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Great Science-Fiction a critical list with discussions Science-Fiction and Fantasy Books by
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Standard Disclaimer:
This is a brief discussion of Ray Bradbury and, of course, of some speculative-fiction books by Ray Bradbury This discussion and list does not necessarily include every book by Bradbury: it includes only those books that I both know and like. Just as with the author list itself, omission of a particular item may mean I didn't think highly enough of the omitted item, or it may simply mean that I have not yet sufficient familiarity with it. (In a very few cases, I have listed some books merely on the strength of my opinion of the author: all such books are clearly marked below, as throughout these lists, with a hash mark (#) before the title so you know what's what.) I don't pretend that this discussion is a deep analysis. My intent is no more than to give you a rough idea of what kinds of tales Bradbury tells, how those tales are usually told, and what makes them and Bradbury worthy; in sum, to help you rank Bradbury (and the works by Bradbury listed here) on your personal literary "to do" list. |
Regrettably, I have not yet had an opportunity to write an essay on this author, but the "Other Resources" section below will lead you to some information about the "Notable Books" listed farther down this page.
First of all is the official Bradbury site, Ray Bradbury. There are also other dedicated Bradbury sites: Ray Bradbury Online (which appears to be the successor in interest to a like-named older site that is still up); and Bradburymedia (technically a blog). Also, The Center for Ray Bradbury Studies at Indiana-Purdue Universities has an on-line presence.
Worth especial note is the page Ray Bradbury: To the Canon by Rocketship, A Survey of the Critical Scholarship by Lance Hawvermale, which is just what it says it is, and quite valuable.
Of pages, Locus Online has an excellent Bradbury appreciation, Yesterday's Tomorrows. Then there's Ray Bradbury Online, an excellent bibliographical site; The Templeton Gate, as usual, does a very nice job with its Ray Bradbury Page; and there's a nice, lengthy essay, "The Regionalist: Ray Bradbury of Illinois", at First Principles. At Salon, there is another sort of appreciation, "Ray Bradbury: The pulp god lives", based on the "Sound of Thunder" movie but ranging afield. And The New York Times noticed him in a brief article, Vintage Bradbury, Packaged Anew.
Besides general Bradbury appreciations, there are some specific notes. One is "Ray Bradbury is on fire!" at Salon, an article on the 81-year-old Bradbury suddenly becoming a hot Hollywood property (again). In another, "Fahrenheit 451 Misinterpreted" (L.A. Weekly), we learn why we shouldn't trust others' assessments of what a work of fiction "means".
There are also, of course, interviews: 2008, "Ray Bradbury on Literature and Love" at Truthdig; 2008, "Q&A with Ray Bradbury in the Courier-Journal; 2007, SciFi.com; 2004, "An Interview With Sci-Fi Legend Ray Bradbury" at (ugh) Fox "News"; 2004, L.A. City Beat; and 1999, Ray Bradbury at the A.V. Club site.
And there is a Bradbury discussion forum.
The page cited above, Ray Bradbury: To the Canon by Rocketship, A Survey of the Critical Scholarship by Lance Hawvermale, links to a thorough bibliography of articles and other print works about Bradbury (which is in Word document format).
Here are some Bradbury-focussed books (many, but not all, from the list cited above):
The Bradbury Chronicles, The Life of Ray Bradbury, by Sam Weller
Ray Bradbury, Martin Harry Greenber, and Joseph D. Olander, editors
Bradbury, an Illustrated Life: A Journey to Far Metaphor, by Jerry Weist and Donn Albright
Ray Bradbury, Wayne L. Johnson
Ray Bradbury, David Mogen
The Ray Bradbury Companion, by William F. Nolan
The Bradbury Chronicles, by George Edgar Slusser
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