2. Early Life
• Born on August 22, 1922
• Had a very happy childhood
• Had an obsession over
adventure books and the
magicians/magic
• Avidly read Frank Baum,
Edgar Rice Burroughs, and
Jules Verne
• Made a decision to be a
writer by the age of 12 or
13, but changed his mind
numerous times
3. Growing Up
• Many scholars give credit to
Bradbury’s loving family who
is responsible for nurturing
Bradbury’s interests.
• Bradbury loved to write
stories about his family as
expressed within his early
stories.
4. Home = “Greentown”
• Bradbury wrote a short story, “Greentown” in
which emulated Waukegan, IL where he grew up.
• Within the story, Bradbury’s uncle can fly, a
traveling circus becomes a school for the
supernatural, and his grandparents provide
shelter for Charles Dickens.
– Most of his early stories did not fall under the horror
genre.
• Because his family would move between Illinois
and Arizona frequently, Bradbury wanted to
create a perfect town, free of problems.
5. Teenage Years
• In 1931, Bradbury moved to
Los Angeles.
• He would go through
Hollywood trying to spot
celebrities.
• Made friends with Ray
Harryhausen (special effects
master) and radio star
George Burns).
• Tried to write like Poe when
he was eighteen, but
decided a unique style was
needed
6. Teenage Years
• George Burns recognized Bradbury’s talent as
a writer for the Burns and Allen Show.
– Bradbury would write jokes, clearly not part of the
horror genre!
7. High School
• Bradbury attended Los Angeles high school
where he participated in the drama club
• His future goal was to be an actor, but
changed to writer when two of his teachers
encouraged his writing abilities.
• Bradbury’s works were all influenced by these
two women, Snow Longley Housh and Jeannet
Johnson.
8. Post High School
• Bradbury graduated in 1938, but did not
attend college.
• Instead he educated himself, by reading
newspapers and going to the library to read.
• He would write short stories about the current
issues in the news, embellished with his twist
of events.
9. A Rising Career
• Bradbury’s first published story was
“Hollerbochen's Dilemma” which was printed
in a fan magazine called Imagination!
– Story about Hollerbochen who knows he will die
the next day.
10. Continuing Career
• In 1941, Bradbury was
paid to print the short
story “Pendulum”
within Super Science
Stories, a magazine.
• To strengthen his
skills, Bradbury
received mentoring
from Henry Kuttner,
Leigh Brackett, Robert
Heinlein and Henry
Hasse.
11. Marriage
• Bradbury wed Marguerite McClure in 1947
– She was a clerk at a book shop where Bradbury visited
often.
• At the wedding, Ray Harryhausen (famous visual
effects creator) served as best man.
• Bradbury had four daughters
– Susan, Ramona, Bettina, Alexandra
12. Rocketing into Science Fiction
• Bradbury entered science fiction where he
became a leading pioneer of the genre .
• Reputation skyrocketed with a science fiction
novel called The Martian Chronicles.
– The story envelopes man struggle to survive on a
distance planet
– This novel alludes to the 1950s conflicts such as
censorship, nuclear war, racism, and foreign
politics.
13. Fahrenheit 451
• Bradbury’s most famous work, released 1953
• Takes place in a Totalitarian regime
• Chronicles the story of Montag, who relishes
burning books, a law implemented by the
government.
• Montag begins to question his acts, steals
books, and then is educated by a professor
• When discovered Montag runs away.
14. Awards
• O. Henry Memorial Award
• Benjamin Franklin Award (1954)
• Aviation-Space Writer's Association Award for
Best Space Article in an American Magazine
(1967)
• World Fantasy Award for Lifetime
Achievement
• Grand Master Award from the Science Fiction
Writers of America
15. Film Adaptations
• Alfred Hitchcock asked Bradbury to help
create some episodes for the TV series Alfred
Hitchcock Presents
– “Shopping for Death”
– “Design for Loving”
– “Special Delivery”
– “The Life Work of Juan Diaz”
– “The Jar” – 1 hour episode
16. Later Life
• Bradbury wrote numerous stories incorporating
horror and science fiction.
• Bradbury has received most of his recognition for
Fahrenheit 451 (science fiction)
• In 1980, a film adaptation of The Martian
Chronicles was created, greatly disappointing
Bradbury.
• He was given a star on the Hollywood Walk of
Fame.
• Ray Bradbury passed away at the age of 91 on
June 6, 2012
17. Lasting Impressions
• Bradbury has an asteroid named after him 9766
Bradbury
• Was a key player in the 1964 World’s Fair in New
York, creating the script for the US Pavilion.
• Contributed his knowledge of science to Disney’s
Spaceship Earth at EPCOT (WDW) and Orbitron at
Disneyland parks in Paris and Anaheim.
• Bradbury discusses his accomplishments:
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tTXckvj7KL4
18. But what about horror?
• Bradbury’s works of horror include:
– The Martian Chronicles
– The October Country
– “The Jar”
– “The Fog Horn”
– “Marionettes Inc.”
– “The April Witch”
– “The Scythe” – (today’s reading)
19. Science Fiction vs. Horror
• Although not as well know for his horror
stories as his science fiction stories, Bradbury
incorporates horror into most of his stories.
• The Martian Chronicles is classified as a
horror/science fiction novel
• Bradbury craftily incorporates human feeling
into his writings, evoking emotion.
21. Scythe
• What is a scythe?
– “an implement used for
mowing (as grass) and
composed of a long
curving blade fastened
at an angle to a long
handle” (Merriam
Webster Dictionary)
– First began use in the
12th century as an
effective way of mowing
grain/corn
22. Drew Erickson
• Main character
• Established as a farmer in the second
paragraph by his “farmer hands”
• His hands are mentioned again in paragraph 7
and again in paragraph 10.
– Could this be foreshadowing something?
• Clearly Drew is a hard worker and clearly life
does not like him
23. First Encounter (Page 2 bottom)
• Importance of the quote
– What does it mean?
– Notice how Bradbury foreshadows something to
happen later (last sentence of passage)
25. Scythe Takes Over (Page 4 bottom)
• Notice any repeated diction?
• Notice Bradbury mentions Hell a few times.
What could this mean?
– Foreshadowing Erickson’s fate as the Grim Reaper
26. Page 5 – Sudden Realization
• Erickson realizes he has killed people by
cutting the grain
• Is there any significance of Molly reading the
Bible to Drew?
– I thought it was a way of purifying Drew and
getting rid of his sin as the Grim Reaper
– Removing his “possession” by the Grim Reaper
27. Return of the Reaper (Page 8 top)
• Importance of the first passage?
• Notice the quote emblazoned on the scythe
returns again, but is repeated twice, like a
motto that Erickson must reap the souls to.
28. Scene of Fire (Page 10 center)
• Why is this scene important?
– Alludes to Hell
• This will complete his fate as the Grim Reaper.
29. Erickson tries to defy fate
• What happens to Erickson’s family?
• Who was to blame? Why?
30. Fate of the Grim Reaper
• What is the Grim Reaper causing? Name events.
31. End of Story
• Erickson becomes obsessed with the scythe
and it eventually controls his life.
• What did you think about the ending?
• Bradbury creates clues by using diction that is
repeated over and over.
• Bradbury leaves an impression that the Grim
Reaper causes turmoil and who knows when
your life will get cut?
