American Writers - Ray Bradbury

I love genre fiction, mysteries, suspense, western, sci-fi, horror, and fantasy. I know that these have long been the bane of literary experts but, with some exceptions, they are where you find good stories. They are also, in modern fiction, where you find human characters. And, best of all, they are readable.

Let's take the last point first. William Faulkner was a fine writer and, here and ther, could write stunning descriptive prose. However, to get to those parts you had to wade through page after mind-numbing page of his stream of consciousness shtick. Stream of consciousness is an effective tool for writers but, a little bit goes a long, long way. Faulkner's meanderings are annoying and detract from what could be fine tales of fascinating people.  He, ultimately, bores me.

Now, let's look at a sci-fi writer. I take as my example, Ray Bradbury. To call him a sci-fi writer is a bit misleading because, unlike Artur C. Clark or Isaac Asimov, he pays little attention to the science of the whole thing. Instead, he uses the backdrop of the space voyage and the exploration of strange worlds as a backdrop for his exploration of human nature.

His characters are us, you and me, and the story revolves around how we might behave when thrust into fantastic situations. His characters are kind, cruel, devious, loyal, violent, optimistic, pessimistic, stupid, smart, in short human. The tales often have a sweet longing for the finer moments of humanity while never losing the edge of dark possibilities.

Most importantly, they are stories, wild flights of fancy, absorbing tales of possibility and limits. If you have not read Bradbury, I can highly recommend Farenheit 451, Something Wicked This Way Comes, The Illustrated Man, and. espec ially, the sublime Martian Chronicles. Some quiet afternoon, perhaps on a rainy Saturday when the World is quiet, settle back with one of his books. You will spend a delightful afternoon as these stories reconnect you to the best, and at times, the worst, of humanity. They are fine, fine tales.