Ray Bradbury Biography

Fast Facts

• Received a Pulitzer citation in 2007 for "his distinguished, prolific and deeply influential career as an unmatched author of science fiction and fantasy․"
• Was honored by the National Institute of Arts and Letters in 1954 for "his contributions to American literature․"
• Was presented with a National Medal of Arts by President George W․ Bush in 2004
• Sold his first story to Super Science Stories magazine in his early 20s
• Had his first great success with the short story "Homecoming" in 1947, which was published in Mademoiselle magazine and earned him an O․ Henry Award
• Quote: "(On his love of stories in his youth): "It was one frenzy after one elation after one enthusiasm after one hysteria after another․․․You rarely have such fevers later in life that fill your entire day with emotion․""
• Quote: "I have fun with ideas; I play with them․ I'm not a serious person, and I don't like serious people․ I don't see myself as a philosopher․ That's awfully boring․․․My goal is to entertain myself and others․"
• Best known as the fantasy and science fiction author who wrote "Fahrenheit 451," "The Martian Chronicles," and "Something Wicked This Way Comes․"
• Spent 70 of his 91 years of life writing, and was still producing material during the last weeks of his life
• Was the host of the television series "Ray Bradbury Theater," which featured dramatizations of his stories, during the mid-1980s
• Although his books are often used in high school and college courses, he personally scorned formal education and claimed that his success as a writer came from his never attending college