Ray Bradbury was long the most influential sci-fi writer in the world, the poetic and visionary author of such classics as Fahrenheit 451, The Martian Chronicles, and The Illustrated Man
But he also lived a fascinating life outside the parameters of sci-fi, and was a masterful raconteur of his own story, as he reveals in his wide-ranging and in-depth final interview with his acclaimed biographer, Sam Weller. After moving to Los Angeles, he became an inveterate fanboy of movie stars, spending hours waiting at studio gates to get autographs. He would later get to know many of Hollywood’s most powerful figures when he became a major screenwriter, and he details here what it was like to work for legendary directors such as John Huston and Alfred Hitchcock. And then there are all the celebrities—from heads of state like Mikhail Gorbachev to rock stars like David Bowie and the members of Kiss—who went out of their way to arrange encounters with Bradbury.
But throughout that last talk, as well as the interviews collected here from earlier in his career, Bradbury constantly twists the elements of his life into a discussion of the influences and creative processes behind his remarkable developments and inventions for the literary form he mastered. Mixed with cheerful gossiping about his travels and the characters of his life, it makes for a rich reading experience and a revealing collection of interviews.
“The Bradbury edition benefits from the author’s warm rapport with his biographer, Sam Weller... In their discussions [Bradbury] remains full of passion." —New Yorker, Books to Watch Out For
Praise for Ray Bradbury:
“He was my muse for the better part of my sci-fi career . . . In the world of science fiction and fantasy and imagination he is immortal.” —Steven Spielberg
“Mr. Bradbury was the writer most responsible for bringing modern science fiction into the literary mainstream.” —The New York Times
“One of this country’s most beloved writers . . . A great storyteller, sometimes even a mythmaker, a true American classic.” —The Washington Post
“The uncrowned poet laureate of science fiction.” —The Times
“Ray Bradbury has a powerful and mysterious imagination which would undoubtedly earn the respect of Edgar Allen Poe.” —The Guardian
Ray Douglas Bradbury was an American author and screenwriter. One of the most celebrated 20th-century American writers, he worked in a variety of modes, including fantasy, science fiction, horror, mystery, and realistic fiction.
View titles by Ray Bradbury
Sam Weller is the author of The Bradbury Chronicles: The Life of Ray Bradbury, the first ever biography of Ray Bradbury, which received the prestigious Society of Midland Authors award for best biography in 2005, and was short-listed for the Bram Stoker award in the best nonfiction category. The book was a Los Angeles Times bestseller and was named a best book of the year by the Chicago Tribune, the Denver Rocky Mountain News, and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.View titles by Sam Weller
Ray Bradbury was long the most influential sci-fi writer in the world, the poetic and visionary author of such classics as Fahrenheit 451, The Martian Chronicles, and The Illustrated Man
But he also lived a fascinating life outside the parameters of sci-fi, and was a masterful raconteur of his own story, as he reveals in his wide-ranging and in-depth final interview with his acclaimed biographer, Sam Weller. After moving to Los Angeles, he became an inveterate fanboy of movie stars, spending hours waiting at studio gates to get autographs. He would later get to know many of Hollywood’s most powerful figures when he became a major screenwriter, and he details here what it was like to work for legendary directors such as John Huston and Alfred Hitchcock. And then there are all the celebrities—from heads of state like Mikhail Gorbachev to rock stars like David Bowie and the members of Kiss—who went out of their way to arrange encounters with Bradbury.
But throughout that last talk, as well as the interviews collected here from earlier in his career, Bradbury constantly twists the elements of his life into a discussion of the influences and creative processes behind his remarkable developments and inventions for the literary form he mastered. Mixed with cheerful gossiping about his travels and the characters of his life, it makes for a rich reading experience and a revealing collection of interviews.
Reviews
“The Bradbury edition benefits from the author’s warm rapport with his biographer, Sam Weller... In their discussions [Bradbury] remains full of passion." —New Yorker, Books to Watch Out For
Praise for Ray Bradbury:
“He was my muse for the better part of my sci-fi career . . . In the world of science fiction and fantasy and imagination he is immortal.” —Steven Spielberg
“Mr. Bradbury was the writer most responsible for bringing modern science fiction into the literary mainstream.” —The New York Times
“One of this country’s most beloved writers . . . A great storyteller, sometimes even a mythmaker, a true American classic.” —The Washington Post
“The uncrowned poet laureate of science fiction.” —The Times
“Ray Bradbury has a powerful and mysterious imagination which would undoubtedly earn the respect of Edgar Allen Poe.” —The Guardian
Ray Douglas Bradbury was an American author and screenwriter. One of the most celebrated 20th-century American writers, he worked in a variety of modes, including fantasy, science fiction, horror, mystery, and realistic fiction.
View titles by Ray Bradbury
Sam Weller is the author of The Bradbury Chronicles: The Life of Ray Bradbury, the first ever biography of Ray Bradbury, which received the prestigious Society of Midland Authors award for best biography in 2005, and was short-listed for the Bram Stoker award in the best nonfiction category. The book was a Los Angeles Times bestseller and was named a best book of the year by the Chicago Tribune, the Denver Rocky Mountain News, and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.View titles by Sam Weller
