Biography of Ray Bradbury
Ray Bradbury is a famous American writer, author of more than eight hundred literary works, including novels, short stories, scripts, and plays. His talent has been recognized with awards such as the Bram Stoker Award and the Pulitzer Prize. For his dedication to the genre, Bradbury was unofficially titled the "Master of Science Fiction" by readers, although his work is not limited to science fiction alone. It also includes psychological prose, dystopia, and the genre of "intellectual horror". Author of "Fahrenheit 451," "A Sound of Thunder," "Dandelion Wine," "The Martian Chronicles."
Childhood, Youth, Family
Ray Douglas Bradbury was born in the summer of 1920 to Leonard Spaulding Bradbury and Marie Esther Moberg in Waukegan, Illinois. His father was English, tracing his ancestry back to the first American settlers. On his mother's side, Ray had Swedish roots.A grim legend passed down through the family claimed that his great-grandmother Mary was nearly executed in the Salem witch trials in 1862, but she managed to escape the dreadful sentence.
The impressionable boy absorbed information like a sponge, but he was most profoundly affected by stories of the death of his older brother Sam, the twin of his surviving brother Leonard. Later, he also experienced the deaths of his little sister Elizabeth and his beloved grandfather. These losses greatly influenced his future works.
The Great American Depression also affected the Bradbury family: his father couldn't find work in their hometown. In search of a better life, they moved to Los Angeles. Although life was still a struggle, it was somewhat easier there. Moreover, the younger generation of the family developed a fascination with cinema—the proximity to Hollywood was mesmerizing. Bradbury recounted that he once managed to have his picture taken with none other than Marlene Dietrich. He also saw other stars of the time.
At the age of 12, Ray decided he would become a great writer and tried to "finish" Edgar Rice Burroughs' novel "The Warlord of Mars" since there was no money to buy books. There was none for college education either. So after school, the young man got a job at a newspaper stand and spent all his evenings in the library. As a famous writer, he was not ashamed to say that he received his higher education in this "kingdom of books."
Writing Career
Ray's literary career officially began in 1937 when he joined the Los Angeles Science Fiction Society (LASFS). It was in the League that he received help to publish his first story, "Hollerbochen's Dilemma."The work appeared in Forest Ackerman's fanzine "Imagination!" in January 1938 but went unnoticed. Bradbury admitted, "No one liked my story. I also think it was terrible."
The beginning of World War II had a depressing impact on the budding writer. He started pondering what the future held for humanity and the dangers it would face. These thoughts turned into a series of stories that Ray published in his magazine "Futuria Fantasia."
Unfortunately, due to funding problems, only four issues were published. However, Bradbury's stories "Don't Get Technatal," and "The Pendulum" appeared on its pages.
The 27 stories written between 1943 and 1947 formed the basis of the collection "Dark Carnival." Critics described Bradbury's early work as rather "dark," influenced by Edgar Poe. The king of horror, Stephen King, later noted that Bradbury's early stories had a huge impact on his writing style.
However, in 1947, Bradbury's first book did not cause a stir. Success came only in 1950 when his novel "The Martian Chronicles" sold like hotcakes.
The main work that brought the American writer worldwide fame was initially published in the new magazine "Playboy." This was the famous novel "Fahrenheit 451," which was later reprinted many times.
The book immediately attracted directors. The first feature film of the same name was released in 1966 by François Truffaut. Soon, Ray became fascinated with cinema and wrote many scripts, including the television series "The Ray Bradbury Theater," which aired for seven years.
But the writer did not rest on his laurels. With even greater enthusiasm, he followed his rule: not a day without a story. Soon, from such short texts, Bradbury created his most autobiographical novel, "Dandelion Wine." Readers and critics noted how the author's tone changed over the years and how vividly he portrayed his characters. Another novel, "Something Wicked This Way Comes," was published in 1962.
Twenty years later, at Walt Disney Studios, a film was made based on this novel, titled "Something Wicked This Way Comes," which won two Saturn Awards. The story "A Sound of Thunder" also appealed to directors and became the basis for the thriller "The Butterfly Effect." The main roles were played by Ashton Kutcher and Amy Smart.
