Ray Bradbury Offers 12 Essential Writing Tips and Explains Why Literature Saves Civilization

We woke up today to learn about the sad passing of Ray Bradbury. Bradbury now joins Isaac Asimov, Arthur C. Clarke, Robert A. Heinlein, and Philip K. Dick in the pantheon of science fiction. It’s a place well deserved, seeing that he effectively brought modern science fiction into the literary mainstream. His first short story, “Hollerbochen’s Dilemma,” appeared in 1938. And his last one, “Take Me Home,” was just published this week in The New Yorker‘s first special issue devoted to science fiction. During the 74 years in between, Bradbury published eleven novels, including the great Fahrenheit 451, and countless short stories. His books, now translated into 36 languages, have sold over eight million copies.

To help celebrate his literary legacy, we want to revisit two moments when Bradbury offered his personal thoughts on the art and purpose of writing. Above, we start you off with a 1970s clip where Bradbury explains why literature serves more than an aesthetic purpose — it’s actually the safety valve of civilization. (See our original post here.) And below we bring you back to Bradbury’s 2001 keynote address at Point Loma Nazarene University’s Writer’s Symposium By the Sea. There, he gives 12 essential pieces of writing advice to young writers. You can find a nice list of his tips in our original post here. And, if you’re hungering for more, let us direct you to another clip recommended by one of our readers: a lengthy talk recorded in 2005 at the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books.

Related Content:

Free Science Fiction Classics on the Web: Huxley, Orwell, Asimov, Gaiman & Beyond

Leonard Nimoy Reads Ray Bradbury Stories From The Martian Chronicles & The Illustrated Man (1975-76)

Watch Ray Bradbury: Story of a Writer, a 1963 Film That Captures the Paradoxes of the Legendary Sci-Fi Author

 


by | Permalink | Comments (3) |

Support Open Culture

We’re hoping to rely on our loyal readers rather than erratic ads. To support Open Culture’s educational mission, please consider making a donation. We accept PayPal, Venmo (@openculture), Patreon and Crypto! Please find all options here. We thank you!


Comments (3)
You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.

Leave a Reply

Quantcast
Open Culture was founded by Dan Colman.