R.I.P. Ray Bradbury, Author of Fahrenheit 451 and The Martian Chronicles • Hacker News Board

Re: R.I.P. Ray Bradbury, Author of Fahrenheit 451 and The Martian Chronicles

#11

Post by dmsinger » Wed, Jun 06, 2012, 3:13 PM UTC

I found Ray Bradbury a difficult read in high school. Not for lack of understand or the style of his writing, but I was reading for a 'surface story', for lack of a better term. I wanted something very future-tech-Sci-Fi, and it didn't fit.

It only took a few years, a few real world experiences and one re-read of one story for me to see the depth in his writing, the metaphors about today's and yesterday's societies, and his open questions about the future. It led to many re-reads and a lot of appreciation of his work.

Re: R.I.P. Ray Bradbury, Author of Fahrenheit 451 and The Martian Chronicles

#12

Post by mindcrime » Wed, Jun 06, 2012, 3:19 PM UTC

Wow, sad day. RIP, Mr. Bradbury.

Fahreneheit 451 is a book that I consider one of the most influential I've ever read (along with Nineteen Eighty Four), and I also enjoyed Something Wicked This Way Comes, and all the other Bradbury works I've read. There are still quite a few of his works that I haven't read, so maybe I'll pick up something else of his and read it soon as a tribute.

Re: R.I.P. Ray Bradbury, Author of Fahrenheit 451 and The Martian Chronicles

#13

Post by horsehead » Wed, Jun 06, 2012, 3:22 PM UTC

Ah that is very sad. I read Fahrenheit 451 in high school and absolutely loved it. One of my very favorite books.

He will be missed.

I suppose now would be a good time to expand my single-item Ray Bradbury collection.

Re: R.I.P. Ray Bradbury, Author of Fahrenheit 451 and The Martian Chronicles

#14

Post by vannevar » Wed, Jun 06, 2012, 3:26 PM UTC

He was the last of the giants, along with Heinlein, Clark and Asimov. As a kid in the 70s, I devoured their novels and stories from the 50s and 60s. Bradbury was probably the most sophisticated writer of the four, though I preferred Asimov's straightforward, techie prose more back then. But we did get to read Bradbury in school, while none of the others was deemed lofty enough for the curriculum (except Heinlein's Stranger in a Strange Land, and that wasn't until college).

Re: R.I.P. Ray Bradbury, Author of Fahrenheit 451 and The Martian Chronicles

#15

Post by topherjaynes » Wed, Jun 06, 2012, 3:38 PM UTC

ilamont wrote: post #5

My favorite Bradbury book is Dandelion Wine . It's not sci-fi, but great authors are not limited to a single genre.

Dandelion Wine is one of my yearly reads. Perfect blend of fantastical and nostalgia.

“No person ever died that had a family.” ― Ray Bradbury, Dandelion Wine

Re: R.I.P. Ray Bradbury, Author of Fahrenheit 451 and The Martian Chronicles

#16

Post by zkan » Wed, Jun 06, 2012, 3:40 PM UTC

RIP

Re: R.I.P. Ray Bradbury, Author of Fahrenheit 451 and The Martian Chronicles

#17

Post by rootbear » Wed, Jun 06, 2012, 3:40 PM UTC

vannevar wrote: post #14

He was the last of the giants, along with Heinlein, Clark and Asimov. As a kid in the 70s, I devoured their novels and stories from the 50s and 60s. Bradbury was probably the most sophisticated writer of the four, though I preferred Asimov's straightforward, techie prose more back then. But we did get to read Bradbury in school, while none of the others was deemed lofty enough for the curriculum (except Heinlein's St…

My experience exactly. I read a lot of Asimov and Clark in the 70s, but I read some Bradbury too. I need to get some of his books that I missed and read them now. I suspect I'll appreciate them as literature more now than I would have when I was younger.

Re: R.I.P. Ray Bradbury, Author of Fahrenheit 451 and The Martian Chronicles

#18

Post by telcodud » Wed, Jun 06, 2012, 3:57 PM UTC

akharris wrote: post #4

He had a short piece in last week's New Yorker on how "The Fire Balloons" was inspired by the fire balloons he, as a small boy, lit with his grandfather. It was a beautiful testament to his craft and his inspiration. Sadly, behind the paywall: http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2012/06/04/120604fa_fact_... RIP

Works for me. No longer behind the paywall?

Update: indeed, just saw this G+ post by The New Yorker: https://plus.google.com/107786469140133631773/posts/hxnZD124...

Re: R.I.P. Ray Bradbury, Author of Fahrenheit 451 and The Martian Chronicles

#19

Post by joshuahedlund » Wed, Jun 06, 2012, 3:58 PM UTC

vannevar wrote: post #14

He was the last of the giants, along with Heinlein, Clark and Asimov. As a kid in the 70s, I devoured their novels and stories from the 50s and 60s. Bradbury was probably the most sophisticated writer of the four, though I preferred Asimov's straightforward, techie prose more back then. But we did get to read Bradbury in school, while none of the others was deemed lofty enough for the curriculum (except Heinlein's St…

Orson Scott Card is not too far off, IMO.

Re: R.I.P. Ray Bradbury, Author of Fahrenheit 451 and The Martian Chronicles

#20

Post by hkmurakami » Wed, Jun 06, 2012, 3:58 PM UTC

valuegram wrote: post #7

RIP Bradbury. Martian Chronicles is indirectly one of the most influential books in my life, due to an interesting twist... In high school, we had a literature class where there was a list of a couple hundred books we could choose from to read each month. At the end of the month, the teacher had a canned test she had purchased somewhere for each book, that we would take to prove our comprehension. For those of you wh…

The very fact that the teacher allowed students to choose what they wanted to read, rather than the books that the teacher him/herself liked (which was the unfortunate case for me), is wonderful. Had I been afforded such a situation, it probably wouldn't have taken me 10 years (after High School) to finally enjoy reading for myself.