Thursday, August 22, 2019

BRADBURY 99

Today would have been Ray Bradbury's 99th birthday.  (Read this post if you don't already know how exalted a place Ray B holds in my literary pantheon.)  To celebrate, here's one of my absolute favorite audio adaptations of a Bradbury story:  "Kaleidoscope"—from the brilliant public radio series Bradbury 13.

Happy birthday, Ray!  Your art continues to inspire and the strong beat of your open heart echoes on.




6 comments:

  1. You can also follow that link to find MY views on Bradbury.

    The one thing I will reiterate is that Bradbury absolutely OWNS lazy (and even non-lazy) summer afternoons and nights.

    My mind always dances with possibilities of the fantastic each and every summer, and while there are probably numerous reasons why, Ray is high on the list.

    Don't forget this little piece the O.G. nerd wrote about superheroes, and really nerd stuff in general...

    http://theages.superman.nu/400/salute.gif


    Oddly prophetic, by calling on the past and present (classic Bradbury) of the current views of such things/

    Jack

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  2. Bradbury also own autumn. Especially Halloween.

    Never saw that Superman piece before. And I thought I'd read it all. Thanks, Jack!

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    1. Despite writing the Halloween tree, I never associate Bradbury with autumn.

      Oddly, I do associate some stories with people that were almost assuredly inspired by his work.

      Maybe because I am aggressively passive about Halloween as a whole.

      The Superman piece was on the inside cover of Superman #400.

      Definitely proved the first generation of nerds were among the most loyal.

      There is a similar one by Stephen King on the inside cover of Batman #400... the last pre-Crisis issue.



      Jack

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    2. For me there's Halloween and then there's BRADBURY Halloween, if you know what I mean. Bradbury's version/vision exists in its own sweet, spectral universe.

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    3. I understand what you mean. I just don't feel it.

      We all make our own connections to things. Fact is, despite reading it year round, I associate Sci-Fi as a whole with Spring and Summer.

      Despite enjoying all of Bradbury's genre dives, I consider him first and foremost a Sci-Fi writer.

      The important thing, what gives Bradbury meaning (along with Stan Lee, Jack Kirby, Philip K. Dick, Marlow, Serling, Matheson, Tolkien, and more) is that it can occupy such major parts of your mind.

      That is the power. Even great writers rarely achieve that kind of power. And truth be told, it happens far more often with genre fiction, and Bradbury was a master of genre fiction.

      You have Bradbury's Halloween, others have Tolkien's stoic autumn. Or the foreboding and paranoia of a Noir Fall.

      These guys all have real estate in our minds. It only makes sense they would want to spread it around.

      Jack

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    4. Beautifully said, Jack. Thank you!

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