Kevin's Watch

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Ray Bradbury has died at 91 after a lengthy career of writing everything from science-fiction and mystery to humor.

Reached at Bradbury's home, his daughter, Alexandra Bradbury, says her father died Tuesday night in Southern California. She did not have additional details.

Bradbury transformed his childhood dreams and Cold War fears into telepathic Martians, lovesick sea monsters, and his vision of a high-tech, book-burning future in "Fahrenheit 451."

He also scripted the 1956 film version of "Moby Dick" and wrote for "The Twilight Zone."

Bradbury's series of stories in "The Martian Chronicles" was a Cold War morality tale in which events on another planet served as a commentary on life on this planet. It has been published in more than 30 languages.



en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ray_Bradbury

Sad news. At least he had a long life.

I honestly didn't consider that he was still alive. It was like reading 'RIP H. G. Wells.'

Really bummed out about this. I never considered him to be on par with other writers, but he still represented an important part of the Golden Age...the non-Campbell part.

Still, Bradbury's Martian Chronicles were my first foray into science fiction. They prepared me for Asimov, Clarke, etc. I don't know if I would be the reader I am today if Bradbury had not opened up an entire spectrum of literature to me that I'm still exploring.

I'm sad, too. Farenheit 451 was one of the first books I ever bought with my own money. It was definitely my gateway to sf/f. RIP, Mr. Bradbury.

Dang one of my first major Sci-Fi influences along with Heinlein, Asimov and Clarke. S is for Space, Golden Apples of the Sun, The Illustrated Man, Dandelion Wine, The Martian Chronicles, Something Wicked This Way Comes-I'm holding up my signed copy of A Medicine for the Melancholy as a blessing for safe passage-thank you Ray!

Never been my favourite, (with a few notable exceptions of course), but one of the classics for sure.

--A

A loss to mourn, in a time of mediocrity and under the reign of futility, which seem to encompass more and more of our world.

danlo wrote:Dang one of my first major Sci-Fi influences along with Heinlein, Asimov and Clarke. S is for Space, Golden Apples of the Sun, The Illustrated Man, Dandelion Wine, The Martian Chronicles, Something Wicked This Way Comes-I'm holding up my signed copy of A Medicine for the Melancholy as a blessing for safe passage-thank you Ray!

Hey, don't I know you from somewhere? Your face is sooooooo familiar.

Bradbury was definitely one of my favorites. He will be missed.

I've mentioned this before on the Watch, but the very first science fiction story I recall reading was Bradbury's All Summer in a Day (downloadable .doc) when I was in fourth grade, which was in one of my Daddy's copies of The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction. He engaged me as a young 'un, and started my love for a genre we all enjoy.

Thank you, Mr. Bradbury.

Menolly wrote:I've mentioned this before on the Watch, but the very first science fiction story I recall reading was Bradbury's All Summer in a Day (downloadable .doc) when I was in fourth grade, which was in one of my Daddy's copies of The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction. He engaged me as a young 'un, and started my love for a genre we all enjoy.

Thank you, Mr. Bradbury.

Thanks, I was wondering what that story was called.

I have a copy of the Illustrated Man in the next room. think I will take it to class with me.