Stuff your eyes with wonder: R.I.P. Ray Bradbury

[GuyNwah]

Stuff your eyes with wonder: R.I.P. Ray Bradbury

"Stuff your eyes with wonder. Live as if you'd drop dead in ten seconds. See the world. It's more fantastic than any dream made up or paid for in factories." (Fahrenheit 451)

The author of that line was almost singlehandedly responsible for transforming the genre of science fiction (though he claimed that was not what he wrote) to elevated literature. Ray Bradbury passed beyond this world with the transit of Venus, age 91. Cause of death was not given.

His stories of small-town Illinois populated by April witches and rocket pilots, visited by a strange circus and the chiropractor from Hell, where you can hunt dinosaurs or fly to the Sun, are the most inspiring and most frightening stories I read in my childhood. He will be greatly missed.

 

[Blothulfur]

How tyrannous is the tick of the clock, that even the brightest stars flicker and die in between its strokes. Damn shame.

 

[volsung]

Thanks for the post. I know there are many millions of people in the world and it is unfair to compare one's death to another, but it is especially sad when people who gave so much to humanity pass away, especially because we know the sad truth: there are, every moment, less and less people interested in and capable of following their example.

 

[SquallDLeonhart]

I love that book: I read it many times Even the movie of Francois Truffaut is really nice

Too sad that he can't write others..

 

[Garrison72]

A master passes on.

 

[tommy5761]

He may be gone physically but look at the wonders and marvels of literacy he left us with . Not to mention the "Ray Bradbury Theater" . I think it ran starting in the mid 80`s on a couple of networks .

 

[GuyNwah]

He may be gone physically but look at the wonders and marvels of literacy he left us with . Not to mention the "Ray Bradbury Theater" . I think it ran starting in the mid 80`s on a couple of networks .

You're right; we have his books that will not die, even if they burn all the books.

What we will miss most is the man who would stand up in front of a hall full of students and tell them, "You must stay drunk on writing so reality cannot destroy you."

 

[Garrison72]

That's a great quote. A strategy many artists employ, I think.

 

[secondchildren]

Big loss to humanity. At least he has gained immortality thru his works.

 

[siklara]

May he rest in peace.

I only read his Martian Chronicles, but it's among my all-time favourite books.

 

[wichat]

From The Spring Night:

She walks in beauty, like the night

Of cloudless climes and starry skies

And all that´s best of dark and bright

Meet in her aspect and her eyes
By Lord Byron.

 

[DeargRuadhri]

May he rest in peace, but one thing is sure, his name will not ever be forgotten.

 

[GuyNwah]

From The Spring Night:

She walks in beauty, like the night

Of cloudless climes and starry skies

And all that´s best of dark and bright

Meet in her aspect and her eyes
By Lord Byron.

It's spring, thought Cecy. I'll be in every living thing in the world tonight....
“I want to be in love,” she said.
(The April Witch)

 

[Etainne]

i am so happy that so many of us remember Bradbury with fondness. I know i read all i could find by him in one summer in the early '80's. I too will miss this man. Between him, Carl Sagan, and Gene Roddenberry, and Niven, I didn't stand a chance of being anyone other than who I am. All gone now but one, and Niven wont last much longer. These were great role models. Ray Bradbury will be missed over here.

 

[soldiergeralt]

"Live as if you'd drop dead in ten seconds"

lol says the guy who spent countless hours typing away at his desk. platitudes of this kind are rather silly. no one can really live like that unless they have a dysfunctional amygdala.