RIP Ray Bradbury

[Ruby , Mistress of Chaos]

Just found out Ray Bradbury died, aged 91 :(

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow...

[Candiss]

:(

He will be greatly missed. What a wonderful life's work he gifted to us all!

[Derek]

I was never a great fan of Ray Bradbury - possibly more because he wasn't terribly prolific, than because I wasn't interested in his work (you could go years without hearing about something new). Nevertheless, his influence on SF has been at least as important as Dylan's influence on music. Fahrenheit 451 is one of the most important books of my lifetime - and I loved it even though I had to read it in school! 40 years later, I still have the flashpoint of paper ready to call to mind any time I need it.

[ceeeeg]

glad i checked in....a real loss....i read most everything he wrote during my teens...one of the true greats of sci-fi...

going to do a lil bio on him as a farewell in my forum...

[Kim N]

Ray Bradbury was my introduction to science fiction. An evocative writer, with an amazing imagination...

[lurea]

Kim wrote: "Ray Bradbury was my introduction to science fiction. An evocative writer, with an amazing imagination..."

Me too... I read every Bradbury book I could get my hands on once I picked up The Martian Chronicles.

Ruby: I concur :(

[Derek]

Good interview from 1992 here

[Ruby , Mistress of Chaos]

lurea wrote: "Ruby: I concur :( "

LOL. Witness my eloquence in action!

[Valerie]

One of the all time greats! I will miss him.

[Jon]

I always keep several copies of The Illustrated Man on hand to send home with students (I'm a personal tutor). Those stories are profound and so tightly crafted!

[Kim N]

Jon wrote: "I always keep several copies of The Illustrated Man on hand to send home with students (I'm a personal tutor). Those stories are profound and so tightly crafted!"

That's probably my favorite collection, with The Martian Chronicles being second.

[Jon]

Kim wrote: "Jon wrote: "I always keep several copies of The Illustrated Man on hand to send home with students (I'm a personal tutor). Those stories are profound and so tightly crafted!"

That's probably my fa..."

"The Veldt" is such a fabulous story, and the one about Mars as a reservation for African-Americans is a profound aid in teaching about race relations in American history. I'll have to check out The Martian Chronicles - thanks for the lead!

[Jon]

Jim wrote: "Jon wrote: ""The Veldt" is such a fabulous story"

That one really sticks in my memory although it's been years since I read it. I may need to read the book again."

It's a superb story, Jim, for sure, and like many of Bradbury's stories, the sic-fi aspect is a tool for probing deeply into human psychology -- in this case, the potentially disastrous effects of spoiling young children (you mighty remember that the spoiled kids in this tale were Wendy and Peter, as in "Peter Pan"). Reminds me of that classic Twilight Zone episode with Billy Mumy as a spoiled six-year-old with the psychic power to wish disliked adults out of existence (to "wish them away" into the cornfields, as it were). I have a funny reading life: as a personal tutor, I often read the beginning of books with kids before sending the books home with them, so I've read "The Veldt" many times, since it's the first story in The Illustrated Man, but haven't read later stories in the collection at all! Jon

[Nicholas]

Damn, they sure didn't waste any time publishing an anthology of works inspired by Bradbury:

Shadow Show : stories in celebration of Ray Bradbury

Not that I'm complaining - I'm totally preordering it. Notable contributors include: Margaret Atwood, Neil Gaiman, Dan Chaon, Charles Yu, Dave Eggers, and a bunch more.

[Whitney]

Nicholas wrote: "Damn, they sure didn't waste any time publishing an anthology of works inspired by Bradbury..."

Gaiman's excellent reading of his excellent story is here: The Man Who Forgot Ray Bradbury. Prepare to get weepy.

[Danielle]

Jon wrote: "I always keep several copies of The Illustrated Man on hand to send home with students (I'm a personal tutor). Those stories are profound and so tightly crafted!"

If my memory is correct this is my first introduction to Bradbury's writing, I can still recall the impression it made on my young sheltered mind.