Ray Bradbury. From “Martian Chronicles”/Farenheit 451.

Some biography:

Ray Douglas Bradbury, the author of more than 500 published literary works, was born in Waukegan, Illinois, on August 22, 1920. Hey guys, he is still alive and he lives in America!

In 1934, when Bradbury was 14, the family moved permanently to Los Angeles, California. Mr. Bradbury still resides in Los Angeles, but regards Waukegan as his hometown and has used it as the setting of two of his novels, under the pseudonym of Green Town.

In his youth, Bradbury developed a love of magic and aspired to become a magician. Encouraged in his creativity by his family, Bradbury turned to writing at a young age, a profession at which many would argue he has worked quite a bit of magic. In 1937, at the age of 17, Bradbury became a member of the Los Angeles Science Fiction League, through which he published his first work, a short lived science fiction fan magazine. Bradbury's first short story was published in Weird Tales when he was 20. In addition to his numerous books and short stories, Bradbury wrote for years for both Alfred Hitchcock Presents and The Twilight Zone. He has written two musicals, produced dramatic presentations of a number of his novels, and wrote the screenplay for 1953's Moby Dick. His cable television show, The Ray Bradbury Theater, has won numerous cable awards, and five of his novels (Fahrenheit 451, The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms, It Came from Outer Space, The Illustrated Man, and Something Wicked This Way Comes) have been made into major motion pictures.

Genre and topics:

Ray Bradbury is most widely regarded as a science fiction writer, he has not limited himself to that genre, having also produced works of drama and psychological realism. It would be unfair to classify much of Bradbury's more philosophical science fiction, Fahrenheit 451 included, within the genre of science fiction. Fahrenheit 451 is as much a work of social criticism, comparable to Orwell's 1984 and Huxley's Brave New World, as a work of science fiction. Bradbury has also written works of horror, fantasy, and mystery, and many of his works - particularly his short stories - reject the supernatural entirely for themes of childhood wonder, love, nostalgia, and hope. Bradbury's work has contributed to American literature on many levels, and he remains one of a very few authors who entertains both young and old alike.Mr.

Today’s life and curious facts:

Bradbury, father of four daughters, Susan, Ramona, Bettina, and Alexandra, and grandfather of many, currently resides in Los Angeles, where he continues to write and speak, enjoys painting, and collects Mexican artwork. He suffered a stroke in 1999 but has continued to publish books at a prodigious clip. His more recent works include The Homecoming (2006), Let's All Kill Constance (2002), and One More for the Road (2002), a collection of short stories.

Though he is one of the preeminent science fiction writers of his generation, he is also a noted technophobe: he has never driven a car, and he distrusts the internet, computers, and ATM machines.

Farenheit 451 summary: http://www.gradesaver.com/fahrenheit-451/study-guide/short-summary/

Main themes:

Censorship

In Fahrenheit 451, owning and reading books is illegal. Members of society focus only on entertainment, immediate gratification and speeding through life.

In the book, Bradbury doesn't give a clear explanation of why censorship has become so great in this futuristic society. He alludes to a variety of causes. Fast cars, loud music, and massive advertisements… Bradbury gives the reader a brief description of how society slowly lost interest in books, first condensing them, then relying simply on titles, and finally forgetting about them all together.

In the Afterword Bradbury clearly expresses his own sensitivity to attempts to restrict his writing. He feels censored by letters suggesting he should give stronger roles to women or black men. Bradbury sees such suggestions and interventions as the first step towards censorship and book burning.

Дата добавления: 2015-11-14