Ray Bradbury is one of the few high-thinking and fantasy-based American authors. He turned down the title science fiction writer, asserting that every work he releases is based on fantastical and unreal situations. However, as we see with one of his popular writings, Fahrenheit 451, that claim is far from the truth. The novel pictures a situation where American society makes it illegal to critically think, motivating the need to burn books. The only source of entertainment is wall screens, and people get to talk to each other via seashells. His brilliant contributions to the field of writing earned him the Pulitzer Prize, amongst other recognitions. The Ray Bradbury Theater is named after him.
Personal life
Born as Ray Douglas Bradbury on August 22, 1920, the author’s early life prepared him for a career in writing. Bradbury published a wide range of semi-autobiographical novels and short stories, fulfilling something he had been gearing for all along. He had a strong liking for magical tricks and fantasy actions since childhood, often reading the books of Edgar Rice Burroughs and L. Frank Baum.
By the time he clocked 13, Bradbury had already decided to become a writer. His family’s relocation to Los Angeles in 1934 gave him a chance to take part in school drama clubs and even became friends with several Hollywood celebrities.
Bradbury died on June 5, 2012, at the age of 91. He was survived by four daughters: Alexandra, Bettina, Ramona, and Susan, several grandchildren, and above all, his fascinated works that would continue to impact lives for generations to come.
Education
Bradbury attended Los Angeles High School, from which he graduated in 1938. His family did not have the finances to take him to college, so he opted to frequent a local library. He was fond of saying a “Library raised me” for ten good years.
Writing career
When Bradbury officially started his career in writing, he would sell newspapers to keep up with bills. He published his first short story in a fan magazine in 1938 before opening his magazine, Futuria Fantasia, the next year. He wrote almost everything that went into this magazine.
He published numerous works, including The Martian Chronicles, The Illustrated Man, and Fahrenheit 451. Despite not being a fan of television, Bradbury often advocated for a film adaptation of his works. He even wrote Moby Dick in 1956 for the big screens, directed by John Huston.
The legendary author received many honors such as The National Book Foundation Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters and National Medal of Arts. His animated adaption of The Halloween Tree saw the author win an Emmy Award.