I am creating this post so that i can display my work on the biography, I am creating about the life of Mr. Bradbury,

Your advice/comments are welcommed and greatly apreciated, dont be afraid to be harsh, heck these are message boards
Okay, well here goes nothing

Alright I was able to finish my intro,I did this biography from the perspective of someone in the near future, in the setting of a typical Bradbury story in the future.

Have fun and tell me what you think:

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Edit: finished the first part:

[This message has been edited by Montag456 (edited 12-19-2002).]

As an update, i am currently on page 7 of my Biography about Bradbury. My series will eventually contain aproximately 30-40 pages all on Bradbury! Woohooo ! Feel the love.

But for now i am doing the biography, in all its glory, for you all to read and comment on, will post it later tonight with the "finished product" aprox. 10 pages im' thinking.

Again apologies for all you "old schoolers" (Mr.Dark) I'll try to keep it in the Queen's English.

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Finished Biography
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Life is a Metaphor : A Biography on Ray Douglas Bradbury

Aleks Aperans


December 19th, 2002




The 2nd day of October 167 R.

Today began like no other day, but in this day I found something so precious so unimaginable my words cannot capture the emotions of my mind. I am left senseless, I am in a daze, and I constantly require pinching myself, to remind myself that this is not a dream. I found the key to my sheltered and isolated mind. This key holds one thing, one emotion, one desire, and one passion. That one thing is knowledge. Today I have found knowledge!
My entire world begins to flourish, and blooms like a flower. I found this source of erudition, when I began my walk along the red grain path. That red grain path of steamy path sizzles with the remains of my ancestors, or so my mother once told me. This thin fiery path slithers down like a serpent along the smooth and silky sand. I often wonder, if other people have walked the same path, unfortunately it is hard to tell now, since I am abandoned and have no one to question. I am lonely like a single leaf with no tree to hang onto; I have been left to decay and decompose on the cold earth. No one to pick me up and reattach me to my branch. The other leaves are gone now, swept away in the furious wind, they are gone now, along with the tree. My orange and warm color fades, the decay sets in, and I become brown, shriveled and forgotten.
As I continued my walk down this path filled with craters and radioactive remains, I saw a faint glimmer in the distant red haze. Perhaps it was yet another remain from the great cities that inhabited this world. Like ancient Rome, earth was an empire, but like all empires earth fell too, and earth fell with a thundering blow that affected all. This blow touched every corner every crook, nothing survived even the oblivious insects, everyone was scalded, like a pot crashing to the ground and splattering. Earth burnt everything and left a terrible and hideous scar, a scar that hopefully will heal with time.
That glimmering spark of hope was not what I expected it to be. This flicker was what I desired. As I crept closer, I felt like an archaeologist uncovering the clues left behind past civilizations. The flicker turned into a shape, this shape was of a stainless steel rectangular box, and similar to the lunch cases my mother once gave me. Except, this box had its cover burned to a near crisp. It was the color of amber in the depths of the fire. I edged closer until the point when my toes were nearly touching the burnt Pandora's box 1. By this time I was as excited as a child on Christmas morning, this present was mine to open and its contents would belong to me. I raised the artifact to my waist, balancing it delicately on one hand. With extreme caution, I raised the lid. At first site my eyes bulged, my heart paused, this for sure was the discovery of a lifetime, and this finding was books.
I touched these books with pure ecstasy, I thought that all books were destroyed in the great catastrophe of 2048a.d, but I was gratefully wrong. Although the pages of the book are torn and some are half-burnt, this is more than I can ask for. I inspect the books with intense detail, along the binding of the book it prints: Fahrenheit 451 Ray Bradbury. In addition to the secret treasure was another book, this one had its title nearly faded, but I was able piece together the letters, it read The Martian Chronicles. I searched further into the cache of knowledge, the third and final book appeared. This one was not like the others. I could clearly see this one. This one was taken special care of. Instead of being burnt, smudged, or encrusted with filth, this one had a elegant and tasteful design. Its cover was smooth, it was obvious to me that the owner of this majestic shelter, went to extra lengths to preserve its condition. I flipped through the gold-lined pages of the regal book, I noticed on the inside cover was the inscription: "Property of: Ray Douglas Bradbury". The book's pages were filled with illustrations, notes, and writing that was bordering the margins of the paper. It seemed as if these words, images and texts wanted to escape the pages and come to life. These characters wanted to be set free and live. I felt it was my duty to release their chains, and fulfill their wish to be heard.
