Author Topic: Ray Bradbury, RIP (Read 4340 times)

Ron Brand · « **on:** June 06, 2012, 10:18:46 am »

Ron Brand · « **Reply #1 on:** June 06, 2012, 10:23:01 am »

More here.

subnuclear · « **Reply #2 on:** June 06, 2012, 10:43:55 am »

I think every book I read in junior high, that wasn't a school assignment, was written by Asimov, Clark, Heinlein or Bradbury. I think most of his books would be better read as an adult, which is probably not as true as for the others in that group.

EasTexAstro · « **Reply #3 on:** June 06, 2012, 12:11:21 pm »

I have such great memories of everything he did. RIP

Fredia · « **Reply #4 on:** June 06, 2012, 02:28:45 pm »

one of my fave sci fiction authors. got me started down the road

strosrays · « **Reply #5 on:** June 06, 2012, 05:53:00 pm »

The Martian Chronicles was revelatory for me, in a way. Until I randomly picked it off the shelf in my HS library and checked it out, I had no regard for science fiction (which, by the way, I'd never read.) I thought it was like a comic book version of fiction, or something.

That book was great, though, as was Fahrenheit 451, which I got to next. Then in one of my English classes one of our options for a book report was The Illustrated Man. So Ray Bradbury is definitely mixed in my HS memories, along with a lot of other things.

There was also a film adaptation of Something Wicked This Way Comes, with Jason Robards, that I saw on TV once, a long time ago. Very well done.

RIP

Bench · « **Reply #6 on:** June 06, 2012, 06:02:35 pm »

Quote from: Dark Star on June 06, 2012, 05:53:00 pm

The Martian Chronicles was revelatory for me, in a way. Until I randomly picked it off the shelf in my HS library and checked it out, I had no regard for science fiction (which, by the way, I'd never read.) I thought it was like a comic book version of fiction, or something.

That book was great, though, as was Fahrenheit 451, which I got to next. Then in one of my English classes one of our options for a book report was The Illustrated Man. So Ray Bradbury is definitely mixed in my HS memories, along with a lot of other things.

There was also a film adaptation of Something Wicked This Way Comes, with Jason Robards, that I saw on TV once, a long time ago. Very well done.

RIP

I have kind of similar relationship to Bradbury. I've never been into sci-fi, either in literature, TV or film (never watched any Star Trek and was not much of a fan of Star Wars, at least compared to virtually every other guy in my generation). But I distinctly remember picking up the Martian Chronicles and tearing through it. They were just amazing stories and terrific writing regardless of genre. "All Summer in A Day" was particularly transformative for me. I remember reading The Illustrated Man but don't remember anything about it other than that I packed my copy in my lunch bag one day and jelly from my sandwich got all over the book making it difficult to read. Fahrenheit 451 was fantastic and when I finished it off my dad recommended Slaughterhouse Five (no idea why) which went way over my head and really freaked me out.

strosrays · « **Reply #7 on:** June 06, 2012, 06:16:04 pm »

Quote from: Bench on June 06, 2012, 06:02:35 pm

I have kind of similar relationship to Bradbury. I've never been into sci-fi, either in literature, TV or film (never watched any Star Trek and was not much of a fan of Star Wars, at least compared to virtually every other guy in my generation). But I distinctly remember picking up the Martian Chronicles and tearing through it. They were just amazing stories and terrific writing regardless of genre. "All Summer in A Day" was particularly transformative for me. I remember reading The Illustrated Man but don't remember anything about it other than that I packed my copy in my lunch bag one day and jelly from my sandwich got all over the book making it difficult to read. Fahrenheit 451 was fantastic and when I finished it off my dad recommended Slaughterhouse Five (no idea why) which went way over my head and really freaked me out.

Slaughterhouse Five deserves a thread by itself. Talk about being transformative.

And, wow, your dad recommended it to you?

Ron Brand · « **Reply #8 on:** June 06, 2012, 11:15:58 pm »

As you'd expect, there is much more about Ray Bradbury.