Considering the society he lived in to be consumerist, Bradbury mercilessly ridiculed the lack of spirituality and people's indifference to the future. He expressed these thoughts, for example, in the story "The Smile."
Nevertheless, Bradbury's works possess an inexplicable optimism and hope that humanity will come to its senses and do everything to make the future bright and stable, and for people to become kinder and more tolerant of each other.
Ray Bradbury's Personal Life
He met his future wife, Marguerite McClure, when he was just starting his writing career. She worked as a saleswoman in a bookstore, loved French, Italian, and English history, and studied linguistics.Ray was only 19 when he first fell madly in love, but it was Maggie who became the love of his life. They married in 1947, even though both were as poor as church mice.
They rented a tiny room, and Marguerite worked for both of them, believing her husband would become a great writer.
Two years after their wedding, their first daughter, Susan, was born. She was followed by three more daughters: Ramona, Bettina, and Alexandra.
The writer admitted that he was literally surrounded by love and reciprocated the affection of all his girls, dedicating the novel "The Martian Chronicles" to his wife.
The Death and Legacy of Ray Bradbury
On the eve of his 80th birthday, Bradbury suffered a stroke and spent the remaining 11 years of his life bedridden and in a wheelchair. However, he managed to finish his last novel, "Farewell Summer," and wrote several more stories.On June 5, 2012, the great science fiction writer passed away. Ray Bradbury was buried with full honors at Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery in West Los Angeles.
The author, who left behind a vast literary legacy, continues to be revered after his death. Films, plays, and musical compositions are still being created based on his novels and stories.
Interesting Facts
- Ray Bradbury believed that the first truly interesting story he wrote was when he was 22 years old. Sitting at the typewriter, he finished the story "The Lake," and when he placed the final period, he suddenly burst into tears. He felt that the ten years leading up to this work had not been in vain. Later, the story was included in one of the writer's collections.
- According to the writer, until he was about seventeen, he didn't know how to write at all, but the dream of becoming a famous writer stayed with him since he was twelve. Ray got a job at a newsstand and in the evenings went to the library, calling books the best lovers in the world. He adored Rudyard Kipling and Charles Dickens, Herbert Wells, and Jules Verne. Reading their books, Bradbury decided that every morning, as soon as he woke up, he would write one short story. He made himself stick to this plan and didn't even notice how he got into it.
- Bradbury began writing his works with full enthusiasm, not even noticing the names he gave his characters. For example, the heroes of the novel "Fahrenheit 451" were named Montag and Faber, which later turned out to be brands of writing paper and pencils.
Important Life Events
- 1937: Joined the Los Angeles Science Fiction Society.
- 1938: Published his first short story, "Hollerbochen's Dilemma," under the League's aegis.
- 1941: Published the short story "The Pendulum."
- 1947: Published the collection of stories, "Dark Carnival." Married bookstore clerk Margaret McClure.
- 1950: Published the novel "The Martian Chronicles."
- 1951: Released the collection "The Illustrated Man."
- 1953: Published the novella "Fahrenheit 451" (a film of the same name was made in 1966) and the collection "The Golden Apples of the Sun."
- 1955: Published the collection "The October Country."
- 1957: Published the autobiographical novel "Dandelion Wine."
- 1959: Published the collection "A Medicine for Melancholy."
- 1962: Published the novel "Something Wicked This Way Comes."
- 1964: Published the collection "The Machineries of Joy."
- 1977: Published the novel "Long After Midnight."
- 1984: Became a two-time Saturn Award winner for the screenplay of the film "Something Wicked This Way Comes" and for Best Fantasy Film.
- 1985: Wrote and published the novel "Death Is a Lonely Business." The TV series "The Ray Bradbury Theater" began airing.
- 1988: Awarded the title of "Grand Master."
- 1989: Became a Bram Stoker Award winner.
- 1990: Wrote and published the novel "A Graveyard for Lunatics."
- 1993: Published the collection "The October Country."
- 1994: Became an Emmy Award winner.
- 1996: Published the collection "Quicker Than the Eye."
- 2002: Received a personal star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
- 2006: Wrote and published his final novel "Farewell Summer."
- 2007: Became a Pulitzer Prize winner and a Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters in France.
- June 5, 2012 – Date of death.
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