Ray Bradbury Essays

Ray Bradbury was an interesting fantasy writer. He based his stories off of his life; his town, his childhood, his family. He made those stories into fantastical worlds that he could live in forever. The author and poet won many awards in his lifetime for the many amazing books he has created. Bradbury is one of the most celebrated authors of the twenty–first century and his stories will be celebrated forever. The early life of Ray Bradbury is quite a normal one surprisingly since his stories are so unique. He lived a happy childhood with a lovely extended family which he included in several of his novels. Bradbury grew up being a huge fan of music and reading lots of adventure and fantasy themed fiction stories. His decision to become a writer...show more content...

A small joke started his career as a writer and it is remarkable how far he came from that. Bradbury's first published story was in a magazine in 1938 which lead to him publishing four issues of his own fan magazine called "Future Fantasia" a year later. Ray gave up on selling newspapers and decided to become a full–time author since he could not enlist in the military for World War II because of his vision problems. His first major work was called The Martian Chronicles which was about an issue between humans colonizing a red planet and the native martians there. His most famous book though was Fahrenheit 451 which is a dystopian novel that highlights the theme of censorship. Bradbury always said that his stories are not science fiction but fantasy. Fantasy is not real while science fiction is a depiction of the real. Ray wrote stories several hours every day, publishing more than thirty books, almost six hundred short stories and plenty of poems, essays, and more. Ray Bradbury won plenty of awards in his lifetime including the Pulitzer award which is given for achievements in literature. His favorite award, although, was being named the "Ideas Consultant" for the United States

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Ray Bradbury Creativity

Imagine being able to write stories that take place over a hundred years into the future... that's the gift Ray Bradbury had. Who knows what kind of technology we will have in the year 2100? So much creativity and imagination is required to be able to write a story about such an unknown topic. Being born in the early to mid 1900's, there was a lot of curiosity present about the future of technology, and Bradbury brought his creativity to stories like "Marionettes, Inc." and "The Pedestrian." Not only does Bradbury do a great job in painting a futuristic scene, but he also always finds a way to add meaningful tension. Since there was so much uncertainty for the future during the time he began to write, the plot twists and cliffhangers always

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Ray Bradbury, a former author from the 1950s, created many works of fictional writing that sparked controversy among the public. In each of his stories he attempted to teach the reader something new and forced them to consider the type of world they were creating around themselves. Particularly, he questioned the importance of the inventions and activities that were largely becoming popular around the world. One of his famous quotes that summarized his writing was, "I don't try to predict the future; I try to prevent it." With this basis he used descriptive language and other writing tools to create a realistic world that presented a self destructive society. This dystopian style writing allowed him to warn his readers of what he believed to be the future. The future full of machines and electronics that humans, whom were obsessed with progress, created that would inevitably eradicate themselves. An important aspect apart of Bradbury's stories included a world where people have become engulfed by electronics. This forms a dynamic that prevents a civilization from developing relationships with one another. Overtime, people become distinctly affixed to the machines they have available in their lives that any unnecessary physical or creative activity is viewed as abnormal. "If he wore hard heels, and lights might click on and faces might appear and an entire street be startled by the passing of a lone figure, himself ..."(The Pedestrian) represents the reaction of Get more content

The short story The Emissary from the book The October Country are both written by the famous Ray Bradbury who excels in telling supernatural stories. In these tales Bradbury creates appealing themes. The leading theme in The Emissary is eternal friendship as shown through plot, symbols, and dialogue. Bradbury's idea of forever lasting friendship is demonstrated through the fascinating actions, or plot of the story. The protagonist, Martin Smith, is a severely sick young boy who leans on his canine, Dog to bring the world to him. An example of eternal friendship shown through plot is Miss Haight's, Martin's teacher, company for Martin. This makes Martin feel that he has a true friend. "On Saturday, Sunday and Monday she baked Martin orange–iced cupcakes, brought him library books about dinosaurs and caveman. On Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday somehow he beat her at dominoes, somehow she lost at checkers, and soon, she cried, he'd defeated her handsomely at chess. On Friday, Saturday, and Sunday they talked and never stopped talking," (Bradbury 4). Martin built a strong bond with Miss Haight doing those activities with her. An indication of a strong friendship shown through plot is Dog's ability to keep bringing back Miss Haight to Martin. "Most important of all he brought back again and again and again Miss Haight," (Bradbury 4). Dog knows that Martin needs Miss Haight's company, so he insists on bringing her back dead or alive to keep Matin happy. Dog does whatever it takes to keep Martin happy. As considered, plot certainly informs the theme of eternal friendship, but is also shown through the startling symbols Bradbury expresses that guides the reader. Bradbury's theme of long term friendship is exhibited through symbols in The Emissary. Earlier in the story, Miss Haight is killed in an auto accident just out of town which made martin very depressed and in a death circle. Dog soon runs away for three days to look for and dig up Miss Haight body and soul so Martin can be happy again. When Dog and Miss Haight are gone, Martin gets closer and closer to dying and feels apart from the bond between them. Circles are an example of a symbol that shows lifetime friendship throughout the story mainly with Dog.

