BACKGROUND INFORMATION - BIOGRAPHY

RAY BRADBURY

Ray Bradbury was born in Waukegan, Illinois, on August 22, 1920. The third son of Leonard Spaulding Bradbury and Esthere Marie Moberg Bradbury, Ray showed promise as a writer at the early age of eleven when he began writing short stories on butcher paper. As a child, he was fascinated by magic and fantasy and spent many an afternoon dreaming that he would grow up to be a magician himself. BradburyÂ’s family moved between Waukegan and Tucson, Arizona, several times. In 1934, the family moved to Los Angeles, California, where Bradbury attended high school and involved himself in the drama club. He planned to become an actor, but a few of his teachers recognized his talent and encouraged him to begin writing. Bradbury graduated from Los Angeles High School in 1938 and did not attend further formal education. From 1938 to 1942, Bradbury sold newspapers on Los Angeles street corners. He furthered his education by spending his evenings in the library and at his typewriter.

Bradbury’s first short story, “Hollerbochen’s Dilemma,” was printed in 1938 in an amateur fan magazine Imagination. He went on to publish his own magazine, called Futuria Fantasia, writing most of the content himself. Then in 1941, he published a short story called “Pendulum", which appeared in a 1941 issue of Super Science Stories, for which he received his first income. During the 1940’s, he dedicated himself to writing short stories and developed his own distinct literary style. “The Lake,” a 1942 published short story, was the first time Bradbury demonstrated his unique writing style. Most of his subject matter was fantastic, as seen in such stories as “Uncle Einar,” a tale about a man with green wings. “The Big Black and White Game,” published in 1945, earned Bradbury a name for himself as a short story writer. On September 27, 1947, Bradbury married Marguerite “Maggie” McClure. In 1947, he published a collection of his short stories entitled Dark Carnival.

“Hollerbochen’s Dilemma,” was his first short story publication. In 1938, it was printed in the amateur fan magazine Imagination. The next year, Bradbury printed four issues of his own fan magazine, Futuria Fantasia, writing most of the content himself. His first paid publication, the short story “Pendulum” appeared in a 1941 issue of Super Science Stories. In 1945, Bradbury’s “The Big Black and White Game” was chosen for publication in Best American Short Stories. Dark Carnival, Bradbury’s first short story collection, was published in late 1947. The publication of The Martian Chronicles in 1950, established Bradbury’s reputation as a leading science fiction writer.

Fahrenheit 451, another of BradburyÂ’s most important texts, appeared in 1953. Like The Martian Chronicles, it is a piece of social commentary and an interesting story. It is set in the future where the government has banned writing. A character resists the government ban, and eventually joins a group of rebels who memorize major works of literature.

In 1950, Bradbury turned his attention solely to science fiction, although most of his writing had an element of social commentary in it. The Martian Chronicles reflected the prevailing anxieties of post-war America and the fascination that mankind had developed for discovering life on other planets. The book deals with the human attempt to colonize Mars and the effects of that colonization. It is as much a work of social criticism as it is a fascinating piece of science fiction. The book was very popular and gained Bradbury the reputation as a leading writer of science fiction in America.

Bradbury continued to write science fiction novels and is best known for Fahrenheit 451, Dandelion Wine and Something Wicked This Way Comes. Many of his books have been made into major motion pictures and several have won him awards, including the OÂ’Henry Memorial Award, the Benjamin Franklin award, the Aviation Space Writers Association Award, and the Grand Master Award from the Science Fiction Writers of America. He was also awarded the World Fantasy Award for Lifetime Achievement.
Icarus Montgolfier Wright, his animated film about the history of flight, was nominated for an academy award, and he won an Emmy for the teleplay of The Halloween Tree.

Aside from his literary achievements, Bradbury served as the consultant for United States pavilion at the New York WorldÂ’s Fair in 1964. In the early nineties, he contributed to the conception of the Orbitron space ride at Euro Disney, France. Bradbury and his wife continue to live in Los Angeles where he still writes daily and occasionally lectures on science fiction.

Bradbury has used several pseudonyms throughout his career including Doug Rogers, Ron Reynolds, Guy Amory, Omega, Anthony Corvais, E. Cunningham, Brian Eldred, Cecil Claybourne Cunningham, D. Lerium Tremaine, Edward Banks, D. R. Banet, William Elliott, Brett Sterling, Leonard Spaulding, Leonard Douglas, and Douglas Spaulding.

Ray BradburyÂ’s Works

Dark Carnival (1947)

The Martian Chronicles (1950)

The Illustrated Man (1951)

No Man is an Island (1952)

Fahrenheit 451 (1953)

The Golden Apples of the Sun (1953)

The October Country (1955)

Switch On the Night (1955)

Dandelion Wine (1957)

Sun and Shadow (1957)

A Medicine For Melancholy (1960)

Something Wicked This Way Comes (1962)

The Essence of Creative Writing: Letters to a Young Aspiring Author (1962)

R Is For Rocket (1962)

The Anthem Sprinters And Other Antics (1963)

The Machineries of Joy (1964)

The Pedestrian (1964)

The Autumn People (1965)

A Device Out of Time (1965)

The Vintage Bradbury (1965)

The Day It Rained Forever: A Comedy in One Act (1966)

The Pedestrian: A Fantasy in One Act (1966)

S Is For Space (1966)

Tomorrow Midnight (1966)

LITERARY / HISTORICAL INFORMATION

This text was first published in 1962, and it is highly possible that some of the ideas were created from BradburyÂ’s childhood experiences. Many of the actions the boys engage in have a very nineteen fifties feel to them, and it is clear that Main Street America does not look as it does in present society. The book was originally a series of short stories that evolved into a novel over the course of a few years. In 1983, Disney made the story into a film.

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