The darkness consumed, and night fell. Shards of the moon floated above me. The placid moon provided me with enough light to read. I struggled with a decision, which book to explore first, with an open mind and an open heart I decided it was only fair to start with the first book I found. Perhaps it was fate that I found the books in that order. So I read, and I read.
Several days passed, I finished my first book, I must have read it several times, and every page was like a juicy forbidden fruit. I continued unto my second, eager for more knowledge, I continued. Again days passed, maybe even weeks. Like an explorer I was sailing across my mind discovering new perspectives, ideals and views. I would read and my ship would keep on sailing, these books provided powerful gusts of wind that pushed my mind. Discovering uncharted islands, continents and even plants. Never reaching the end of the mystic seas.
Time passed, it was time for my 3rd expedition, it was time to unravel the most treasured book, the one bulging with dreams, ideas and life. This literature was the journal written by the great Mr. Bradbury himself.
This journal written is something I want to share with you all. I Anna Black, last survivor on earth, wish to express Mr. Bradbury's life, I wish to make it clear how his life has had an impact on his work. This great man deserves recognition, and I will do that for that man, even though it will be not read by anyone other than myself in this lifetime. But hopefully until one day, perhaps another wandering stranger looking for answers will find this piece of knowledge, and rejoice in it.
<>
Ray Bradbury is a man who questions the very life we live, he asks us where are we are going and what we are going to do once we get there. Bradbury is a science-fiction writer, but should be considered as a fantasist or a writer of moral fables. Even though, most of his literary works that take place in the future are not about, technology and the stereotypical future, such as Star Wars 2. Rather Bradbury illustrates how we as a society will function in the future. Bradbury certainly has had a complex and intriguing life, he tickles and provokes the mind with his works. Bradbury is a man who's adventures take place behind his pen, and his imagination takes over.
Ray Bradbury's life as a writer began when he was a young child. He was born in Waukegan, Illinois on August 22,1920 (Fahrenheit, 101). Bradbury's childhood is extremely important to him as a constant source of intense sensations, feeling and images that generate stories.
For example, one of Bradbury's most influential and defining books Dandelion Wine, is based up his childhood. The setting of Dandelion Wine, takes place in "Greentown," Illinois. "Greentown" is a symbol for his own hometown Waukegan. And the stories and events that take place in Dandelion Wine are similar to the ones that happened to him, as a child. In addition to Bradbury's hometown being influential to him, there were other key incidents that proved to have a large impact upon Ray at a young age. His seeing the film The Hunchback of Notre Dame sparked Ray's style for horror fiction ( Bradbury, 101). In addition to The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Bradbury was influenced by an assortment of authors at a young age. When Bradbury was eight years old, he was sick with the whooping cough and missed three months of school. During his recuperation, his mother read to him from the works of Edgar Allen Poe. This experience is probably the source of the reading and reverie scenes in his utopian, and social censorship novel Fahrenheit 451( Bradbury, 101). More dominant than movies and books to Ray at a young age, was the death of his year-old sister. This incident left Ray with mixed emotions and feelings of sorrow and guilt, which have emerged in some of his other stories such as The Lake ( Bradbury, 102). It is clear how Ray's early childhood had a deep impact on his writing as an adult. Even to this day when Bradbury is eighty-two years old, his childhood experiences continue to uncover in his literature.
Bradbury's teenage years were the years that he discovered his skill and ambition as a writer. When Ray was only eleven years old, he began writing every day, and he claims to have never stopped since that day. In his teens Bradbury was like a sponge absorbing anything he thought to be useful to his desire to become a writer. When Bradbury was fourteen, his family moved to Los Angeles, California. In Los Angeles, Bradbury often roller-skated through Hollywood, trying to spot celebrities. He befriended other talented and creative people, such as Ray Harryhausen and radio star George Burns ( Jensen, 1). It was not until High School, that Ray became serious about becoming a writer. Ray was active in the drama club, poetry club and science-fiction club. But most importantly to his High School career were two of his teachers. Both Snow Longley Housh 3, and Jeannet Johnson 4 , provided Bradbury with confidence and support, for his campaign to become a writer. They taught him how to write short stories and poetry. Together they helped craft the foundation of Bradbury's fantasizing career ( Jensen, 3). Bradbury's formal education ended with his high school graduation in 1938. However, he continued to educate himself. Evidently, Bradbury's teenage years were a time of learning for him, and the young signs of his talent and extraordinary writing skills were just beginning to develop.
