Why smart people love Ray Bradbury

Why is Ray Bradbury important to the world?

Ray Bradbury is the author who brought science fiction out of the hobbyist category to the general public. He is considered the main popularizer of the genre, and his contribution to world literature cannot be overestimated. During his lifetime, the author became a classic.

A whole generation of writers, screenwriters and directors recognized him as their teacher. Steven Spielberg, Neil Gaiman and Stephen King confessed their love for Bradbury and boundless respect for his work.

The Pulitzer Commission considered it wrong to award any one piece of Bradbury with an award, and gave him a special prize. The wording read: "Special mention for his distinguished, rewarding and profoundly influential career as a consummate science fiction and fantasy writer."

By the way, it was he who outlined the main difference between these genres. The first, in his opinion, may well become reality, while the second is pure fiction, fairy tale and myth.

What is the peculiarity of Bradbury's work?

The writer went to his unique style for a long time. At the beginning of his career, he copied his favorite authors - Edgar Allan Poe, John Steinbeck and Thomas Wolfe. He did not study at the university, and all his knowledge of literature was drawn from the books that he read every free minute.

A distinctive feature of his work is firm optimism.

Whatever it was about, Bradbury believed that evil would either be punished or would outlive itself, giving way to good.

Bradbury did not sacrifice the ease and clarity of storytelling for technical details, although they are an important part of science fiction. He wrote in the first place so as not to confuse or scare away the reader. The author put audience engagement and pleasure above any other goals.

Why is Ray Bradbury still relevant?

The heyday of the writer's creativity fell on the 50s of the XX century. Nevertheless, his books do not seem outdated now. Much of what he described in his sci-fi works has become reality.

The author not only wrote about possible turns of technical progress, but also warned about the dangers that they conceal in themselves. Despite his love for science, Bradbury believed that it was she, or rather its misuse, that would lead to the destruction of humanity.

He feared that the urge to consume more and more would lead to the planet simply not being able to cope with human greed.

And yet Bradbury did not so much predict the future as warned and urged to avoid such a development of events. Therefore, the author is undoubtedly worth listening to.

Who might like his books?

In fact, it is difficult to imagine a person who does not like at least one work of a writer. Firstly, Bradbury's genre spectrum is so wide that the author will please even the most picky reader. Secondly, the works are imbued with humor and subtle philosophy. It is presented so accurately that it is difficult to disagree with his conclusions.

Bradbury always encouraged you to write only about what you know yourself. He compared any writer to a scientist who must explain his point of view to anyone in an accessible way. Therefore, there are no annoying inconsistencies or logical failures in his work.

The small form is the fad of the writer. He has over 400 stories in his arsenal, proving that brevity is truly the sister of talent.

Where to start acquaintance with the work of Ray Bradbury?

The Martian Chronicles brought the writer worldwide fame. He himself considered them the most important book. In several stories, Bradbury has collected everything that worried the world in the middle of the last century - the nuclear threat, social inequality and a rapid technical breakthrough, simultaneously simplifying and complicating life. He expressed his concerns in a sci-fi form.

Bradbury's most famous book is Fahrenheit 451. In the novel, humanity has taken one of the most dangerous paths. The main character works in a fire brigade that burns books. Although the action takes place in a fictional setting, much of it is real now.

Dandelion Wine is considered an autobiographical work. He even named the main character by his middle name - Douglas. The novel takes the reader to a small summer town where four teenagers are frolicking. For them, vacations are equal to a lifetime. In a short three months, children experience joys, sorrows and dangerous adventures. And their grandfather makes wine from dandelions, sealing the warm season in bottles in reserve.

In the early 60s, Bradbury published a collection of short stories "A Cure for Melancholy", which included 19 works written over 10 years. This book vividly and accurately reveals the author's ability to work in a wide variety of genres and speak on unusually complex topics - from fear of the future to bullying and its consequences. He then transports the heroes to Venus, then talks about exciting events in a simple apartment, then again goes somewhere far into space.

To truly understand Bradbury himself and get a glimpse into his creative kitchen, you need to read Zen in the Art of Book Writing.

In short essays, the author shares secrets and complains about failure, suggests where to look for inspiration, and provides universal advice for anyone who wants to write well. He does not look down on him and does not include a mentoring tone. And it is in this book that you can enjoy his self-irony.

What books are undeservedly underrated?

The collection "Cat's Pajamas" includes stories that seem to tell about real life, but are not devoid of a mystical mood. In each, Bradbury covers issues of concern to society with a fair amount of humor, sometimes black. For example, he wonders what the US president should do if he lost the country in an Indian casino. Or what if your blood enemy, whom you opposed all the time, died, and life without him has lost its meaning.

The novel "Summer, Goodbye!" was released in 2006. This is Bradbury's last novel, continuing the story of the heroes of Dandelion Wine. Douglas is now two years older and faces the problem of fathers and children. In his heart he is no longer a child, but in the eyes of others he remains a boy. The book was written at the same time as the first part of the story. The author was waiting for the work to mature and form into an independent thing that is not ashamed to show to the world.

The novel "Death is a lonely business" appeared at a time when Bradbury was carried away by detectives. A certain writer accidentally heard the phrase that served as the title for the book. Without attaching importance to it, the character soon realizes that this was a prophecy. He suddenly finds a corpse in a ditch. The body becomes just one of many to be discovered over the next few days.

How has Ray Bradbury influenced science and culture?

The writer’s contributions are not limited to making science fiction one of the most popular genres and inspiring many people to create masterpieces in various fields.

The author could not get higher education, and he owed all his knowledge to public libraries. Therefore, all his life he actively opposed the cuts in their funding and closure.

Much of what Bradbury's fantasy created has become reality. And no one can say for sure whether this is a coincidence or a direct influence of the writer on the minds of scientists.

In the 1951 short story "The Pedestrian," the protagonist drives a fully automated car that does not require a driver. It resembles modern self-driving cars. In Fahrenheit 451, people communicate with friends through the wall. It is this term that is now used in popular social networks. Bradbury also accurately predicted the emergence of video surveillance systems, ATMs and huge flat-panel TVs.

He was one of the first to talk about the ethical problems that can arise with the proliferation of sophisticated robots with artificial intelligence.

Thanks to the writer, some concepts have come into use. For example, in the 1952 story "And Thunder Rocked," the now-famous expression "butterfly effect" is first mentioned, meaning that even a small event can affect the course of history.

Bradbury is very loved in the space community. In 2012, NASA named the site where the Curiosity rover landed after him, and three years later named him a crater on the red planet.