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Technology has become an increasingly advanced as well as an important aspect in modern society. That is why Ray Bradbury, the author of Fahrenheit 451, was right to fear books and other printed sources would be replaced by modern technology. Technology has contributed to the significant loss of time children spend reading. Additionally, eBooks have replaced print books. Moreover,television and radio have replaced newspapers as the dominant source of information. Many people argue that technology has made information from printed sources more available. "We can all come together immediately, live, in words or pictures, thanks to the power of cell phones, computers, televisions, and cameras. The way we socialize, learn, plan, and...show more content... lives below the poverty line, and those numbers are likely to increase as the world economy continues to work through a painful de–leveraging of accrued debt... They [printed books] are inherently amenable to the frictionless dissemination of information. Durable and cheap to produce, to the point of disposability, their abundance, which we currently take for granted, has been a constant and invisible force for the creation of an informed citizenry." If society continues to press eBooks and educational television rather than printed books, less fortunate children will have no source of information such as children books. Furthermore, children spend more time watching television rather than reading. "A 2007 study published by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) reported that the average US household has a television set turned on an average of 8 hours and 11 minutes every single day. Much of that television watching is being done by children" (Preface to 'How Should Television Be Regulated?'). Most children have watched over three school years worth of television. In the article "TV Doesn't teach," it is pointed out that the decline in the ability to read in

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Comparing and Contrasting Characteristics

Ray Bradbury's creation of character Montag in Fahrenheit 451 mirrors his own personal fears, social expectations, and importance of relations. Fahrenheit 451 is split up into 3 characteristics that the author, Ray Bradbury and the main character, Guy Montag share, bringing them to show their most common interests... their love for book. They are willing to go to the fullest extinct for their passion without letting anything get in their way and taking all risks that is needed to succeed.

As well as Ray Bradbury had some wild thoughts he also had some personal fears , afraid to take off his career and other reasons. Based off his past, it made the person and writer he is today , giving him the...show more content...

" I knew Ray Bradbury for the last thirty years of his life, and i was so lucky. He was so funny and gentle and always enthusiastic. He cared, completely and utterly about things. He cared about toys and childhood, and films. He cared about books. He cared about stories." Even though Bradbury had issues at home with his family he never let it stop him from writing and chasing his dreams. He kept pushing forward as well as Montag, facing problems with his wife finding out he was no longer in love with his wife he still tried to make it work and focus on his main focus. "Despite economic problems that took his family twice to Arizona in search of work, and despite the deaths of two siblings, Bradbury's memory of his early years is positive."

Writing thisnovel Bradbury has let other readers feel close to him allowing them to feel like they can relate to him through his stories as well as Montag. Bradbury and Montag relate because they know what is expected of them to succeed and satisfy themselves. Montag holds the responsibility as being a fireman and burning books instead he keeps them other characters in the story can relate who have escaped the society and they will also help him to do the same. They both feel they need to catch up on their past and make the most of their life while they have it. " Montag opines on several occasions throughout the novel that he needs to catch up with the memories of the past." They both love books and would Get more content