Out of High School and into the real world, Bradbury began selling newspapers on the street corners of Los Angeles (American, 105). But at night Bradbury would sit as his typewriter and continue writing his stories. Bradbury was a Clark Kent 5, during the day he was a paperboy, and at night he was a writer, letting his imagination rule him. Bradbury got his first work published in 1838; his work was titled Hollerbochen's Dilemma. Soon after in 1839, a year later Bradbury published four issues of his own fan magazine, Futuria Fantasia, writing much of the content himself (Spaceage, 2). Bradbury's career was beginning to flourish now. He was getting attention from critics and was on his way to becoming a full time writer.
Bradbury's break out sensation book The Martian Chronicles is the book that launched his career as an established writer. Despite the fact that, Bradbury published other great works before The Martian Chronicles, such as Dark Carnival. The Martian Chronicles was his first literary work to receive attention and acclaim (American Writers, 102). The book received a rave review from Christopher Isherwood, 6 and suddenly Bradbury was taken seriously and treated as a writer with significant themes (American Writers, 103). Bradbury would only continue to gain recognition and receive the credit he deserved. Bradbury's writing appealed and enticed American culture during the 50's, when it was the era of McCarthyism, a time when many Americans were maliciously and often falsely accused of attempting to overthrow the American government. In addition, it was the period of the cold war and when television developed as a dominant form of communication (Fahrenheit, 101) . The Martian Chronicles appealed to many Americans. It was alluring to Americans because they could relate to it. The Martian Chronicles expressed the nation's anxiety about nuclear-war, the longing for a simpler life, and the fear of foreign superpowers. Bradbury's writing reflected the views of many Americans at this time, which acknowledged his popularity as an American author. Bradbury's career hit its pinnacle with the publication of Fahrenheit 451 a novel that is set in the future in which a totalitarian government, has banned the written word. The title of Fahrenheit 451 refers to the temperature at which books catch on fire. The main themes of Fahrenheit 451 expose the emotions of Bradbury at this moment. In the novel, several references are made to his fear that human imagination and creativity will be lost and forgotten. "We must all be alike. Not everyone born free and equal, as the constitution says, but everyone made equal � A book is a loaded gun in the house next door. Burn it. Take the shot from the weapon. Breach man's mind (Fahrenheit, 124)." Bradbury also opposes our societies heavy dependence upon technology and our use of it. Many of his predictions and fears about our society in the future written in the 50's prove to be true today. Frankly, Bradbury's precision to predict our society in the future is quite frightening. It is quite clear, why Bradbury was most popular in the 50's. He appealed to a generation searching for answers, about atomic wars, social censorship and the future. Bradbury should not be classified as any typical sci-fi 7 writer, as he commonly and tragically is. Rather he should be remembered as a great influential writer of social behaviors and the 50's.
After the 50's Bradbury reclaimed attention with the science fiction boom in the aftermath of Sputnik, Bradbury's popularity soared when NASA's Viking 8 landed on Mars in 1976, he was hailed as a space-age prophet ( Bradbury, 119). Even after Bradbury's most influential days as a writer, he continued to inspire, ask questions and provoke emotions within his readers. He published numerous amounts of short stories, novels, poems, movies, plays, and TV shows. Bradbury even once held a TV series on HBO 9 called the Ray Bradbury Theater, being the first American author to have a weekly TV show. Bradbury's popularity and widespread inspiration are still evident today. He has had a section of the moon named after him. "Dandelion Crater", in honor of his work Dandelion Wine ( Bradbury, 103). Even to this day, when Bradbury is 82 years old, Hollywood, plans to turn pages into film, by producing The Martian Chronicles and Fahrenheit 451 (Spaceage, 3). Without a doubt, Bradbury is still at large, and will most likely be for as long as he can hold a pen. "When I look in the mirror, the person staring back at me is a young boy, with a head and heart filled with dreams and excitement and unquenchable enthusiasm for life. Sure, he's got white hair -- so what (Spaceage, 6)!
It is not possible to even begin to describe Ray Bradbury in one word, an entire essay cannot contain this man's life. He has accomplished enough tasks to fulfill the lives of four other men. Bradbury has explored society, fear of the future, social censorship, and many other themes and conflicts that apply to us today. He is a writer, whom writes many of his stories in the future, branding him as a science-fiction writer, but the bulk of his stories deal with our current world. All of these things classify Bradbury as an extraordinary writer, a title he is exceedingly worthy of. He uses the power of the pen to set his imagination free, and explore the vast possibilities of human capability, to which he uses to his advantage to become a writer of great skill and passion.
<>
The haze is not as deep now, things are vivid, full of life and, simply wonderfull. My mind has had its taste of richness and, yearns for more. Bradbury has captured me and transformed me from a isolated cocuun to a precious butterfly. Even though I float alone in this desolate world, I am not truely alone, I have my books and my author to keep my company. And for this I am gratefull.



