A long time ago, the Los Angeles Times published a color supplement in comic book form called the Rise and Fall of the Martian Empire. It was all about the Martian Chronicles and Ray Bradbury. I was just 11 or so. My family was going through severe problems. I used to read a lot to escape, and just when I needed it most the L.A. Times brought out its piece and I became hooked.
Back then 1999, the start date for the Martian Chronicles, seemed so far in the future, maybe there could be private rockets. Certainly it seemed likely that nuclear war, predicted in the book, could readily break out in that time. Younger Kossacks will not know what it was like to live back then when there was constant talk of nuclear war.
My early adult reading began about this time when my father would bring home various books he'd purchased in airport bookshops on his many travels. Other than the Time Reading Program, which my mother had subscribed to, if it wasn't in the airport bookshop, it didn't get to our house!
Fortunately Bradbury's short story collections were in the airport bookshops, including R is for Rocket and S is for Space. I was a little worried -- here I was -- thinking myself almost a grown up at age 12 -- reading books with kid titles? But the line up of the stories in R is for Rocket alone included such classics as "The Fog Horn", "The Rocket Man", "A Sound of Thunder", "The Long Rain", "The Exiles", "Here There Be Tygers", "The Strawberry Window" and one of my favorites "The Dragon".
I also loved the 1966 movie of Fahrenheit 451, but here is a fan trailer which suggests what a splendid modern film might be made of that book:
And here is the man himself with some wonderful stories and strong opinions.
Thanks for everything Ray.