io9: Ray Bradbury

In 1963, Ray Bradbury sent this letter to explain symbolism in his work

Annalee Newitz — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 08:40:00 PST

In 1963, science fiction writer Bruce McAllister was 16, taking high school English courses where he was told about a mysterious thing called "symbolism" in literature. Trying to get a grip on what his teacher was talking about, the enterprising McAllister wrote to 150 of the most famous writers of the day asking them about symbolism in their work. Surprisingly, nearly half of them answered, including Ayn Rand, Ralph Ellison, Isaac Asimov, John Updike, and Ray Bradbury. More »

Ray Bradbury finally gives in, agrees to release Fahrenheit 451 as an ebook

Charlie Jane Anders — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 12:02:50 PST

Fahrenheit 451 as an ebook" alt="Click here to read Ray Bradbury finally gives in, agrees to release Fahrenheit 451 as an ebook" src="http://cache.io9.com/assets/images/8/2011/11/small_7e0eada512c9aa78ad427ac20a87a783.jpg"/>

Fahrenheit 451 might be the most famous book about book-burning ever written, and its author, Ray Bradbury, has long insisted that it only be available as a print book, on paper. Until today. Bradbury has finally given in, and Fahrenheit 451 is available for the first time as an ebook. It is such a pleasure to Kindle. More »

io9's Field Guide to Martians

Alasdair Wilkins and Sophie Bushwick — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 13:05:10 PST

Science fiction is overrun with Martians, from monstrous invaders to shapeshifting superheroes to Santa-kidnapping buffoons. To make sense of over a century's worth of Martians, we present this grid ranking scifi Martians on their goodness and just how alien they are (click to expand). More »

Amazingly Touching 1976 Letter from Ray Bradbury to Robert Heinlein: "Your influence on us all cannot be measured."

Charlie Jane Anders — Wed, 14 Sep 2011 10:30:00 PDT

Even the great masters of science fiction paid tribute to the people who influenced them. Today, Letters of Note has a beautiful 1976 letter that Ray Bradbury wrote — by hand — to Robert Heinlein. More »

Ray Bradbury's Scientific Obsessions

Charlie Jane Anders — Wed, 07 Sep 2011 08:30:00 PDT

There's a fantastic article over at New Scientist about the science that shaped Ray Bradbury's development as a person and as a writer, including his early fascination with theories about life on Mars, and his obsession with psychology. More »

Will a Martian Chronicles movie finally get off the ground?

Charlie Jane Anders — Tue, 12 Apr 2011 15:57:13 PDT

One of the all-time classics of science fiction could be getting a movie adaptation at long last. After a few failed attempts by different producers to make a Martian Chronicles film, Paramount has greenlit a version with producer John Davis. More »

10 Robots or Androids Who Married a Human

Charlie Jane Anders — Thu, 03 Mar 2011 10:00:00 PST

There's been a lot of talk about robosexual marriage lately — with some people claiming it will destroy society. But the truth is, robots have been marrying humans for years, with no ill effects. More »

R.I.P. Leslie Nielsen, star of Forbidden Planet and numerous science fiction spoofs

Charlie Jane Anders — Mon, 29 Nov 2010 06:20:00 PST

Leslie Nielsen, who died last night, helped to pioneer the science fiction genre on screen when he starred in Forbidden Planet. And then he helped lampoon that genre in countless spoof movies, including 2001: A Space Travesty. More »

Worst television versions of science fiction and fantasy books

Charlie Jane Anders — Mon, 01 Nov 2010 15:34:22 PDT

The Walking Dead carried all our dreams on its undead shoulders. We're all hoping HBO's Game of Thrones will also rule. But sadly, television has an even worse record of adapting books than movies. Here are 10 book-to-television embarrassments. More »

Science fiction and fantasy stories that can help you deal with death

Charlie Jane Anders and Michael Ann Dobbs — Wed, 27 Oct 2010 10:52:14 PDT

Clint Eastwood's Hereafter and this week's Doctor Who crossover both served up poignant meditations on death. But fantastic stories often explore the darkest frontier of them all: Here are 12 other great stories to help you to cope with mortality. More »

15 classic science fiction and fantasy novels that publishers rejected

Charlie Jane Anders and Michael Ann Dobbs — Tue, 19 Oct 2010 15:36:26 PDT

Science fiction's greatest authors have brilliant ideas, storytelling mojo... and plenty of stubbornness. Many of the field's greatest writers were buried in rejection slips, before they finally broke in. Here are 15 classic novels that publishers didn't want to touch. More »

10 great science fiction novels that have been banned

Susana Polo -- Geekosystem — Fri, 01 Oct 2010 14:34:36 PDT

In honor of Banned Books Week, Geekosystem's Susana Polo looks at 10 great science fiction novels that have been banned, or at least threatened with removal from libraries and schools. Including some major classics of the genre! More »

What are the ingredients for great science fiction?

