Talk:Ray Bradbury/Archive 1

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Archive This is an archive of past discussions. Do not edit the contents of this page. If you wish to start a new discussion or revive an old one, please do so on the current talk page.

Contents

"Controversy" section

I deleted the part of the "controversy over titles" section mentioning that Bradbury had "appropriated" the titles of numerous works by other authors. I found it ludicrous. Bradbury used those titles lovingly, as pure homage, and in fact the stories almost all involve, either by continuing or referencing, the story "appropriated" and put in the title. Moore's film did not have anything to do with Bradbury's novel, and just used the title to be cute and catchy and to give it a name people would already recognize, almost unconsciously, since everyone in this country reads the book in school. I also didn't like that the tone and placement of the section seemed to be intimating that Bradbury was in some way a hypocrite for his not wanting Moore to hi-jack his book's title to use as the title of a political propaganda film having nothing at all to do with Bradbury or his book. As I've already explained, Bradbury has never done anything like what Moore did. Would Shakespeare be pleased with having Bradbury use his words as a title to a novel? We can't know - but even if he were not, he would not be displeased for the same reasons Bradbury was displeased with Moore.


Biography

Sam Weller's biography says,

Although the name on his birth certificate was spelled "R-a-y," Ray said he was originally given the name "Rae" after Rae Williams, a cousin on his father's side, and that it was not until the first grade that, at a teacher's recommendation, his parents changed the spelling of his first name. The name was too feminine, and the boy would be teased.

Given that the name on his birth certificate is spelled R-a-y, and he has used that spelling since he was first able to write, I don't think the R-a-e spelling has enough claim to be mentioned in a brief biography without going into a lengthy explanation (like here). Walloon 02:25, 3 December 2005 (UTC)

Picture

I think this article needs a better picture. Patricio00 19:09, 9 May 2005 (UTC)

  • yeah it does
  • I agree --MatthewUND 22:31, Jun 24, 2005 (UTC)

I kinda like this page it really helped me on my homewoprk. So don't be hatin!!!! 12:15 August 4,2005 User:Vixen Uh... you spelt homework wrong, and we dont dislike the article. we just dont/didnt like the picture. 7:18 December 6, 2005 Mezzy and Leann

Uh... you spelt homework wrong, and we dont dislike the article. we just dont/didnt like the picture. 7:18 December 6, 2005

And you misspelled don't and didn't. — Walloon 04:42, 15 February 2006 (UTC)

Awards and Honors

I don't see how this passage:

Italic textThis came shortly after Bradbury had criticised and denounced filmmaker Michael Moore for giving the documentary Fahrenheit 9/11 its title based on his classic work, calling Moore a "horrible human being." Bradbury said Moore "stole my title and changed the numbers without ever asking me for permission", and that "[politics] has nothing to do with it. He copied my title; that is what happened. That has nothing to do with my political opinions." He also demanded an apology and for the film to be renamed.Italic text

...is relevent under the heading "Awards and Honors." If no one has any objection, I would like to at least move this to another section, or delete it altogether.

Regarding Bradbury's displeasure over Moore's use of the title "Fahrenheit 9/11" for his political documentary, I should mention that Bradbury used the title of a Walt Whitman poem, "I Sing the Body Electric!" for one of his short stories...

Trivia

I think a point to be made about Michael Moore's crib of Bradbury's title vs. Bradbury's crib of other authors' titles is that Bradbury didn't appropriate titles by living authors. Walloon 19:24, 12 November 2005 (UTC)

Novels

Bradbury himself has called the The Martian Chronicles a "half-cousin to a novel" and "a book of stories pretending to be a novel." That having been said, I'm putting the book back under novels instead of short stories. That most of the contents of The Martian Chronicles were originally published as short stories is not important. Together with the two new stories and the bridge chapters, they form a novel. The story arc progresses from the first exploratory mission, to the final acceptance that the colonists are the new Martians. To put it another way, if you mixed up the chapters, or read the book from the last chapter to the first, much of the overall meaning of the book would be lost. And characters (Spender, Wilder, Parkhill, Hathaway) do appear in more than one chapter, or are referred to. Walloon 01:20, 22 November 2005 (UTC)

Ray Bradbury's name

Is it really Ray? I've been writing a paper on him and multiple books that use him as a primary source say that his full name is Raymond.

Did you read the first section of this discussion page, above? Yes, "Ray" is the name on his birth certificate, not "Raymond". From the endnotes of Sam Weller's authorized biography:

Certificate of Birth, Ray Douglas Bradbury, August 22, 1920, Lake County Clerk's Record #4750.

Walloon 05:23, 5 December 2005 (UTC)

Page Order

On the majority of authors' pages, a listing of their works appears at the bottom of the entry rather than at the top. Is there a reason Bradbury should be different?

No, someone change it. ccol2ax.

Removed "Simpsons" Reference

Do we really need to know that Ray Bradbury was mentioned on a television show? Does the article on tennis mention that an episode of The Simpsons featured tennis? And if it does, then there is something wrong with this world. (ccool2ax)

451 Picture

I think the picture from the Fahrenheit 451 movie is out of place. Why is it even in this article? Because one of his books became a movie, we should show everyone two actors who played in it at the top of the article? 66.82.9.82

What to add...?

I recently researched and wrote a large paper (16 pages) on Ray Bradbury. This article is quite good, so should I contribute anything that I learned through my paper, or leave as it is? Please be specific. 66.82.9.82 01:50, 27 February 2006 (UTC)

We haven't read your paper. — Walloon 03:37, 27 February 2006 (UTC)
Oh yeah... sorry. whoops. Hmm... 66.82.9.49 01:21, 1 March 2006 (UTC)
Whoa... why did my IP change? I hate sattelite internet. 66.82.9.49 01:23, 1 March 2006 (UTC)

Interview with Chris Cerf, questions wanted

Got a question for Chris Cerf? Cerf worked with Bradbury at Random House during the 1960s. Post your questions before 25 April 2005. -- Zanimum 18:11, 25 March 2006 (UTC)

This really doesn't have much to do with the article.. this just has to deal with Bradbury. And how about "Why did you censor 451?" Oh wait, wrong decade never mind

Hidden Connections

Bradbury's powerful imagery makes his work a complex joy to read. Take for example Something Wicked This Way Comes: in chapter 42, he uses the word panoply to set up the whole chapter. Panoply is defined as a splendid or striking array, something that covers and protects, the complete weapons and armor of a warrior, and something made of science fiction that seems as if it is real. Bradbury shows how Mr. Dark uses his tattoos in every definition of the panoply in this chapter.

Has anyone found other chapters of stories that have hidden connection like this? I am very intrested in this for possible essays. Any passages you know of would greatly help! James O., April 7, 2006

Uh, I'd try many of his later works. But im not quite positive. -- Chris Ccool2ax contrib. 05:46, 23 May 2006 (UTC)

This discussion page is for discussing the Wikpedia article about Ray Bradbury. If you'd like to discuss aspects of Bradbury's writings, there are message boards at his official website. — Walloon 01:39, 29 June 2006 (UTC)