American science fiction author Ray Bradbury dies age 91

 

Ray Bradbury, the American author who was regarded alongside the giants of 20th century science fiction and fantasy writing, has died at the age of 91.

Tributes poured in after it was confirmed that Bradbury, who published more than 500 works including the celebrated Fahrenheit 451, died last night.

The author, who never went to college, sold more than 8 million books around the world, was honoured with the National Medal of Arts and even had a crater on the moon named after one of his books. In 2007, the Pulitzer Board gave him a special citation “for his distinguished, prolific and deeply influential career as an unmatched author of science fiction and fantasy.”

Yet, despite foreseeing an uncanny number of technological developments over the past half century, he criticised the use of computers and the internet and never drove a car.

Fans took to Twitter to express their sadness over the author’s death today. Edgar Wright, director of Shaun of the Dead and Scott Pilgrim Vs The World, said: “Our imagination will be dimmer without him.”

Sherlock writer and actor Mark Gatiss said Bradbury was had a “dazzling, incredibly humane imagination like no other” while Lord of the Rings actor Elijah Wood said he “grew up with his incredible stories.”

Jonathan Ross said: “The great Ray Bradbury has left the planet. When I was younger I read no one else. Was lucky enough to shake his hand.”

Bradbury was born in Illinois in 1920. He was a passionate reader and writer as a child, although was beset by terrible nightmares. His imagination was fired after an introduction to science fiction at the age of eight, “devouring” stories about Buck Rogers, Tarzan and John Carter.

He and moved to Los Angeles at the age of 13 with his family but did not go to college, and taught himself in libraries instead. His determination to be a writer saw him sell his first short story before he was 21, but his first major work was published in 1950. The Maritain Chronicles was praised by Christopher Isherwood as a “very great and visual talent”.

In Fahrenheit 451, published three years later, he presents a dystopian future where the totalitarian state bans books and burns them. He would later say: “There are worse crimes than burning books, one of them is not reading them.” The title refers to the heat that paper burns, according to one of the characters. He would later say that almost everything predicted in the book had come about including the influence of television, the rise of local TV news and a neglect of education. He told Wired in 1998 that he had used them “because I was trying to prevent a future, not predict one.”

Bradbury was a hugely prolific writer, but would also produce work for film including the script for John Huston’s 1956 film version of Moby Dick and TV shows including the Twilight Zone. Later in life he was even brought in by NASA to lecture astronauts and helped Disney on the design for Epcot.

Bradbury lived in the same LA house for 50 years with his wife Marguerite who died in 2003, and is survived by four daughters. A recent stroke had confined him to a wheelchair.

Independent Comment
blog comments powered by Disqus
News in pictures
World news in pictures
UK news in pictures
UK news in pictures
From the blogs

The day the police came for the man who now runs the Care Commission

David Prior's very personal reason for thinkg that investigators need appropriate expertise

Million pound investment to bring Liverpool homes back into use

Dozens of empty homes in two of Liverpool’s most deprived areas will be brought back into use thanks...

Dish of the Day: The Reluctant Vegetarian’s recipe for Triple the Greens Risotto

As a reluctant vegetarian (so reluctant that I'm not vegetarian at all) and a reluctant risotto eate...

“I’m not going to do ANYTHING for you”

Time for the monthly treat from David Hayes, who writes about British politics for the Australian In...

       
 
iJobs Job Widget
iJobs People

Management Consultant

In the region of £60,000: Kinapse Limited: Kinapse Limited, a London-based lif...

Day In a Page

'To farm I have to rape the countryside. It’s got to be wrong': The true effect of the badger cull

The true effect of the badger cull

'To farm I have to rape the countryside. It’s got to be wrong'
Theatre review: Daniel Radcliffe gives an admirably honest performance in Michael Grandage's The Cripple of Inishmaan

First night: The Cripple of Inishmaan

Daniel Radcliffe gives an admirably honest performance in Michael Grandage's comedy
Girls Guides drop religious reference but pledge to self and the Queen

Guides drop religious reference but pledge to self and the Queen

After 103 years, organisation changes oath to welcome 'all girls, of all faiths, and none'
Steve Tongue: Joe Kinnear was one of the boys and a breath of fresh air... 21 years ago

Steve Tongue

Joe Kinnear was one of the boys and a breath of fresh air... 21 years ago
Chris Froome: Free from 'pain in neck' after Bradley Wiggins' exit

Chris Froome: Free from 'pain in neck' after Wiggins' exit

Sky's lead rider says he is in fantastic form for the Tour and happy pecking order debate is over
Hannah England: I've got the right times – now to focus on the chess

Hannah England: Keeping Track

I've got the right times – now to focus on the chess
Beards, brawn and body art

Beards, brawn and body art

Meet London’s new batch of male models
Scandi-geeks descend on Nordicana for fan-convention

Scandi-geeks descend on Nordicana for fan-convention

British love of shows such as The Bridge, Borgen and The Killing shows no sign of fading
Behind the rhetoric what is really being done to combat desertification?

The Great Green Wall of Africa,

Behind the rhetoric what is really being done to combat desertification?
Laughter Inc: the cheering growth of the chuckle industry

Laughter Inc

The cheering growth of the chuckle industry
The bad science scandal: how fact-fabrication is damaging UK's global name for research

The bad science scandal

How fact-fabrication is damaging UK's global name for research
To the manor born: The female aristocrats battling to inherit the title

Female aristocrats battle to inherit the title

A passionate protest is gathering pace among the women of Britain's aristocracy, who believe that men should no longer automatically inherit the family pile and title.
Love struck: Photographs of JFK's visit to Berlin 50 years ago reveal a nation instantly smitten

In pictures: JFK's visit to Berlin in 1963

Photographer Ulrich Mack accompanied Kennedy on the entire trip. The results are an astonishing record of a watershed moment.
Eat shoots and leaves: Mark Hix gets creative with fresh peas, mangetouts and sugar snaps

Mark Hix gets creative with English peas

English peas and their offsprings, such as mangetouts and sugar snaps, are great tossed into a salad, says our chef.
Ceviche with a smile: Chef Martin Morales has turned South America's elegant cuisine into one of London's hottest food trends

Chef Martin Morales: Ceviche with a smile

Morales has turned South America's elegant cuisine into one of London's hottest food trends