Graham Storrs — Tue, 21 Sep 2010 16:16:39 PDT

It's hard enough to define science fiction — but what makes for truly great SF? What's the crucial element, the X-factor? TimeSplash author Graham Storrs argues it's all about exploring who we are as humans. More »

How many definitions of science fiction are there?

Charlie Jane Anders — Fri, 27 Aug 2010 07:30:00 PDT

Science fiction is the literature of our times, the fuel of our imaginations and the source of our favorite imaginary worlds. But what do we mean when we talk about "science fiction?" Here are some of the many definitions. More »

"Fuck Me, Ray Bradbury" is the best scifi pop song of the year

Annalee Newitz — Tue, 17 Aug 2010 10:57:43 PDT

This sweetly horny tribute to the work of Ray Bradbury, starring Rachel Bloom as the girl who wants to fuck "the greatest scifi writer in history," is sure to put a smile on your face. [via YouTube] More »

Visit Clifton's Cafeteria and step back in time to the birthplace of pulp science fiction

Bob Reed - Cyclopeatron — Thu, 05 Aug 2010 14:30:00 PDT

The best place in the United States to sit and feel the ghostly presence of early 20th century science fiction is probably Clifton's Cafeteria in Los Angeles, which was the epicentre of 1930s pulp scifi. More »

Words to live by: advice from 34 science fiction/fantasy authors

Charlie Jane Anders — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 08:30:00 PDT

Great science fiction and fantasy novels don't just expose us to other worlds and alternate timelines — they expand our minds and give us compass to steer by. Here are our favorite bits of advice and maxims from SF books. More »

12 science fiction and fantasy novels and stories that are uniquely American

John T. Ottinger - Grasping For The Wind — Mon, 05 Jul 2010 13:00:00 PDT

For many of us, it's still Independence Day weekend, and we're still grilling hamburgers and celebrating our country's freedoms. To commemorate the occasion, John T. Ottinger looks at a dozen science fiction books and stories that are uniquely American. More »

Fox is reopening The Martian Chronicles

Marc Bernardin — Fri, 25 Jun 2010 07:30:00 PDT

Ray Bradbury's 1950 cycle of short stories about humanity's troubled quest to colonize the red planet has caught the eye of I, Robot's producer — who just optioned the rights. Is Hollywood embarking on it's own space race? More »

The Best Year in Science Fiction: 1954

Marc Bernardin — Tue, 01 Jun 2010 14:00:00 PDT

We're getting to the end of our survey, but 1954 is a ridiculously robust year, with Ray Bradbury delivering Fahrenheit 451, Richard Matheson offering I Am Legend, and Japan unleashing Godzilla: King of the Monsters. More »

From the Communist Time Capsule: Science Fiction Masters Adapted By Soviet Animators

Marc Bernardin — Thu, 29 Apr 2010 07:30:00 PDT

In the waning days of the U.S.S.R., Russian animators turned their eyes toward short stories written by science fiction authors like Ray Bradbury, Stephen King, and Robert Silverberg. The results are crude, experimental, and oddly beautiful. More »

12 Secrets To Being A Super-Prolific Short-Story Writer

Charlie Jane Anders — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 16:40:00 PST

For many aspiring science-fiction authors, the first frontier of publication is short fiction. A few stories published in the right markets can launch your career. But it helps if you're prolific. Here are 12 tips on writing more stories faster. More »

12 Movie Adaptations That Did The Books Justice

Charlie Jane Anders — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 15:34:20 PST

Whether or not you loved The Road, most people seemed to feel it captured Cormac McCarthy's novel. Sadly, most adaptations do violence to the original books, but not all. Here are 12 SF/fantasy adaptations that did right by the books. More »

Ray Bradbury's Advice To Struggling Writers: Struggle Harder!

Charlie Jane Anders — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 11:30:00 PST

Ray Bradbury has some simple advice to those of you who are struggling to get your science fiction published: Don't ever quit working. Bradbury's following his own advice: He's developing a TV miniseries, a movie... and a new musical? More »

A History of 16 Science Fiction Classics, Told In Book Covers

Lauren Davis — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 14:30:00 PST

A single book can inspire a wide range of covers, and sometimes those covers can be works of art themselves. We look at some classic science fiction novels and the various covers they've worn throughout the years. More »

12 Unfinished SF Novels We Wish We Could Read

Charlie Jane Anders — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 18:39:45 PDT

Of all the alternate worlds we're dying to visit, the greatest is that mythical room containing every book that was never written. Here are the dozen unfinished novels by science fiction's greatest authors, that we wish we could read. More »

Death Before No Farenheit 451 Movie, Says Director

Graeme McMillan — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 07:30:52 PDT

The Mist director Frank Darabont is still trying to get his movie adaptation of Ray Bradbury's classic Fahrenheit 451 made, but its current status depends on one particular person... who shall, apparently, remain nameless for now. More »

Good News — Ray Bradbury Is Back On His Game

Charlie Jane Anders — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 12:20:49 PST

Small Beer Press impressario Gavin Grant reviews Ray Bradbury's latest short story collection We'll Always Have Paris in the L.A. Times, and delivers good news:

Given his recent record, reader expectations for "We'll Always Have Paris" might understandably be on the low side — especially given the cover, which features a grinning Bradbury holding a glowing book, Photoshopped in front of the Eiffel Tower.
And therein lies a happy surprise: Throw those expectations out the window and get ready to enjoy a fresh draft of stories the way only Bradbury can write them.

