Wednesday, June 6, 2012

Goodbye Ray

Writing today from Bullhead City in Arizona while visiting my sister, I was very saddened to learn of the death of legendary science fiction writer Ray Bradbury, who passed away yesterday at the age of 91.

I had the pleasure of meeting Mr. Bradbury twice and listen to him speak. Once at the annual Book Fair on the UCLA campus several years ago, and again at a memorial for Carl Sagan held in Los Angeles shortly after Dr. Sagan died.

He was the author of many science fiction classics, “The Martian Chronicles,” “Fahrenheit 451," “Dandelion Wine," “Something Wicked This Way Comes," even the screenplay for John Houston’s 1956 version of “Moby Dick." And he is the author of one of my very favorite short stories, 1951‘s “The Fog Horn," the sad story of unrequited love between a sea monster and a solitary lighthouse. I highly recommend you seek it out, dear readers.

He and I attended the same university, that of the library, specifically the Central Library in downtown Los Angeles.

He was an elegant and friendly man, with a huge sense of humor and wonder. I will surely miss him sharing this world with me, and this world will surely miss him as well.

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