User NAME choice. Sorry for the missing word. Just wondered if you use "Mr. Dark" for any particular reason that you would share with us.

Hope this isn't too personal.

C.

I have a feeling that the secret to Mr. Dark's nomenclature will soon be revealed but I, for one, believ that some things are best left in the, um, dark.

Pete

P.S.
In case anyone cares, my user name is just the beginning of my e-mail address. Clever, huh?

Well, Mr. Dark was just easy to spell . . .

Actually, I love the book, "Something Wicked This Way Comes". And I wanted a Bradbury fictional character name. I love powerful characters and I see Mr. Dark as being VERY powerful. Part of his power is his mystery. We don't actually see him that often. When we do, it is always accompanied by a sense of his power, his antiquity, his subtle (and not so subtle) threatening nature, his ever-present malice, and his ability to work through others by bending them to his will. He's kind of like a puppet master with an evil objective. Very rarely does he ever have to get his own hands dirty. He comes, exists, and leaves in darkness and mystery. There is a kind of malaise when he enters the picture.

But in spite of his power, he is not omnipotent. He cowers before faith, knowledge and love. In other words, he has whatever power we turn over to him by our own faithlessness, greed, self-pity, selfishness, and short-sightedness.

I guess his strong character, tied to his aura of mystery makes him one of my favorite characters -- even though he is evil.

Plus, I think it just sounds really, really cool.

From a psychological perspective, he is an opposite to me. He's like my counter-ego. I am not powerful. I have no interest in bending anyone to MY will (well, okay, maybe the occasional woman on a date! :-) ) and I am drawn to love and knowledge and fellowship.

Never really thought about it much before this. Who do I pay for the therapy?

Mr. Bradbury would be the receiver of those payments. It is his works that derive not only your username but the philosophies that occupy you.
In terms of the bottom line I believe that "seek" is an excellent word to describe his overall works. But to take that one step further, as Ray seems to do with in his works, is to "find". Searching is not without end. No matter how insignificant the finding is. From the final scenes in F451 to the Medicine for Melancholy, Bradbury acknowledges that there is a surprise around every corner.

See? No more mystery. Mr. Dark is merely mortal like the rest of us. Dang it.

Pete

Pete:

That is just my public cover. I can't actually reveal my true character in a public forum like this. These are, after all, precarious times for truth, justice, and the American Way!

Listening to the radio with one ear, I am skimming these posts...and have to comment that my "user" name came by accident.

You see, I filled out that little cyber-form...and thought, at the time, that "user" was merely.... my real name...NOT to be posted on the Web. Good Grief ! was quickly exclaimed! ...when it came up.

My "user" name was supposed to be 'Avanti'... my completely gosh darn, all time, favorite car. The 1963 Avanti is still, I believe, the best looking car produced in my generation and beyond. Twas designed by Raymond Loewy, who designed tons of things, like the Coca Cola bottle, The Presidential seal. Somebody has a web- site under construction for Loewy:

click on: http://www.raymondloewy.com

If you haven't seen a '63 Avanti...
click on: http://www.studebakerfcars.net/gallery/year.asp?Year=1963&Model=%20Avanti&IM AGENAME=063Avanti%2Ejpg

Now you may ask..."What in the world does this have to do with Ray Bradbury?"

Well, I think if Ray drove...he would have driven a 1963 Avanti.

There has always been, in my mind, something of Ray's writings embodied in the style and structure of an Avanti. Crazy?

Heck...I believe Mr. Bradbury swings the readers interests into places you would not ever have thought, and permits one to enjoy new things that are a wonder to behold.....Too bad the two never met.

[This message has been edited by Nard Kordell (edited 02-05-2003).]

Mr. Dark, I always saw you as a Charles Halloway type, but true, Mr. Dark is cooler-sounding and easier to type! I should talk, being the one named after a weed....

Nard,

Welcome back, by the way. And nice move in getting a connection to Ray with that last post.

Any other "stories of screen-name origin?" (Kinda like the Justice League of America, isn't it?)

Pete

I'm a bit like Mr. Halloway in two respects:

I can be a bit of a gutless wonder, but have to hope that when the chips are down, I'll rise to the occasion and save the day.

I am chairman our our city's Library Advisory Board, so we both have connections to libraries.

What about me these three letters means hedgehog in Russian. That's my second name.

ezh: So what's the significance of "hedgehog"? Were you attacked like one? Do you like them? Do you admire a characteristic of them? Do you look like one? What does ezh stand for? I know I won't be able to understand what it means, but it would be cool to see it in Russian. I think it's pretty cool that we have a Russian Bradbury fan participating. Do you have easy access to his books or are they hard to get?

By "second name" do you mean it's your middle name, or a nick-name?

Nard: I still have to go with a Ford, two-door Mustang. But, as always, I respect your automotive perspectives! :-)

Pete: While your naming convention may not be wildly creative, it is certainly in line with the American tradition of "can-do" pragmatism. Nothing wrong with that, right?

Mr. Dark,

That pretty much says it all about me: I'm a can-do pragmatist.

Pete

Thanks for all these name insights. It gives one a sense of who they're pouring their souls out to.

No big mystery with my name. Now if I could just figure out how to apply it to my everyday life.

C.

Hello, it's me and I'm still working on my Ray Bradbury multi-genre project. I am supposed to have a "theme" that ties all the genres together. I was wondering....would you (anyone) feel that "seek" would be an appropriate theme to describe Mr. Bradbury's works and what his life is all about?