Ray Bradbury’s Bizarre "Earth Stood Still" Christmas Sequel

Lauren Davis — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 08:20:00 PST

The original version of The Day the Earth Stood Still deliberately left audiences with many questions. Does Klaatu return to Earth? Does humanity prove itself worthy of survival? In 1981, Fox commissioned science fiction author Ray Bradbury to pen a sequel to the film. But Bradbury's script never made it to the silver screen - perhaps because it minimizes the roles of the robot and his alien master, trades Klaatu’s message of peace for a lesson on solar power, and features a Christmas love story. More »

I Hate When The Smart Chick Turns Into A Fish Woman

Charlie Jane Anders — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 19:14:00 PDT

Could A Sound Of Thunder be the worst time-travel movie ever? Loosely (very loosely) based on a Ray Bradbury story, Thunder tells what happens when time-traveling dinosaur-safari tourists accidentally step on a butterfly 65 million years ago. Yes, really. A butterfly. The resulting changes to the time stream happen in "waves," which leave structures in the present intact, but cover them with more and more vegetation. In this scene, awesome scientist Catherine McCormack manages to send Edward Burns back to fix the time disruptions... just before a wave hits and she turns into a fish-woman. D'oh. Click through for another great moment. More »

Ray Bradbury Shills for Prunes in 1969

Lynn Peril — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 13:31:31 PDT

Pneumatic people movers, wall-to-wall television, and prunes in mini-packs—which one of these wasn’t part of the futuristic world of 2001 described by Ray Bradbury? Watch this ad from the late 1960s to find out. If you’re wondering just why the speculative fiction icon would appear in an ad for prunes, albeit a smart and funny one, it’s because his good friend, satirist Stan Freberg, worked on the campaign. "Bradbury reportedly refused to consider doing a commercial until Freberg told him, 'I'm calling it Brave New Prune,' prompting Bradbury to ask, 'When do we start?'" More »

The Scifi Obsession Of Dungeons and Dragons Creator Gary Gygax

Kevin Kelly — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 13:30:25 PST

Gary Gygax, co-inventor of Dungeons and Dragons, will probably be best remembered as the man who brought role playing games into the lives of millions of teenagers in the 1970s, and who helped spawn an entire industry. If you've ever rolled an eight-sided dice in a game, it's thanks to him. While his bread and butter was swords and sworcery, he was also an avid science fiction fan (he even designed a scifi D&D module, Expedition to the Barrier Peaks, whose artwork is pictured here). He worked on several scifi games, as well as writing several science fiction stories. With the sad news today that Gary passed away in his home, we take a long, triviatastic look at his love for gaming and science fiction. More »

Plant People Of The Eco-Apocalypse

charliejane — Mon, 21 Jan 2008 09:40:17 PST

The movie adaptation of Ray Bradbury's obscure short story Chrysalis has released some new production photos, including this awesome image of a guy being swallowed by the slimy green chrysalis of the movie's title. And the movie's concept art by D. Hirajeta is gorgeous. But is there enough substance in Bradbury's 60-year-old short story to sustain a movie? Judge for yourself, and see a gallery, after the jump. More »

Mars, Up Close And Glowing

charliejane — Wed, 19 Dec 2007 08:30:23 PST

Mars came its closest to Earth in years last night. The Hubble Space Telescope snapped this image using a series of exposures over 36 hours, when Mars was just 55 million miles away. If this image gets you all fired up, you can discuss Mars with Ray Bradbury and (maybe) Arthur C. Clarke at a just-announced conference next May at UC Riverside. [Hubblesite] More »

io9 Talks to Malcolm McDowell at The Jules Verne Adventure Film Festival

Kevin Kelly — Mon, 10 Dec 2007 10:00:52 PST

The Jules Verne Adventure Film Festival "where Science meets Fiction" started this weekend in Los Angeles, and io9 was there. This is only the second year the festival has been in the United States (they've been running it for several years in France), but they've managed to draw a host of science fiction talent from Ray Bradbury to Buzz Aldrin. Check out our interview with festival host Malcolm McDowell after the jump. More »

Fahrenheit 451 Is "The Most Relevant Piece Of Literature Ever Written"

Kevin Kelly — Fri, 09 Nov 2007 12:59:03 PST

Director Frank Darabont has made a career out of adapting kooky and off-beat novel and short stories, most of them from the hand of Stephen King. He impressively turned the very thin story "Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption" into a film that holds his own, and now he's attempting to do the same with Ray Bradbury's classic Fahrenheit 451. More »