Becoming Ray Bradbury / Jonathan R. Eller.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Eller, Jonathan R., 1952-

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Bradbury, Ray, 1920-2012.

Bradbury, Ray.

Authors, American--20th century--Biography.

Authors, American.

Science fiction, American--History and criticism.

Science fiction, American.

Genre:

Biographies.

Physical Description:

xiii, 324 pages, 16 unnumbered pages of plates : illustrations ; 25 cm

Place of Publication:

Urbana : University of Illinois Press, [2011]

Summary:

Drawing on personal papers and unpublished correspondence, this biography of famed science fiction writer and American literary figure Ray Bradbury, focuses on his early life in an effort to examine the influences of Bradbury's own literary consumption, and his experiences early in his writing career on his eventual publishing success and prominence as both a writer and social commentator. The volume traces Bradbury's life from his childhood in the 1920s through his first real successes in the 1950s, detailing his relationships with mentors, his frustrations with the publishing industry, and the development of the deeper themes that made his work so interesting and profound to generations of readers. Eller is a professor of English at Indiana University-Purdue University in Indianapolis. Annotation ©2011 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

Contents:

Part I Awakenings 7

1 From the Nursery to the Library 9

2 L.A. High and the Science Fiction League 16

3 Hannes Bok and the Lorelei 21

4 NYCon 1939 26

5 Futuria Fantasia 33

6 From the Fanzines to the Prozines 40

7 Early Disappointments: The Science Fiction Pulps 45

Part II The Road to Autumn's House 51

8 Living in Two Worlds 53

9 Reading about Writing 59

10 Early Mentors: Hamilton, Williamson, and Brackett 64

11 "Chrysalis": Bradbury and Henry Kuttner 70

12 A New World of Reading 75

13 An Emerging Sense of Critical Judgment 81

14 On the Shoulders of Giants 87

15 The Road to Autumn's House 93

Part III The Fear of Death Is Death 97

16 Exploring the Human Mind 99

17 Exploring the Human Condition 104

18 With the Blessings of His Mentors 110

19 New Stories and New Opportunities 114

20 Life and Death in Mexico 119

21 Transitions: Bradbury and Don Congdon 126

22 The Power of Love 131

23 From Arkham to New York 135

24 Obsessed with Perfection 141

25 Dark Carnival 146

Part IV The Tyranny of Words 151

26 Lifetime Partnerships 153

27 The Illinois Novel 160

28 Bradbury and Modernity 166

29 Modernist Alternatives 173

30 Finding His Own Way 179

31 The Anthology Game 185

32 Paradise Postponed 192

33 Broadening Horizons 198

34 The Miracle Year: Winter and Spring 206

35 The Miracle Year: Summer and Fall 211

Part V The Last Night of the World 219

36 Critical Praise, Private Worries 221

37 New York, 1951 227

38 Controversial Fictions 232

39 New Worlds: Graphic and Television Adaptations 240

40 The Wheel of Fortune 245

41 Joe Mugnaini and The Golden Apples of the Sun 249

42 Bantam and Ballantine 257

43 Hollywood at Last 261

44 Political Controversy 268

45 Fahrenheit 451 275

46 The Last Night of the World 281.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

9780252036293

0252036298

OCLC:

706803970