Ray Bradbury Books

Description /Buy link takes you to Amazon. As an Amazon Associate I earn money from qualifying purchases.

Ray Bradbury was an American science fiction and fantasy author that was best known for his speculative fiction. Besides novels, he also wrote scripts for television. Some people believe that he helped modern science fiction attain mainstream acceptance.

Bradbury was born in 1920 in Illinois. Leonard, his father, worked as a power and telephone lineman. Esther, his mother, was a Swedish immigrant. As a child, the author was surrounded by his extended family.

As a result, his aunt was always close by to read him short stories, creating the foundation from which Bradbury’s literary career would emerge. The writer’s childhood was spent in Waukegan, Illinois. The family moved to Tucson for a few years.

Bradbury attended Amphi and Roskruge, two junior high schools in Tucson during this period. But the family would often return to Waukegan. They finally settled in Los Angeles when he was 14.

Bradbury grew to appreciate the transition because it ignited his passion for Hollywood. After finding his footing at Los Angeles High School, the author took every opportunity he got to participate in the institution’s drama club. He was also afforded the chance to meet notable figures like George Burns (Radio) and Ray Harryhausen (Special Effects).

Even though he was an active member of the drama club, the author’s interest in books never waned. Even as a child, Bradbury read and wrote enthusiastically. Places like Waukegan’s Carnegie Library introduced him to H. G. Wells, Edgar Allan Poe, and their ilk.

Bradbury did not discriminate. He read a little bit of everything, including horror, science fiction, fantasy, and even comic books. When he wasn’t reading or writing, the author was drawing. Admittedly, by his 20s, Bradbury’s interests were not as broad. He had started prioritizing the literary works of figures like Alexander Pope.

1938 was the year that Bradbury’s first story was published. With the help of Forrest J. Ackerman and his girlfriend, the author created his own fanzine. He wrote most of the content in the four issues that saw the light of day.

He was also fortunate enough to write for the Rob Wagner magazine ‘Script’ in the 1940s. While other aspiring authors were busy fighting in the Second World War, Bradbury could focus his efforts on his writing career because his poor eyesight had prevented him from joining the military.

He used that opportunity to write full-time. It was around that period that his marriage to Maggie McClure began. Because Bradbury’s early writing efforts did not bear any financial fruit, he had to rely on McClure. For the first few years, she was the breadwinner in their family, which included four daughters.

His luck changed when ‘The Martian Chronicles’ was published in 1950. The adaptations of his short stories in television and comic books that appeared in 1951 elevated his renown, extending the author’s reach.

Most people agree that ‘Fahrenheit 451’ is his best work. It came out in 1953, exploring sensitive themes like censorship. The book became a classic, turning Bradbury into a publishing star.

Ray Bradbury Awards

Bradbury has won the Bram Stoker and World Fantasy Lifetime Achievement awards.

Ray Bradbury Books Into Movies

The book ‘The Fog Horn’ inspired a scene in ‘The Beast From 20000 Fathoms’. ‘I Sing The Body Electric’ became an episode of The Twilight Zone as well as a movie from 1982 called ‘The Electric Grandmother’. ‘The Illustrated Man’ became a movie starring Robert Drivas and Rod Steiger. ABC turned ‘The Screaming Woman’ into a movie in 1972.

In 1980, NBC broadcast a television mini-series adapted from ‘The Martian Chronicles’. ‘Something Wicked This Way Comes’ became a horror movie of the same name.

‘The Ray Bradbury Theater’ was an anthology show that based its episodes on Bradbury’s stories. Some of the author’s stories made it all the way to the USSR, making appearances in episodes of ‘This Fantastic World’, a science fiction show. Other movies that were inspired by Bradbury’s stories include ‘A Sound of Thunder’, ‘The Butterfly Effect’,’ and ‘Ray Bradbury’s Chrysalis’.

Best Ray Bradbury Books

The author died in 2012. He was 91 at the time. His wife died years earlier in 2003. Ray Bradbury’s best books include:

Fahrenheit 451: Guy Montag lives a bland life. Like most of the country, his wife spends her days watching television. Meanwhile, Montag works as a fireman, using his skills to burn the printed word.

Montag has never questioned his actions. But then Clarrise enters his life and changes everything by showing him the power that books and their ideas possess.

The Martian Chronicles: This book tells the story of humanity’s efforts to conquer Mars. The first men to reach the planet succumbed to an illness that struck them once the sight of their planet showed them how insignificant they were.

The shape-shifting Martians responded to their lunacy by locking them away. But the humans kept coming, bringing with them the desires and prejudices that had tainted their world.

When Does The Next Ray Bradbury book come out?

Ray Bradbury doesn't seem to have an upcoming book. Their newest book is Zero Hour and was released on December, 20th 2023. It is the newest book in the Ray Bradbury Short Stories/Novellas.

Home » Author » Ray Bradbury

BookSeries.org