The author, Ray Bradbury, is known for his intelligent and fascinating books, short stories, poems, essays, screenplays and plays. He was born on August 22, 1920 in Waukegan, Illinois two years after the vicious World War I has ended. Bradbury knew who and what he wanted to be when he first became a teenager. He wanted to be a writer. He wrote every day of his life since then. This allowed him to accomplish and eventually publish, 30 books, 600 short stories, and many poems essays, screenplays and plays. A few years after he decided to be a writer, Bradbury's days of writing got one of his short stories featured in a fan magazine. After that, almost every piece of the magazine Futuria Fantasia was written by Bradbury by the time he was nineteen years old. This was also the year World War II was declared. While Bradbury was writing he supported himself by selling newspapers. In 1941, one month before the United States entered World War II, Bradbury's first professional piece, Pendulum, was published. Bradbury had visual issues, therefore, he was not able to be drafted into the United States Military. Due to Bradbury's inability to be drafted because of his visual problems, he could continue his writing career. ...show more content...

He married Maggie in 1947. Two years later they had their first daughter. Together, they had four daughters; Susan (1949), Romana (1951), Bettina (1955), and Alexandra (1958). As Bradbury continued this next step of his life, he published a book titled The Martian Chronicles in 1950 one year after his first daughter was born. This book takes place in the future on another planet with other creatures. In 1953 Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451 was published. This piece also takes place in the future and many changes have occurred in the ways of life. This was and still is said to be one of Bradbury's most famous

Ray Bradbury was a very successful and influential Sci–Fi writer from the 20th and 21st centuries. His life and his career as a writer were both long and extraordinary. Numerous awards have been given to his hundreds of books and short stories. Perhaps more important than his work was his lasting effect on society. He was without a doubt one of the greatestscience fiction writers of the past century.

Bradbury was born in Illinois in 1920, but he spent most of his life in Los Angeles. He had always loved reading and writing, but he first decided to make that his career when he was not selected for the draft in world war two because of his eyesight. He was often penniless, eating at soup kitchens and other free or low–cost restaurants. His first major novels were The Martian Chronicles and Fahrenheit 451 in 1950 and 1953. Despite the nature of his books he was strongly opposed to modern technology and claimed to have never driven a car. He wrote every day for over 60 years...show more content...

He had one of the longest careers in literature writing from the late 1930s up to the early 2010s. His most popular work, however, was Fahrenheit 451. This book launched him into fame and has been very popular ever since. He also wrote other popular novels such as The Illustrated Man and A Medicine for Melancholy as well as dozens of other novels and hundreds of short stories, screenplays, and poems. These many writings have brought Bradbury countless awards. He has won an Emmy for a television script and has been nominated for an academy award. He also won a lifetime achievement award and has a star on the Hollywood walk of fame. Despite his numerous awards, perhaps his greatest one was one he did not win. The Ray Bradbury Award for Outstanding Dramatic Presentation is an award given to the best sciencefiction film of the year and is considered very prestigious. Bradbury had a long, prolific, and awarded

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Ray Bradbury Analysis

Crumbs Left by a Bradbury From short stories to fantasy and horror novels the 'science fiction author' Ray Bradbury entertains millions with his works. Known from his most famous novel Fahrenheit 451, " a dystopian study of future American society in which critical thought is outlawed" ("Ray Bradbury" 1). Bradbury was not solely tied to novel writing 'he had many irons in the fire' he had several article published in numerous newspapers, he wrote many screenplays for movies, and also created his own HBO television series. "He wrote numerous screenplays and treatments, including a 1956 take on Moby Dick. In 1986, Bradbury developed his own HBO television..." (" Ray Bradbury" 1) . Bradbury's life works still touch and entertain millions of people, his timeless words shall ring for eternity. From a young age Bradbury showed much interest into english literature. He was born in Waukegan, Illinois and spent much of his childhood growing up there. At the young age of 12 he decided to become a writer. Being a very clever and bright kid Bradburry began his writing career on butcher paper. (Jensen & Johnston 1). Bradbury spent his teenage years enrolled at Los Angeles High Schools. Two of his teachers recognized a greater talent in Bradbury, and encouraged his development as a writer. Snow Longley Housh taught him about poetry and Jeannet Johnson taught him to write short stories. Over 60 years later, Bradbury's work bears the indelible impressions left by these two

Who Is Ray Bradbury?

