Here we see Bradbury seated in the NASA control center back in the 1960’s. Apparently, it was his contention, prior to the Moon Landing, that the United States was headed for spiritual ruin unless “dumb politicians” got out of the way and let Americans reach for the stars. Well, he certainly got his wish, didn’t he?
Unfortunately, this science fiction great did not live long enough to see the colonization of Mars, which was a recurring theme of his writing. But given the current state of the world economy and the space race, I wonder if any of us will.
But I didn’t start this post to be gloomy. Mainly I want to share an article which I came across today from Wired magazine. It contains Bradbury’s thoughts on a multiplicity of subjects, as expressed in his most famous quotes. It was a lucky coincidence that I found it, since my wife shared one of his oft-quoted lines with me once I told her the sad news.
Riding home in the car together, she turned to me and said: “You must stay drunk on writing so reality cannot destroy you.” Since she’s always encouraged my writing, I couldn’t help but feel that she thought I could draw some inspiration from this. Mission accomplished.
These and other quotes can be found in the article, just click on the link below. And remember, you got any cool thoughts, be sure to write them down. You never know, someday, somebody could be quoting you!
I know he was 91 and we should have been expecting this but it still makes me way too sad to see one more of the true giants of sci/fi or speculative fiction gone from the world.
No, it seems a valid point.
There are currently colonization plans by a TV Production company and a Nobel Awarded physicist to send pods to Mars underway. They plan to send a group of youngish people to Mars each year and film all the aspects of it for a reality show which would help fund the mission. Let’s just hope the people they send are smart and talented enough so as not to turn The Olympus Shore into The Jersey Shore (full disclosure: I live in New Jersey and most of us are better than those fist-pumping troglodytes).
Oh I imagine so! Somehow, reality tv always attracts the shallow end of the gene pool, people willing to humiliate themselves for 15 seconds of fame!
I got to meet Mr. Bradbury many years ago. He was very intense and touted how science needed to catch up to fiction. I agreed with him completely. Bye Ray.
WHAAAAT? You met the man! Surely you jest. What did you talk about, in detail. And would you mind if I take notes?
What I didn’t say in my first comment was how many years ago it was! Let’s just say that Ray was young and I was a kid…I obviously never forgot it and I still have the signed first edition. Sorry to disappoint, but it was one of my life’s highlights!