Ray Bradbury, 1920-2012

Growing up I was a huge fan of shows like The Twilight Zone, Tales From the Darkside, Freddy's Nightmares, and Alfred Hitchcock Presents.  Thankfully back then, we got to grow up on reruns of shows that aired years before.  I adored these shows because each week, they presented a story that was so out there, they couldn't be believed.  Some were funny, but most were suspenseful to down right frightening.  One of those shows that I absolutely adored was The Ray Bradbury Theater.  This was one of those shows that had me hooked from the very start.  It was written and hosted by the author, a man who even as a kid, I understood to be a genius.

Now as I was growing up, that show was my main reference point for the works of Ray Bradbury.  I knew about Fahrenheit 451 or Dandelion Wine, but that wasn't the type of book I was reading back then.  I actually didn't read Fahrenheit 451 until I was in college, and I can say it was one of those books that changed my life.  It made me really look at what I value and what I was willing to do to protect those values when they come under attack.  I'm still not sure what answers I can give you to those, hopefully I will never need to.  I'm praying that such a world would never come to exist.  But he got me to think about something outside of myself.  It's a rare feat that I wish more authors were capable of producing.  Well at least be able to entertain and make you think at the same time.

Ray Bradbury's genius will be missed and knowing that the worlds and characters that were still swimming in his head, are now lost forever.  I just hope that those who he has inspired will keep him alive by reading his books, watching the TV shows he was involved with, and by allowing his work to inspire and cause a conversation.