The gentlest and most poetic of the classic science-fiction writers lived in the October Country:
“That country where it is always turning late in the year. That country where the hills are fog and the rivers are mist; where noons go quickly, dusks and twilights linger, and midnights stay. That country composed in the main of cellars, sub-cellars, coal-bins, closets, attics, and pantries faced away from the sun. That country whose people are autumn people, thinking only autumn thoughts. Whose people passing at night on the empty walks sound like rain.â€
Awww. *goes off to finally read Martian Chronicles*
…Yet again, I don’t find out that one of my favorite writers is still alive until he’s, well, not.
Rest in peace.
“Stuff your eyes with wonder, live as if you’d drop dead in ten seconds. See the world. It’s more fantastic than any dream made or paid for in factories.â€
“You must write every single day of your life… You must lurk in libraries and climb the stacks like ladders to sniff books like perfumes and wear books like hats upon your crazy heads… may you be in love every day for the next 20,000 days. And out of that love, remake a world.â€
“I have never listened to anyone who criticized my taste in space travel, sideshows or gorillas. When this occurs, I pack up my dinosaurs and leave the room.â€
RIP. A personal inspiration, and a master of fantasy/sci fi.
Very sad to hear this. Just to share my personal story, I was lucky enough to have seen him speak a few years ago at the LA Times book festival when it was still at UCLA. He was pretty lively despite his age and seemed to still be working hard as ever. Also still fiery; he said he wouldn’t come back to the Festival until the LA Times reinstated its Books section (which it never did!) He also talked about writing on a typewriter in some basement or other at UCLA years and years ago when he was getting started.
I have a copy of the Martian Chronicles from that day that’s signed (i didn’t meet him personally because we were too late, but he signed a lot of extra copies.) I would rank that book as probably one of the more formative reading/imaginative experiences of my life. A real testament not only to the far flung places reading can take us, but writing as well. Thanks, Ray.
I love his wonderful short stories and his lyrical style so much. RIP, Ray Bradbury.
“Buckminster Fuller lectures us on how to change the World and yet the only people I see who are successful at changing the World are right here – people with very special dreams. We are acting out what Schweitzer often spoke of in his philosophies years ago. He said, ‘… set a good example for the World. If you are excellent, if you are of high quality, the World will imitate you.'”
He could have been talking about MuseBlog.
Exactly. (It was actually from a speech to EPCOT’s Imagineers, when he was helping design that park.)
I feel sort of hollow and disbelieving about this. I never read many of his stories, but they were good ones. I mean, I know he was in his 90s and no one can live forever, but … Asdfjkl.