Raymond Douglas Bradbury was one of
the most distinguished and celebrated American authors of the 20th and
21st century. He was an essayist, poet, novelist, playwright, short
story writer and screenwriter, renowned for his writings in genres like
horror, fantasy, mystery fiction and science fiction. Though he received
recognition as a bold writer with a vision for his science fiction,
‘The Martian Chronicles’, he shot to fame with his masterpiece,
‘Fahrenheit 451’, a dystopian novel considered to be his best work. His
other notable works include ‘The Illustrated Man’, ‘There Will Come Soft
Rains’, ‘The October Country’ and ‘Quicker Than the Eye’. His body of
works include around six hundred short stories, thirty books, several
plays, poems and essays. Four ‘Best American Short Story’ anthologies
include his works. His creative visions were not only limited to his
writings. He hosted the ‘Ray Bradbury Theater’, created the interior
metaphors at ‘Epcot's’ ‘Spaceship Earth’ in the ‘Disney World’ and
served ‘United States Pavilion’ as creative consultant during ‘New York
World's Fair’. His animated film ‘Icarus Montgolfier Wright’ earned him a
nomination for the ‘Academy Awards’ while his 1993 teleplay ‘The
Halloween Tree’ (adapted from his 1972 novel) earned him an ‘Emmy Award’
in 1994.
Childhood & Early Life
He
was born on August 22, 1920, in Waukegan, Illinois, to Leonard
Spaulding Bradbury and Ester Moberg Bradbury. His father was a lineman
for telephone and power utilities.
Major Works
‘Fahrenheit
451’, his best known novel was adapted into a film in 1966 by François
Truffaut , performed on stage in 1979, dramatized in ’BBC Radio’ in 1982
and developed into an interactive computer game in 2010.
Personal Life & Legacy
- On September 27, 1947, he married Marguerite McClure in the Church of the Good Shepherd, Episcopal in Los Angeles. The couple had four daughters, Ramona, Bettina, Susan and Alexandra.
- He suffered a stroke in 1999 that made wheelchair bound.
- On June 5, 2012, he died in Los Angeles, California.
