Oral Histories
Interview of Ray Bradbury
Science fiction author and screenwriter.
- Subtitle:
- The Dogs That Eat Sweet Grass
- Series:
- Interviews not in a series, part one
- Topic:
- Literature
- Biographical Note:
- Science fiction author and screenwriter.
- Interviewee:
- Bradbury, Ray
- Supporting Documents:
- Records relating to the interview are located in the office of the UCLA Library's Center for Oral History Research.
- Language:
- English
- Copyright:
- Interviewee Retained Copyright
- Abstract:
- Family background; childhood in Waukegan, Illinois; reading Argosy magazine; Edgar Rice Burroughs, C. S. Forester, Loring Brent, and Max Brand; first appearance of Amazing Stories and Wonder Stories magazines; early movies and comic strips; imaginative play as leader of Tarzan club; visit to Hall of Science at Chicago World's Fair, 1933; living in Tucson, Arizona, 1932-33; broadcasting comics on radio; impressions of King Kong, 1933; move to Los Angeles, 1934; attending movie previews at Uptown Theater; getting into movie studios and radio broadcasts; decision at twelve to become a writer; publishing Futuria Fantasia magazine; Henry Kuttner, Robert Heinlein, and Henry Hasse; first story sold to Script magazine at age nineteen; value of discipline in writing fifty-two short stories each year; nature of literary inspiration; acceptance of work by Super Science Stories, 1941; writing for Weird Tales, Astonishing Stories, Astounding Science Fiction Stories, American Mercury, Mademoiselle, and other magazines; inclusion in Best American Short Stories of 1946; meeting John Steinbeck; starting to write novels; discussion of Fahrenheit 451, Martian Chronicles, and Dandelion Wine; writing for theater and movies; science fiction writer as social critic; writing screenplay for Moby Dick; reaction to McCarthyism; political activities in 1950s; friendship with Bernard Berenson; more writing for screen and theater.