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Ray Douglas Bradbury

レイ・ダグラス・ブラッドベリ

Rei Dagurasu Buraddoberi

Profile

Gender
Male
Born
1920-08-22 （Waukegan, Illinois, U.S.）
Died
2012-06-05 （Los Angeles, California, U.S.） age 91
Nationality
United States
Languages
English
Religion
Baptist (raised)
Residence History
Waukegan, Illinois → Tucson, Arizona (periodic) → Los Angeles, California (Hollywood / Cheviot Hills) → Indianapolis (Ray Bradbury Center holdings)

Career

Occupations
Writer, Screenwriter, Playwright
Active Years
1938-2012
Affiliations
Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America (honorary recognition)
Memberships
Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America (Grand Master)
Influenced By
H. G. Wells, Jules Verne, Edgar Allan Poe, Robert A. Heinlein, Christopher Isherwood, Ray Harryhausen (cinematic influence)
Influenced
Steven Spielberg, Neil Gaiman, Stephen King, Margaret Atwood

Awards

American Academy of Arts and Letters
1954
Organization: American Academy of Arts and Letters
Result: 受賞
Inkpot Award
1974
Organization: Comic-Con International
Result: 受賞
Daytime Emmy Award
1994
Work: The Halloween Tree (screenplay)
Organization: National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences
Result: 受賞
National Medal of Arts
2004
Organization: National Endowment for the Arts
Result: 受賞
Pulitzer Prize Special Citation
2007
Work: For his distinguished, prolific, and deeply influential career
Organization: Pulitzer Prize jury
Result: 特別表彰
World Fantasy Award for Life Achievement
1977
Organization: World Fantasy Convention
Result: 受賞
SFWA Grand Master
1980
Organization: Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America
Result: 受賞
Prometheus Award
1984
Work: Fahrenheit 451
Organization: Libertarian Futurist Society
Result: 受賞
Bram Stoker Award for Lifetime Achievement
1989
Organization: Horror Writers Association
Result: 受賞
Honorary Doctor of Letters (Whittier College)
1979
Organization: Whittier College
Result: 授与
Ordre des Arts et des Lettres (Commandeur)
2007
Organization: French government
Result: 授与

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

Fahrenheit 451

1953 Dystopian / Science fiction

A novel set in a future society where books are banned and burned; an allegory about censorship, media, and individual freedom.

CensorshipCritique of mass mediaIndividual freedom
Adaptations
  • [Film] Fahrenheit 451 (1966 film) / François Truffaut (1966)
  • [Theatre] Various theatrical adaptations

The Martian Chronicles

1950 Fix-up of fantasy/science fiction stories

A series of linked short stories set on Mars; an allegorical exploration of colonization, cultural clash, and human nature.

ColonizationCultural conflictNostalgia
Adaptations
  • [Television (miniseries)] The Martian Chronicles (1980 miniseries) (1980)

Dandelion Wine

1957 Coming-of-age / Nostalgic fiction

A semi-autobiographical coming-of-age novel about a boy's summer in a small town and the memories and rites of passage that shape him.

NostalgiaComing of ageMagic in the mundane

The Illustrated Man

1951 Short story collection (fantasy, horror, SF)

A frame story linking a collection of short tales told through the tattoos of a man; contains fantasy, horror, and speculative pieces.

FateFearThe supernatural
Adaptations
  • [Film] The Illustrated Man (1969 film) / Jack Smight (1969)

Something Wicked This Way Comes

1962 Dark fantasy

A dark-fantasy tale about a traveling carnival that brings supernatural terror to a town and two boys who confront it.

CarnivalBattle of good and evilGrowth and courage
Adaptations
  • [Film] Something Wicked This Way Comes (1983 film) / Jack Clayton (1983)

The October Country

1955 Short story collection (dark fantasy / horror)

A collection of eerie short stories combining Bradbury's nostalgia with elements of horror and the uncanny.

HorrorThe uncanny in everyday lifeNostalgia

Bibliography

  • Fahrenheit 451
  • The Martian Chronicles
  • The Illustrated Man
  • Dandelion Wine
  • Something Wicked This Way Comes
  • The October Country

Adaptations

  • Many short stories and novels adapted into films, TV, theatre, radio, and comics
  • Fahrenheit 451 (1966 film, dir. François Truffaut)
  • The Martian Chronicles (1980 TV miniseries)
  • The Halloween Tree (1993 animated TV film)

Style & Themes

Literary Style
Poetic, descriptive proseAllegorical and symbolic storytellingBlend of fantasy and realism
Recurring Motifs
Books and censorshipNostalgia and small-town life (Green Town)Carnivals / traveling showsLoss of childhood and coming-of-age

Health

  • Stroke
    1999以降
    Suffered a stroke in 1999 that left him partially dependent on a wheelchair and limited some public appearances.

Legacy

A major 20th-century American writer whose lyrical prose and imaginative stories significantly influenced literature and popular culture; credited with bringing elements of science fiction and fantasy into the literary mainstream. His work continues to be honoured across media and institutions.

Museums

  • Ray Bradbury Center Indianapolis (holds papers and recreated office) Opened in 2007

Academic Societies

  • Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America
  • World Fantasy Convention (awards/recognition)

Archives

  • Waukegan Public Library (personal library bequest)
  • Ray Bradbury Center archives

In Popular Culture

  • NASA named the Curiosity rover landing site 'Bradbury Landing' on Mars
  • Numerous film, television, and comic adaptations of his works

Quotes

  • First of all, I don't write science fiction. I've only done one science fiction book and that's Fahrenheit 451; Martian Chronicles is fantasy.
    Source: Various interviews (summarized remarks)
  • I do not want to predict the future. I want to prevent it.
    Source: Essay (1982) and later citations (1982)

Trivia

  • He claimed to have written every day of his life since childhood.
  • Never obtained a driver's license; used public transport or a bicycle.
  • When allowing an e-book edition of Fahrenheit 451, he required provisions for library lending.