Derek Saldivar 3/24/17 English Ray Bradbury Essay Ray Douglas Bradbury was born August 22, 1920 but ended up dying June 5, 2012. Ray was an inspiring author and screenwriter, who was well known and famous for his many books such as 'Fahrenheit 51'. Ray received many special types of awards, many of his studies and works were adapted and transformed into comic and novel format. Ray wrote many books and short stories, his most famous genre of the books was science fiction. Ray was known and listed as one of the most decorated author publisher in the world. Ray Bradbury was born in the state of Illinois and was a Swedish immigrant. Ray was involved in many activities and

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Ray Bradbury had once aforementioned," You don't have to burn books to destroy a culture. You just have to get people to stop reading them." This is delineating the idea of burning intelligence, opinions, records, and thoughts. People are not immortal, but people are suddenly forced to depart Earth at one point, so they abandon something that is imperishable to the world, books. Thus, burning books, one human's most common brainchild, creations, and possessions, would be a catastrophe. It would be the genesis of setting flames and committing arson to people. Although Ray Bradbury had not distinctly displayed the message in his words, he signified it as delivering teachings of wisdom will come to a conclusion. Also, Ray Bradbury depicts how culture and how it alters and impacts the principles of our life is significant....show more content...

For instance, history, cultures, and languages are often documented in books. This means if we are tending fire to destroy books, no one will be cognizant of how the Earth was previously. Unfortunately, this will conceive pandemonium as we are inadequate as we avoid any of the preceding mistakes and cannot comprehend the present. There is an abundance amount of times where people destroy various libraries such as the Library of Alexandria, Antioch, Ctesiphon, etc. Despite the fact that Ray Bradbury fears there will be no knowledge, people fear knowledge. People abuse their power for corrupt reasons such as burning books in an apprehensive manner. The knowledge in the book can have the ability to overpower any superior which is why book burnings occur to show people who are superior and inferior. For example, the Nazis had book burnings on several dates to rid the world of the despised literature written by the Holocaust victims. In summary, the passing of information will desist leaving intelligence a legend frightens Ray

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by Ray Bradbury Essay

The short story The Pedestrian is an intriguing story that takes place in the future. This story suggests that if the world continues the progress that it is now then we will become no more than humans who are doing nothing with our lives. It shows how people would seclude themselves from others and begin to stop caring for others. Is this actually a possibility in the future? In this short story there is a man by the name of Mr. Mead who doesn't necessarily do the same as everyone else. In this future based story, there is a curfew for everyone at which they should begin to watch TV. Mr. Mead does not like this so every night he goes out and walks around the town looking into houses. One night a police car sees him and stops him. The...show more content...

At the end of the story we pass Mr. Mead's house and see his house is the only one that has its lights on. The police car tells Mr. Mead that he will be taken to "the Psychiatric Center for Research on Regressive Tendencies." The only true character in this story is Mr. Mead. He is a man who decides he does not have to follow everyone else. He makes his own decisions and does not stay inside and become entranced by his TV. Instead he decides that he wants to go outside and get some fresh air so he is not stuck in his house. Though he is eventually arrested he takes a stand for what he believes in. Imagery is one of the best used literary devices in this short story. Imagery means "The use of vivid or figurative language to represent objects, actions, or ideas." (http://dictionary.reference.com/define/imagery) InThe Pedestrian Bradbury tells us that Mr. Mead's house "had all of its electric lights brightly lit, every window s loud yellow illumination, square and warm in the cool darkness." (51) This story also uses imagery when it talks about the police car and says, "...peered into the back seat, which was a little cell, a little black jail with bars. It smelled of riveted steel. It smelled of harsh antiseptic; it smelled too clean and hard and metallic. There was nothing soft there." Another very well used literary device in this story is personification. Personification is when an inanimate object is given human attributes. In the specific instance

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Ray Bradbury's Life Experiences

Ray Bradbury An Analysis of His Life, Experiences, and Writings. Ray Bradbury, one of the best science fiction writers, writes his papers pertaining to his life experiences, and the people around him. Through his life experiences, they provided a great influence in all of his writings, especially his biggest, "The Pedestrian." Throughout Bradbury's life, his writings were influenced by the experiences and the rise of technology. Throughout Bradbury's life, there were many influences that affected him and his writings, especially in his younger years. During his childhood, he was always interested in science fiction. He passed through a series of passions, including circuses, dinosaurs, and the planet Mars.

