Happy Birthday, Ray Bradbury

[Sundog]

Who is 83 years old today. Many happy returns.

What's your favorite Bradbury?

[Kullervo]

I haven't read him in years, but I remember being very fond of Dandelion Wine - early and quite different than most of his other novels.

Something Wicked this Way Comes was pretty good, too.

[JamesM]

'The Illustrated Man' is my favourite, although the likes of 'The October Country' and 'The Small Assassin' come close.

Actually, the 2 volumes of the collected short stories of Ray Bradbury is probably the best, although that reminds me of the following exchange from 'I'm Alan Partridge':
Ben: What's your favourite Beatles album, then?
Alan: Tough one. I think I'd have to say 'The Best of the Beatles'.

[Hexxenhammer]

That short story the "The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms" was based on. With the lonely dinosaur that is attracted to the lighthouse fog-horn. And Farenheit 451 of course. First read that in about 5th grade. The robot dog was cool.

[Sundog]

"The Martian Chronicles" would have to be up there on my list, maybe because I enjoyed it so much as a kid.

[Kullervo]

Originally posted by Hexxenhammer
That short story the "The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms" was based on. With the lonely dinosaur that is attracted to the lighthouse fog-horn. Title - The Foghorn. I remember it well.

[Boo]

The Martian Chronicles was my favorite. I absolutely love the ending when the little girl asks her father what Martians look like and he has her look into the stream. Wow!

My favorite short story is about the young man in a society where everyone is equal. Aaargh, I can't remember the name. Given the current PC of society I find myself wondering if we will end up where Bradbury imagined us.


Boo

[Kullervo]

Originally posted by Boo
My favorite short story is about the young man in a society where everyone is equal. Aaargh, I can't remember the name. Given the current PC of society I find myself wondering if we will end up where Bradbury imagined us.


Boo Sounds like Harrison Bergeron but that's Vonnegut....http://penguinppc.org/~hollis/personal/bergeron.shtml

(love the sig, Boo - great movie)

[RSLancastr]

The Illustrated Man is probably my favorite, with The Veldt being my favorite story within it.

My then-wife and I took our three kids to hear him speak at our local library years ago. We bought three hardback copies of The Halloween Tree, and he autographed each to one of the kids.

He was fascinating to listen to, especially when he talked about his experiences in Ireland, writing the screenplay to Moby Dick - very funny. I believe he wrote a book about the experience, titled Green Island, White Whale or something similar.

A friend of mine belongs to a writer's group here in the Los Angeles area, and every year Bradbury speaks at one of their meetings. They usually meet in the auditorium of some retirement home, but when Bradbury speaks, they have to hold the meeting elsewhere, since he says he won't hang around old people. :)

[Boo]

Kull,

You are quite correct. I'm not sure where I got the idea that it was a Bradbury story. I must be getting old.

I watched the Directors' version of 'Blade Runner' last night and noted the building that Sebastion lived in was The Bradbury.


Boo

[Bluegill]

I quite liked The Martian Chronicles. Farenheit 451 wouldn't be far behind.

[juryjone]

My favorites would include:
"Pillar of Fire" in A Medicine for Melancholy (?)
"Usher II" in Martian Chronicles
"Christ, Old Student in a New School" in the Again, Dangerous Visions anthology by Harlan Ellison

and my favorite novel would be Something Wicked This Way Comes.

I spent a couple of my teenage years reading everything of his that I could get my hands on. Time well spent. I even adapted "The Small Assassin" for a screenwriting class and used "The Lake" for an oral interpretation competition. Am I a Bradbury geek or what?

[Mark]

Originally posted by Sundog
Who is 83 years old today. Many happy returns.

What's your favorite Bradbury?

The Laurel and Hardy Love Affair. A very moving story, I think.

[Candace]

Originally posted by Sundog
Who is 83 years old today. Many happy returns.

What's your favorite Bradbury?

Your question assumes that there might be a least favorite Bradbury...

I havn't read the rest of the thread yet, so at the risk of massive "me, too"-ing, my top three:

The Lake (Oh, Tally!)

The Halloween Tree

The Martian Chronicles (with special emphasis on Usher II & There Will Come Soft Rains)

Of course, now you've reminded me of To The Dust Returneth, the Homecoming, Uncle Einar...

Ok, then, they're all my favorites! Deal!

[SteveW]

Originally posted by Boo
Kull,

You are quite correct. I'm not sure where I got the idea that it was a Bradbury story. I must be getting old.

I watched the Directors' version of 'Blade Runner' last night and noted the building that Sebastion lived in was The Bradbury.


Boo

However, the reference in the movie was not to Ray Bradury. The Bradbury building is a Victorian era office building in downtown L.A. It was built around the turn of the century and restored in the 1970's.