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[jasonbrannon]

Although its been a couple of weeks since it happened, I was saddened to hear about the passing of Ray Bradbury.  His books are among my favorites. 

Here are some of his stories that come to mind: 

The October Game
The Veldt
The Million-Year Picnic
I Sing The Body Electric
A Sound of Thunder
The Fruit at the Bottom of the Bowl

Anybody else a Bradbury fan? 

[Matthew]

Something Wicked This Way Comes

[jasonbrannon]

I always read that one around Halloween.  It's a wonderful book. 

[MarcW]

I'd go with Something Wicked This Way Comes too.  As for another story about Bradbury himself... he did a special lecture for my social science class about twenty years ago.  Really neat guy.  He talked about the future.  What really struck me was his optimism.  Back then when people referred to the future and what it holds, it's usually bleak and depressing (environmental catastrophe, war, economic collapse, ect.)...   

Bradbury's vision was nothing like that.  He talked about all the potential and wonders in store for us.  I remember feeling really optimistic after hearing him speak for several days afterwards.  It was really strking how positive and genuine he was. 

[jasonbrannon]

I would have loved the chance to meet Mr. Bradbury in person or at the very least hear him speak.  I've read quite a few interviews with him, and he always seemed to be very optimistic and upbeat about the future. 

[Lord Anubis]

I wrote Mr. Bradbury a fan letter back in college, and was thrilled when he wrote back with a personal response (who among you knew young Ray Bradbury once spent an afternoon trying to convince Walt Disney to run for mayor of Los Angeles?).  Once I moved out to California, I got to hear him speak several times, and talk to him in person twice.  He told me some wonderful stories about the priest at his wedding and how the Smithsonian  once fired him "for being a smartass." 

As for stories... if "all of them" isn't a fair answer, I'd probably pick...

"Usher 2" which got collected into The Martian Chronicles.

"A Sound of Thunder"

"The Laurel and Hardy Love Affair"

I believe "McGillahee's Brat" is in Green Shadows, White Whale, along with a lot of other stories about his time in Ireland doing Moby Dick with John Huston.  There's also a wonderful one called "The Terrible Conflagration Up at The Place," which is the most hysterical story of peasant rebellion you'll ever read.  And also "Banshee," which Bradbury not-so-subtly claims he wrote one night instead of killing Huston. 

"Pillar of Fire" is a novella-esque short story adapted from one of his stage plays.  It's about the last dead man on Earth.  It's brilliant.

And, of course, Fahrenheit 451.

And, well... all the others.

[jasonbrannon]

I just re-read The Crowd.  What a great story!

I'm thinking of moving on to The Halloween Tree next.  That one seems to get overlooked sometimes. 

[jasonbrannon]

I just posted a few thoughts about Bradbury's The Veldt on my blog:  http://jasonbrannon.blogspot.com/