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

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

#61

Post by alanfalcon »

pasbesoin wrote: post #49
alanfalcon wrote: post #45

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Ray was a huge proponent of libraries. If you want to honor the man, go visit your local library today. Check out a book. Shame on you if you don't have a library card, but it's not too late to get one. If you have some money or some books you can donate, help the library out while you're there.

I'm pretty certain wglb has a library card.

I replied to wglb, but I meant it as a call to everyone. I could have been more clear.

Bradbury gave a talk and did a book signing at my local library in Fullerton, CA. It was crazy inspirational. I loved how passionate he was about books and about public libraries in particular. I loved how he described his writing process, and his general storytelling ability. My father and I discussed that visit this past weekend when I was visiting from Vegas, and it was interesting to hear the details stuck stuck with him, especially since I've started writing novels of my own just recently. I was very sad to read of Bradbury's passing today.

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

#62

Post by TruthElixirX »

planetguy wrote: post #37
hkmurakami wrote: post #20

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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.

On the other hand you're not doing your students any favours if you let them only read the stuff they're interested in; or rather, the stuff they think they're interested in at the age of twelve. Gotta force them to broaden their horizons and read something else once in a while or they'll become... well, the kind of adults who only read science fiction.

>well, the kind of adults who only read science fiction.

The horror.

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

#63

Post by alanfalcon »

jedberg wrote: post #32

My favorite Ray Bradbury memory is the time he came to my school to talk about his books and ended up yelling at my English teach for trying to find hidden meaning that wasn't there just for the sake of busywork. RIP Mr. Bradbury.

This thread feels incomplete without this Mark Twain quote:

"Persons attempting to find a motive in this narrative will be prosecuted; persons attempting to find a moral in it will be banished; persons attempting to find a plot in it will be shot."

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

#64

Post by Apocryphon »

alanfalcon wrote: post #63
jedberg wrote: post #32

My favorite Ray Bradbury memory is the time he came to my school to talk about his books and ended up yelling at my English teach for trying to find hidden meaning that wasn't there just for the sake of busywork. RIP Mr. Bradbury.

This thread feels incomplete without this Mark Twain quote: "Persons attempting to find a motive in this narrative will be prosecuted; persons attempting to find a moral in it will be banished; persons attempting to find a plot in it will be shot."

I was expecting someone to mention his stance against modern tech and ebooks. But I like it better this way, this is a good memorial and nostalgia thread, fit for an author whose writing style was very nostalgic.

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

#65

Post by shriphani »

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…

Don't forget Vonnegut.

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

#66

Post by Kiro »

pasbesoin wrote: post #51
paulhauggis wrote: post #34

Earlier quoted context omitted.

When I was in school, I often wondered how often teachers did this.

I forget which year, but my high school had a class on science fiction. Which the teacher did not understand too well. I ended up having to publicly correct her on the interpretation of the end of 2001 (the book -- not that it matters given how closely it parallels the screen play). To her credit, she thought about it and publicly acknowledged my correction in a subsequent class. Also to her credit (and/or the school…

What was her interpretation?

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

#67

Post by scott_s »

winestock wrote: post #44
paulhauggis wrote: post #34

Earlier quoted context omitted.

When I was in school, I often wondered how often teachers did this.

I assume that the "hidden meaning" was supposed to be a moral for the edification of the children ( Think of the children! ). The idea that all stories must have a moral in order to be legitimate is modern. Conventional wisdom gets in a self-righteous huff over how the different Inquisitions censored books. It would surprise modern people to see what books those old-time moral guardians did not censor. Daphnis and Ch…

When someone says "hidden meaning," I don't think "moral." I think of symbolism; "The jacket the protagonist wore symbolizes this, them getting in the car symbolizes that, their mother symbolizes..." It's quite possible for stories to have morals without any symbolism.

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

#68

Post by SoftwareMaven »

planetguy wrote: post #37
hkmurakami wrote: post #20

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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.

On the other hand you're not doing your students any favours if you let them only read the stuff they're interested in; or rather, the stuff they think they're interested in at the age of twelve. Gotta force them to broaden their horizons and read something else once in a while or they'll become... well, the kind of adults who only read science fiction.

Given that every great science fiction novel I've read is an essay on either how good the human race could be (often with some instructions) or how bad the human race could be (often with steps from here to there outlined), I think there are far worse things than being an adult who reads only SciFi.

Similar arguments hold for most forms of fiction, which is why I'm always unimpressed with people who don't read fiction because they "only want to read things that will help them grow". The fiction I've read has provided more avenues for personal growth than almost all non-fiction I've read.

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

#70

Post by bootload »

"... 'Live forever!'

I thought that was a wonderful idea, but how did you do it?

The next day, being driven home by my father, fresh from the funeral, I looked down at those carnival tents and thought to myself, "The answer is there. He said 'Live forever,' and I must go find out how to do that." I told my father to stop the car. He didn't want to, but I insisted. He stopped the car and let me out, furious with me for not returning home to partake in the wake being held for my uncle. With the car gone, and my father in a rage, I ran down the hill. What was I doing? I was running away from death, running toward life. ..." ~ http://www.raybradbury.com/inhiswords02.html

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