Remembrances from Neil Gaiman here and here.

His two stories for the New Yorker are now free for all readers for a limited time.

The great News From ME site by Mark Evanier has this plus more.

Limey · « **Reply #9 on:** June 07, 2012, 10:45:58 am »

Quote from: Bench on June 06, 2012, 06:02:35 pm

I have kind of similar relationship to Bradbury. I've never been into sci-fi, either in literature, TV or film (never watched any Star Trek and was not much of a fan of Star Wars, at least compared to virtually every other guy in my generation). But I distinctly remember picking up the Martian Chronicles and tearing through it. They were just amazing stories and terrific writing regardless of genre. "All Summer in A Day" was particularly transformative for me. I remember reading The Illustrated Man but don't remember anything about it other than that I packed my copy in my lunch bag one day and jelly from my sandwich got all over the book making it difficult to read. Fahrenheit 451 was fantastic and when I finished it off my dad recommended Slaughterhouse Five (no idea why) which went way over my head and really freaked me out.

I read a lot of trashy sci-fi as a kid. Because of this, a family friend gave me an L. Ron Hubbard book to read. I got about a chapter-and-a-half into it, decided it was gibberish, and discarded it and its author for good. It was only later in life that I find out what a complete nut-job (or genius con-man) Hubbard was.

geezerdonk · « **Reply #10 on:** June 07, 2012, 11:35:18 am »

Not a big science fiction fan but I really enjoyed Childhood's End.

subnuclear · « **Reply #11 on:** June 07, 2012, 12:56:58 pm »

Quote from: geezerdonk on June 07, 2012, 11:35:18 am

Not a big science fiction fan but I really enjoyed Childhood's End.

One of my favorites. (Though by Clarke). Really something like a religious novel.

Slaughterhouse Five was assigned reading in 10th grade at my high school.

I never read Hubbard's books because the covers made them seem terrible.

Limey · « **Reply #12 on:** June 07, 2012, 01:10:25 pm »

Quote from: subnuclear on June 07, 2012, 12:56:58 pm

I never read Hubbard's books because the covers made them seem terrible.

One case where you should judge a book by its cover.

EasTexAstro · « **Reply #13 on:** June 07, 2012, 01:18:24 pm »

I've read a ton of science fiction. Whatever makes a book well written is the same as any other genre: a good story, good characters, well written. Only the setting changes. The best science fiction, to me, seems to play a minor role in the story. You want the character development and interaction. For example, take Firefly, as something many people here enjoyed. The stress was the characters, not the science fiction.

Ray Bradbury did that brilliantly. The sci-fi was an added element, but it set up the characters in a unique situation to develop the stories.

I haven't read it since I was a kid, but I actually enjoyed L Ron Hubbard's Battlefield Earth. Reading it again may prove less satisfactory. The movie was terrible. Like any genre, there will be good and bad.

Limey · « **Reply #14 on:** June 07, 2012, 02:53:00 pm »

Best sci-fi I've ever read is by Dan Simmons, for the same reasons ETA espoused. Simmons writes in multiple genres with, in this case, the science part of his fiction merely being context. Ilium and Olympos are two-parts* of a sweeping epic full of drama, suspense and humour.

* His sci-fi work tends to be in two-part novels. Just ask gleach.

strosrays · « **Reply #15 on:** June 07, 2012, 05:59:28 pm »

What genre was Harry Stephen Keeler considered to be? I've read some of his stuff. A little off-kilter, but interesting.

JimR · « **Reply #16 on:** June 07, 2012, 06:03:02 pm »

Quote from: Dark Star on June 07, 2012, 05:59:28 pm

What genre was Harry Stephen Keeler considered to be? I've read some of his stuff. A little off-kilter, but interesting.

check your PM, please.

S.P. Rodriguez · « **Reply #17 on:** June 08, 2012, 11:02:59 am »

Quote from: Dark Star on June 06, 2012, 06:16:04 pm

Slaughterhouse Five deserves a thread by itself. Talk about being transformative.

