Ray Bradbury Biography Summary

Biography Ray Bradbury lived his life full of ambition and youthful joy. He was more than just a writer, he was an inspiration to millions. Bradbury’s legacy continues to this day, with the publication of over 30 books and 600 short stories. Bradbury was born in Waukegan, Illinois, which later became the backdrop for many of the stories he wrote. His life there was bursting with a childlike innocence, where he was surrounded by numerous family members. But his childhood ended there when his family moved to Los Angeles in 1934. There he attended high school, where he joined a drama club. His goal had always been to become an actor. His days were spent befriending Hollywood celebrities such as Ray Harryhausen and George Burns. Burns later gave Bradbury his first pay as writer, for contributing a joke to his radio show.
Bradbury loved literature of all kinds, but his favorite as a young child was most definitely Space Opera Westerns, similar to movies like Star Wars and Star Trek. He would obsess over them. His favorite characters would fight off corrupt governments, racism, classism, and general evil. His own stories frequently face this kind of opposition. But he also enjoyed movies; silent films when he was younger and eventually films with sound. The particular types of film he enjoyed frequently contained monsters. Horrible beings created from the destruction and meddling of man. Each of his stories brought to life its own monsters, whether they be physical or abstract. Bradbury was extremely well cultured, reading from all kinds of authors and playwrights. He read international stories and poems, and also found pleasure in reading from local and regional authors. Some of his favorite authors included Edgar Allan Poe, Jules Verne and H.G. Wells. You can see Wells’ influence over Bradbury in his collection of short stories, who together make up The Martian