Rest in peace. I hadn’t seen him in years, but used to occasionally in the eighties at various LA space events. He wasn’t as big an influence on me as a kid as Heinlein and Clarke, but I read all his books. Of course, as he often said himself, he wasn’t a science fiction writer.
[Update late afternoon]
The lights are going out.
No, Bradbury was not a science fiction writer, but what an inspiration he could be!
My two favorite Bradbury stories are:
On the night that Mariner 9 went into orbit around Mars, Bradbury was on a panel discussion with Arthur C Clarke, Carl Sagan and Bruce Murray. There was a planet-wide dust storm at the time, and no one knew what Mariner 9 would see when the dust finally cleared. Each of the panelists was asked for their predictions, and Bradbury answered “We’ll see pictures of Martians holding up signs saying ‘Bradbury was right!'”
When Viking 1 landed on Mars, he was asked if he was disappointed that there apparently wasn’t any life on Mars. His answer went something like this: “You Fool!! There is life on Mars, and it is us!”
RIP Ray, you will be missed
Sarah Hoyt:
You go on ahead, Ray. I’m sure even now, in the eternal con bar, Heinlein is pouring some dandelion wine into your glass.
I know Rachel Bloom is crushed.
She is hottest in pigtails, but definitely hot.
I always liked the story where the guy builds, essentially, a motion base spaceship simulator to give his family a simulated trip to Mars.
Space.com has a video from the Mars and the Mind of Man symposium with the comment I mentioned above, and a poem on why we go into space. The link is: http://www.space.com/16068-ray-bradbury-loved-space-travel-video.html