NOTES


1. Pandora'sBox: A source of many unforeseen troubles
2.Star Wars: Classic science fiction move.
3.Snow Longley Housh: One of Bradbury's High School teachers.
4.Jeannet Johnson : Another of Bradbury's High School teachers.
5.Clark Kent: Superman's real life identity
6.Christopher Isherwood: popular french critic in the 50's
7. sci-fi: abreviation and/or nickname for a Science-Fiction.
8. NASA's Viking: United States Space Shuttle, that landed on the moon.
9.HBO: Home Box Office, cable

<> - Transition between Anna Black, fictional character and the factual biography.
Represents a switch in setting.


Bibliography


Bradbury, Ray. Bradbury. 9/23/02. Raybradbury.com. 12/10/02
<http://www.Raybradbury.com>

Commire, Anne. Something About the Author:Bradbury. Detroit:Gale Research, 1977.

Hibberd, James. Ray Bradbury is on Fire! 12/13/02. Salon.com. 12/13/02
<http://www.dir.salon.com>.

Jepsen, Chris. A Brief Biography. 12/14/02. Ray Bradbury Online. 12/14/02 <http://www.spaceagecity.com>.

Parini, Jay. American Writers:Bradbury. New York: Charles Shribner's Sons, 2001.

Schmitt, Deborah. Contemporary Literary Criticism:Ray Bradbury. Detroit:Gale Reseach, 1998.

Schmitt, Deborah. Contemporary Literary Criticism: Fahrenheit 451. Detroit:Gale Reseach, 1998.

Trotsky, Susan. Contemporary Authors:Bradbury. Detroit: Gale Research, 1988.

Montag456: Have you seen the new Illustrated Life? It is a great reference for future ideas and just enjoyable reading.
(Maybe Santa will be nice to you!)

[This message has been edited by fjpalumbo (edited 12-20-2002).]

The illiustrated life, you say, sounds life a fun read, I hope I make it on Santa's nice list =)