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"It was a pleasure to burn." And it was a pleasure to read.

Iconic science fiction writer Ray Bradbury dies at 91 Author’s stories of nuclear fears and totalitarian regimes set a science fiction standard

By Scott StumpTODAY books
updated 42 minutes ago2012-06-06T15:36:02

Ray Bradbury, the author of classics such as “Fahrenheit 451,” “Something Wicked this Way Comes” and “The Martian Chronicles,” died Tuesday night in Los Angeles at the age of 91.
Bradbury’s daughter confirmed the death of the legendary science fiction writer to the Associated Press Wednesday morning.
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Bradbury began his career writing science fiction for fanzines in 1938 and became a full-time writer in 1943. His major breakthrough as a science fiction writer was the publishing of “The Martian Chronicles” in 1950. The story of the effects of man’s attempt to colonize Mars after a massive nuclear war on Earth, the book reflected the anxieties over nuclear war in the 1950s and the fear of foreign powers.

Perhaps his best-known book is “Fahrenheit 451,” which was released in 1953 and tells the story of a professional book-burner who works under a totalitarian government that has outlawed the written word. The main character, Montag, flees for his life after he starts stealing books meant to be burned and falls under the tutelage of a professor out to educate him.

While Bradbury's books often focused on his vision of the future, he scorned modern technologies such as video games, ATMs and the Internet, the last of which he considered a scam to enrich computer companies.
Several of the author's works became movies or television shows, including the movie version of his novel “Something Wicked This Way Comes.” Versions of Bradbury’s stories appeared on episodes of “Alfred Hitchcock Presents” and “The Twilight Zone,” and he also had his own cable series, “Ray Bradbury Theater,” that ran from 1986-1992.
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Among the awards Bradbury won during his career, he received the O. Henry Memorial Award, the World Fantasy Award for Lifetime Achievement, and the Grand Master Award from the Science Fiction Writers of America. His work also appeared three times in the Best American Short Stories collections.

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