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Ray Bradbury Influences

Ray Bradbury is considered to be one of the greatest science fiction writers of all time. He is best known for one of his most popular novels, Fahrenheit 451, and how it fueled the popularization of science fiction literature. However, throughout his career, he was also able to make many other successful literary works such as short stories, screenplays, poems, and essays. Bradbury was born on August 22, 1920 in the state of Illinois. Growing up, he had always had a passion for theater. He was fortunate enough to have early exposure to the works of Edgar Allan Poe, which had influenced some of his own early works significantly. However, it wasn't until Bradbury had formed a close bond with a magician, that he became inspired to bring his

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Clairvoyant Bradbury: Research Essay Introduction: Subjects & Thesis

In a world full of peril, violence, and death, what hope could one have for the events that would come in the near future? In the 1950's, Ray Bradbury, known to be one the of the greatest writers of science fiction, published The Martian Chronicles, a collection of short stories,the views of human travelers and Martians, with narration from an omniscient narrator on Earth and Mars. Bradbury depicts an Earth in social, political, and economic chaos, in the midst of a nuclear war. The government sends search parties of astronauts to find a habitable planet, which leads to some landing on a civilized Mars, and interactions with hostile Martians, who deceive and kill these travelers....show more content...

Specifically, in The Martian Chronicles, with an Earth in chaos similarly to the one in World War II. The Earth in The Martian Chronicles was in the midst of a nuclear war, economic instability, racism, and death. Similarly, in war America was in a nuclear arms race with the axis powers, and even bombed Hiroshima and Nagasaki Japan, killing many innocent beings. Economically, most countries went into total war, dedicating all resources to war. Countries like Germany didn't survive, with the lost of valuable resources, while the United States thrived with high employment rates. Racism in the United States was still very present with discrimination still being a factor. Racism in The Martian Chronicles is embodied in Samuel Fleece, a human who had great hate for the African Americans who wanted a better life in Mars. Effects on view of near future, as shown in interviews and stories(Optimistic or

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Ray Bradbury: A Brilliant Prognosticator

I agree that Ray Bradbury was a brilliant prognosticator because many of the things he foretold in the 1950's did end up coming true today in some form. Some examples would be the overuse of technology in everyday lives, reduced value for knowledge and education, and growing violence in the world. I share some of these concerns, specifically the need to resort to violence, and overuse of personal electronic devices such as mobile phones and computers.

The overuse of some types of technology in our everyday lives, resulting in a diminished value for knowledge and education, is a growing problem in our society. For example, instead of focusing on reading a book many young adults will go on Instagram, YouTube, or Snapchat, which offer shortened

Who is Ray Bradbury? Well many of you probably already know who he is. He is an author who wrote many good books such as Fahrenheit 451, The Martian Chronicles, The Illustrated Man, and The October Country. I have read his book Fahrenheit 451 and it was a spectacular piece of art. In this paper you will learn more about this legendary author named Ray Bradbury.

Ray bradbury was born August 22nd, 1920 in Waukegan Illinois. He died June 5th, 2012 in Los Angeles California at the age of 91. His parents were Leonard Spaulding Bradbury and Esther Moberg Bradbury. As a CHild he liked to watch magicians and liked to read adventure and fantasy fiction. He especially liked the works of L. Frank Baum, Jules Verne, and Edgar Rice Burroughs....show more content... While it seemed like a science fiction novel to everyone, Bradbury thought of it as a fantasy. Later on his short stories started to adapted as comic books.

Bradbury 's best known work was Fahrenheit 451 and personally one of my favorites. It became an instant hit in the era of McCarthyism because of its dystopian theme. Later on in 2007 he disputed that Fahrenheit 451 was not about censorship but about how television drives away the want to read.(Patia Daphne "Assault on free thought.")

Fahrenheit 451 is about a dystopian future where books are illegal, walls are televisions, and firemen don 't put out fires but start them to get rid of books in the house. It is the story of Guy Montag who is a Firemen who goes against it all and reads books in secret and finds out that they shouldn 't be burning them and he figures out the true history of the world. In this world there is no interest in doing anything but working and watching television in their parlors, but the people who know what 's actually going on are hunted down and killed or put in prison.

