I am writing a term paper on Ray. The topic is supose to be on what influenced your author to write like he did. Of course my teacher did not tell us this until after we picked our authors. So anyways I don't believe that Ray was influenced by anything in his life other than his own imagination. He was writing before the space program began and he thought about this stuff before anyone wrote like this. He was the creator of science fiction as we know it so how can anyone really influence him??? Can anyone give me ideas on things that influenced him and or agree with me so that i can at least add you to my sources for my paper???

I think you should start by reading his words about his chilhood and which were his favorite authors, his world was created with metaphors from the world he got from his background.

I suggest you pick up or borrow a copy of a recently released book called BRADBURY: AN ILLUSTRATED LIFE, by Jerry Weist. You will see that Ray's writing has been influenced by many sources, including books, writers, films, magicians, the circus, his boyhood in Waukegan, Illinois, and more. Of course, it took Ray's writing talent and imagination to translate those influences into the wonderful stories and books for which he is famous. The book I mentioned would be an excellent starting point for your research.

DemonSead:

The only one I can think of that hasn't been influenced by someone is... God. Everyone is influenced by someone. Ray is no exception. Here are 'some' of his great influences in his life :

� Jules Verne, author of '19th' Century Science-Fiction

� H.G.Wells, author of Wars of the Worlds (click on): http://www.geocities.com/athens/marble/5652

� Robert Louis Stevenson, author of such books as, 'The Case of Dr. Jekyl and Mr. Hyde'

� Edgar Allen Poe, author of 'The Fall of the House of Usher'

� Comic strips, such as 'Buck Rogers in the 25th Century'. (Click on): www.buck-rogers.com/

� The Science-fiction Cover Art from pulp magazines of the 1930's and 40's. (Click on): http://www.oldsfbooks.com/sss4003.html