-new generation of readers, then that author would be Uncle Ray.


"Mars Is Heaven" is my favorite Bradbury short story. For me, it's a metaphor for how people trick themselves into believing something that isn't true, or allow themselves to be deceived by their wishes.


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## CollinKelley (Sep 1, 2011)

_The October Country_ is one of my favorite books of all time. Ray Bradbury has been a huge inspiration to me and I have most of his books on my shelves.


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## Julie Morrigan (Jun 29, 2011)

BowlOfCherries said:


> "Don't think. Thinking is the enemy of creativity. It's self-conscious, and anything self-conscious is lousy.
> You can't try to do things. You must simply do things." - Ray Bradbury


I love that. It's in complete contrast to the formulaic approach taken by some other writers.

Ray Bradbury is such a wonderful writer. I also enjoy Roger Zelazny, who was mentioned earlier, and for me Philip K Dick is the third member of the gang.


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## Harry Shannon (Jul 30, 2010)

I heard Ray read at the Pomona Public Library when I was about 13, and already a lunatic fan. He was such a warm human being. It's fun to turn my daughter onto his work nearly a half a century later, when she is around the same age.


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## VincentHobbes (Jun 13, 2011)

Joolzs said:


> I love that. It's in complete contrast to the formulaic approach taken by some other writers.
> 
> Ray Bradbury is such a wonderful writer. I also enjoy Roger Zelazny, who was mentioned earlier, and for me Philip K Dick is the third member of the gang.


For sure Philip K Dick . . . I'll admit, I've never read Zelazny.


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## Colin Taber (Apr 4, 2011)

When in my early teens I remember watching the Martian Chronicles on TV. 

I loved it. 

While I later read the book, I haven't gotten around to reading any of his other material, though I've long meant to try Fahrenheit 451.


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## VincentHobbes (Jun 13, 2011)

Colin Taber said:


> When in my early teens I remember watching the Martian Chronicles on TV.
> 
> I loved it.
> 
> While I later read the book, I haven't gotten around to reading any of his other material, though I've long meant to try Fahrenheit 451.


You need to read Fahrenheit 451 immediately! Great book...one of my all-time favorites.


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## RobynB (Jan 4, 2011)

Bradbury's "The Veldt" is one of my favorite short stories. I can still picture myself reading it in school, wide-eyed and my heart pounding. It's one of those stories that inspired me to write.


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## MGalloway (Jun 21, 2011)

Just after reading this thread, I decided to check up on some websites/blogs devoted to Ray and indirectly came across this list of top 100 science fiction and fantasy writers. Several of Ray's books made the list...which is good to see.


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## jackz4000 (May 15, 2011)

In the late 1940's and 1950's Ray Bradbury set the new standard for SF, which had previously been based on the guidelines of Jules Verne and HG Wells.  His short stories had a quality of wonder and magic and humanity to them which previous SF just didn't have.  He really changed the face of SF and his influence is seen in the work of other SF writers like Rod Serling, Clarke, Asimov, Ellison, Herbert and a host of others.  Yet Ray's work had it's own special magic and as a kid I read Bradbury and Serling just for the sheer wonder of the stories.


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## scottnicholson (Jan 31, 2010)

I read tons of his work and was dumb enough (or lucky enough) to try to imitate him. I failed miserably but I am much richer all the same. Thanks, Mr. Bradbury!


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## Jon Olson (Dec 10, 2010)

joshtremino said:


> He did some great stuff. I loved Fahrenheit 451. =-)


Overpraised, in my book.


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## Tony Richards (Jul 6, 2011)

scottnicholson said:


> I read tons of his work and was dumb enough (or lucky enough) to try to imitate him. I failed miserably but I am much richer all the same. Thanks, Mr. Bradbury!


Every writer who's been influenced by him has tried to imitate him at some stage. We usually fail, but I think that the experience helps us get a better notion of precisely what our own style is.


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## mscottwriter (Nov 5, 2010)

I loved so many of his books: The Illustrated Man, The Martian Chronicles... and Fahrenheit 451 contains my favorite opening line: It was a pleasure to burn.

But I'm going to admit that I liked the  movie "Something Wicked This Ways Comes" more than the book.  (*ducks and covers*)


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## Debbie Bennett (Mar 25, 2011)

Something Wicked - scared me stupid as a young teenager. But I remember reading The Fog Horn short story at school and thinking it was one of the best and saddest stories I'd ever read. I think that's what got me reading his other books.


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## 31842 (Jan 11, 2011)

DebBennett said:


> Something Wicked - scared me stupid as a young teenager.


My Halloween tradition is to sit down and watch Something Wicked every year. It still scares me.


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## WFMeyer (Apr 14, 2011)

Tony Richards said:


> If -- God forbid -- I ever had to choose one imaginative author and throw away the books of all the others, well ... I'd linger over Leiber, and grit my teeth mightily over Harlan Ellison in his heyday. But, if push came to shove, I'd have to choose Ray Bradbury. There are plenty of great writers out there, but Bradbury's more than that. He is a magic man.


You're right Tony, Uncle Ray is pure inspirational magic for so many.

I dedicated my entire blog to one of his most famous quotes.

Werner

_sorry.  no self-promotion allowed outside the Book Bazaar._


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## Harry Shannon (Jul 30, 2010)

I'm going to have to re-read The Martian Chronicles. Anyone remember that ringing phone..?


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