Later on in his life, despite his hate for television, he advocated for movies and television shows. He had many screenplays written including his take on Moby Dick in 1956, in 1986 he had a television series on HBO based around his short stories and comic books which ran until 1992. He published 30 books, close 600 short

Ray Bradbury Influences

An author's influence is always conspicuous in their writing. Their work is swayed by major events and little things that deeply affected their lives. Historical content during that time period also inspires their writing. The fantasy and science fiction writer of the mid–1900's, Ray Bradbury, admitted about the magician, Mr. Electrico, "I could run to him, embrace him, and thank him for changing my life and helping me become a writer" (In His Words 2).Ray Bradbury was a leading contributor to fantasy fiction during the 20th century became stirred by the influences of the effects of his personal life, magic, the speedy scientific inventions during his life, and the worldwide fear of the atomic bomb of WWII.

Ray Bradbury was born on August...show more content...

He joined the Los Angeles Science Fiction Club where he made friends with other famous authors and joined poetry club. Ray Bradbury stated, "Science fiction is the fiction of ideas. It is always the art of the possible, never the impossible." (Weller 3). His work was inspired by science because the 1920's were the era of speedy scientific discovery. When he was ten years old, Bradbury had read thoughts of Percival Lowell on the actuality of life on Mars. The topic of space is evident in many of his short stories like "The Rocket Man", "The City", and "No Particular Night or Morning". Bradbury thought ending life on Earth could lead to flight and life in space. The science of space and human nature brought about his achievements with fantasy and science fiction. The science fiction characters, Buck Rogers and Flash Gordon, gave him inspiration for his own characters in his first short story, "Pendulum". During his time of writing, World War II started and began the atomic age and the idea of atomic science came into his

Ray Bradbury      Ray Bradbury was a dreamer. Bradbury had a skill at putting his dreams onto paper, and into books. He dreams dreams of magic and transformation, good and evil, small–town America and the canals of Mars. His dreams are not only popular, but durable. His work consists of short stories, which are not hard to publish, and keep in the public eye. His stories have stayed in print for nearly three decades.      Ray Bradbury was born on August 22, 1920, in a small town of Waukegan, Illinois. His parents were Leonard Spaulding and Esther Moberg Bradbury. His mother, Esther Moberg loved films, she gave her son the middle name Douglas because of Douglas Fairbanks, and she passed...show more content...

In 1938 Los Angeles High School yearbook, the following prediction appeared beneath his picture: Likes to write stories Admired as a thespian

Headed for literary distinction      After graduation Bradbury sold newspapers until he saved up enough money to buy a typewriter and rent a small office. In the early 1940's his stories appeared regularly in Weird Tales. "I sold a story every month there for three or four years when I was (in my early twenties). Made the magnificent sum of twenty dollars for each story." Bradbury sold his first stories in 1945 to "slick" magazines – Collier's, Charm, and Mademoiselle.      Shortly after his marriage to Marguerite Susan McClure in 1947, Bradbury's first book, Dark Carnival, was published by Arkham House. About this time, the idea for an important book about Mars, a collection of loosely connected stories, came to Bradbury.      The subjects that engage Bradbury's pen are many: magic, horror, and monsters; rockets, robots, time and space travel; growing up in the Midwest town in the 1920's, and growing old in an abandoned Earth colony on another planet. Despite their themes, his stories contain a sense of wonder, often a sense of joy, and a lyrical and rhythimic touch that sets his work apart. Using an analytical approach to such stories is to do a kind of violence to them, but between the dream and the finished story is a

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As one of the most acclaimed, highly–regarded authors of the past century, Ray Bradbury was a phenomenal storyteller that remarkably influenced the popularity of science fiction literature in the modern world. Born on August 20, 1920 into a rather small, poor family in Waukegan, Illinois, Ray moved from town to town as his father searched for work which led to him inhabiting new environments that would later influence some of his work. During this often arduous period, Ray developed an interest in writing as a profession while attending Los Angeles High School, and eventually found work in the bustling city. While he unhappily struggled to make money by selling newspapers on street corners, he finally left this occupation in 1942 and devoted

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