Nonfiction Monday: Ray Bradbury

Ray Bradbury: Master of Science Fiction and Fantasy. Wendy Mass. 2004. Enslow Publishers. (Authors Teens Love Series). 104 pages.

I enjoyed this short biography of Ray Bradbury. I found it rich in quotes--which is just what I was hoping for! I loved learning more about his life, his inspirations, his journey as a writer. Readers learn about his childhood, what inspired him to become a writer. Readers learn about his experiences writing short stories and the publishing process. Several of his books are highlighted--examined critically--his content, his style, etc. These include, of course, Fahrenheit 451 and The Martian Chronicles. Though Dandelion Wine, Something Wicked This Way Comes, and The Illustrated Man, also are mentioned to some extent. This biography follows Ray Bradbury's career through the decades. I found it informative and interesting.

Here is one of my favorite quotes--this is Ray Bradbury on writing:

People think you can plot a novel, but you can't. You have to let people live. If they lead big lives, you've got a novel. If they lead small ones, you've got a short story. (56)

Ray Bradbury on 'predicting' the future:

I don't try to predict the future, I try to prevent it. (63)

And did you know about this?!

In 1967, Bradbury's publisher released an edition of the book aimed at high school readers. They edited out any references to drinking and other behaviors and words not considered appropriate. Thus, a book about censorship had been censored. Fortunately, the original, unaltered version was still being published. But then in 1973, only the revised version was available for publication. This went on for six years until Bradbury was alerted to it by some students. He was horrified and made sure that the text was immediately restored to the original. In total, the editors had made ninety-eight changes. (61)

I liked this one. It may be small--but I found it informative. It would be a good starting place for those curious about Ray Bradbury's career as an author.

© Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews