I define science fiction as the art of the possible. Fantasy is the art of the impossible. Science fiction, again, is the history of ideas, and they are always ideas that work themselves out and become real and happen in the world. And fantasy comes along and says, ‘We’re going to break all the laws of physics.’
Ray Bradbury
Ray Bradbury is a name almost everyone has heard of and a name many love. His science fiction books catapulted the genre into the mainstream. Libraries all over stock his books, and schools use his books as a key part of their curriculum. His science fiction books point out flaws in our society and draw attention to how we are using technology.
Because he has vivid subject matters, and morals that are pretty clear cut and easy to understand, we can often find Bradbury’s books on middle school curriculums and in most high schools. He creates complex worlds and societies that span throughout generations, and his characters often intrigue readers of all ages. This easy access to his books and the fact that all ages can read and analyze them, is what helped grow his popularity. This took him from having an underground cult following, to being read by everyone.
The themes in his books are usually nostalgic for childhood, a critique of society and the norms placed on us, along with an awareness of how technology can impact our life in a negative way. Even though his works are science fiction, by his own definition they need to be regarded as a collective history of ideas that can become real and happen in our world. Because his events are so believable and routed in our truth, his ability to blend our world’s problems and events he creates in his books helps him gather a wide range of readers.
The teachings of his stories are still hugely relevant today, which is the reason they continue to attract a large following. We have deep fakes, fake news, and laws that seek to limit what we can and can’t do through technology and the internet. Current events are reflected in his science fiction books and pushed to the extreme.
According to his own definition of science fiction, Ray Bradbury classifies only one of his books as science fiction. Fahrenheit 451 where the burning of books stops the spread of free thinking. Throughout his 70 year writing career he wrote more short stories than he did novels. The very first one was his short story Hollerbochen’s Dilemma written in 1938. After that he ended up combining some of his short stories into a book of sorts titled The Martian Chronicles. And thus a turning point in his career that kicked off all his writings from there.
Ray Bradbury has been credited with bringing modern science fiction into the literary mainstream
The New York Times
Many believe that the science fiction genre was defined by Ray Bradbury. Children continue to read at least one of his books at school, and his writings have inspired many movies, tv shows and other books. Readers pull from his ideas and writings to create and base their own science fiction worlds off of. Bradbury has created a lasting impression on the world of science fiction, and will continue to do so for years to come.
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