When Ray Bradbury saw lions on the big screen during a 1924 Lon Chaney film, he envisioned them at the terrifying center of “The Veldt,” an early tale he authored about an automated home, complete with a room that virtually recreated an African veldt. I was assigned to read “The Veldt” in a grade school books discussion group, and it would stay very close to my heart in the years that followed.
In 2010, PopMatters published “Ray Bradbury Wrote Me Back,” my essay about experiences I’ve had with Bradbury’s work, and the effect that his stories have had on me through adulthood. Not long after I filed that piece, I visited Italy and was compelled to write about him again, specifically about his love of open public space.
Bradbury’s short stories are rich with affecting characters, ideas, and what many have called his “lyrical” imagery. I hope that over the weekend, some readers here will take a Bradbury book to bed or on a long road trip. And who knows? You might find that Ray’s words stir in your heart for many years to come.