And, wow, your dad recommended it to you?

No kidding. Clearly, Cat's Cradle or Galapagos is the Vonnegut book for kids.

as a side note: Vonnegut and Heller are two of my favorite authors. I even liked Heller's work beyond Catch 22 (which I've read a half dozen times).

And on the topic of Ray Bradbury, I enjoyed Fahrenheit 451 as a kid. I think I need to re-read it as an adult.

HudsonHawk · « **Reply #18 on:** June 08, 2012, 11:11:44 am »

Quote from: S.P. Rodriguez on June 08, 2012, 11:02:59 am

No kidding. Clearly, Cat's Cradle or Galapagos is the Vonnegut book for kids.

as a side note: Vonnegut and Heller are two of my favorite authors. I even liked Heller's work beyond Catch 22 (which I've read a half dozen times).

And on the topic of Ray Bradbury, I enjoyed Fahrenheit 451 as a kid. I think I need to re-read it as an adult.

My favorite Vonnegut book is still Player Piano. As for Sci Fi in general, I think it gets no better than Phillip K. Dick. His work has been watered down a bit by all the movie adaptations, but I still think he was a genius.

subnuclear · « **Reply #19 on:** June 08, 2012, 11:36:45 am »

Quote from: HudsonHawk on June 08, 2012, 11:11:44 am

My favorite Vonnegut book is still Player Piano. As for Sci Fi in general, I think it gets no better than Phillip K. Dick. His work has been watered down a bit by all the movie adaptations, but I still think he was a genius.

PKD is one of my favorites, too. I thought A Scanner Darkly was a pretty good representation of PKD and I still like Minority Report and Blade Runner as movies, even if they don't represent his work perfectly. PKD seemed to like the trailer for Blade Runner an awful lot.

I have never heard of Keeler, but he certainly sounds like an interesting writer. What book did you like by him, DS?

HudsonHawk · « **Reply #20 on:** June 08, 2012, 11:48:05 am »

Quote from: subnuclear on June 08, 2012, 11:36:45 am

PKD is one of my favorites, too. I thought A Scanner Darkly was a pretty good representation of PKD and I still like Minority Report and Blade Runner as movies, even if they don't represent his work perfectly. PKD seemed to like the trailer for Blade Runner an awful lot.

I thought Blade Runner was a pretty good adaptation of DADOES. Not a fan of Minority Report or Total Recall, the movies. I think just as important about Dick is the influence he had on other film makers, beyond the direct adaptations of his work. Everything from The Matrix to Fight Club is a direct descendant of Dick's mind. Hell, even the comic strip Calvin & Hobbs just screams PKD.

Fredia · « **Reply #21 on:** June 08, 2012, 12:26:05 pm »

i found science fiction believe it or not to a 7th grade teach who introduced me to a wrinkle in time. i had no idea such books existed

Duman · « **Reply #22 on:** June 08, 2012, 01:28:14 pm »

I wasn't a reader in HS - and my grades reflected it. I got by on what I could pick up in discussions.

Didn't read F-451 until just a few years ago. It was creepy how well he predicted some aspects of our culture. Amazing book. My older brother insisted I go with him to see "Something Wicked This Way Comes" in the theater. I went and bought a ticket but saw a girl I had a crush on going into a horror movie and went and sat by her. She was climbing on my the whole time. One of the best movies ever. My brother just shook his head when we met back up after the movie was over.

strosrays · « **Reply #23 on:** June 08, 2012, 05:27:44 pm »

Quote from: subnuclear on June 08, 2012, 11:36:45 am

I have never heard of Keeler, but he certainly sounds like an interesting writer. What book did you like by him, DS?

X. Jones of Scotland Yard, if you can find it. Or the one with the (criminal) flying babies, can't recall the name right now.

Unfortunately only a small percentage of his work is readily available; but really, just about any one you can get your hands on is a good place to start.

Author Topic: Ray Bradbury, RIP (Read 4340 times)

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