One of the greatest short story writers the world has ever known, Ray Bradbury, has passed away at the age of 91. He was one of my favorite writers from the time I was 10 years old, and he remains one of my favorite writers to this day.Bradbury wrote over 600 short stories and 27 novels over the course of his career. Meeting him in 1980 was a thrill for me... such a thrill that I stupidly forgot to ask for his autograph. His writings were a major part of my wanting to become a writer, and I still re-read "Something Wicked This Way Comes" every year in October.
I also love the fact that I had an article in the same issue of "Amazing Stories" as one of Ray Bradbury's short stories (issue #601).
My respect for him as a writer never wavered, and my respect for him as a man grew ten-fold when it became apparent to me that he was dismissive of the politically correct crap that has crept into every aspect of life... and that he wasn't afraid to stand up and call bullshit on hacks like Michael Moore and other phony champions of "little people."
Another one of the greats has left us... but his stories are still there for all of us to read and enjoy. If you haven't already, I encourage you to get to know the works of Ray Bradbury.
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