water on mars

[ecmyers]

Like many, I was saddened to hear of Ray Bradbury’s death yesterday. Yes, he was 91 years old, which is a pretty decent run, and inasmuch as I don’t know anything about his personal life, he seemed to have led a full one. He certainly wrote a lot of great books that touched countless readers, influenced a lot of writers, and represented science

Comments

[ivy03]

What I loved most about Ray Bradbury's writing was his vivid imagery. It's not that the particular phrases stuck with me, but the mental images did. Fahrenheit 451 was one of my favorite books in middle school. I reread it a few years ago, and it was amazing to me how much of that book I still had pictured in my head, despite intervening decades. Even though that book has been adapted to graphic novel and to television, still nothing is as visually vivid as the original.

I think often of his story in The Martian Chronicles about school children destroying the remnants of the martian civilization just to see it fall, or his story about the empty house. I can still feel the heat of The Veldt. I don't know how he did it--and certainly far from every one of his stories was succesful. But nobody quite cut to the heart of an idea like Bradbury.

[ecmyers]

I actually saw a stage production in New York a few years ago that adapted three of his stories, including "There Will Come Soft Rains," which was very interesting to see "performed." On Wednesday, John Scalzi read that short story at his reading for Redshirts, which was a classy but emotional way to begin a fun event. But it had to be done.

[trinityvixen]

Let me first admit my ignorance here: I not only haven't read any Bradbury, but I was pretty sure he was already dead until I heard about his death this week.

But I had to comment because I found this:
I vividly recall one day in middle school discovering a waterlogged book in the stairwell, resting on top of a warm radiator. I was late for class and in a hurry, but I stopped anyway, because it was a free book.

To be utterly charming. What a touching way to begin a relationship with an author, too.

[ecmyers]

I'm surprised you didn't at least read a short story of his in school at some point, but in any case, it's exciting: You can still encounter his work for the first time! I realized he was still alive because of that music video a couple of years ago, "Fuck Me, Ray Bradbury" by Rachel Bloom. I almost mentioned that it's NSFW, but you don't have work anymore! :D

[trinityvixen]

I realize it's been a week, but I still get a goofy happy smile when I realize that.