TODAY The Misread City mourns the death of Ray Bradbury. He was the first science-fiction writer, and the first Los Angeles writer, many people read. I still remember devouring the stories from The October Country and The Martian Chronicles in elementary school.
In a rush of emotion and recollection, I wrote my first piece for Zocalo Public Square on Bradbury’s complicated relationship with Los Angeles. Here it is. I may be unusual in preferring The Martian Chronicles to Fahrenheit 451, as important as that novel remains.
Some really strong pieces in the press today.
Here is The New York Times’ obit, and here is an excellent LA Times piece by my friend Lynell George. And Ted Gioia wrote a very fine piece on Salon on how Bradbury made science fiction respectable.
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Brother Ray’s legacy will live on.