Writer: Ray Bradbury

It’s hard to imagine how many words Ray Bradbury has written over his lifetime. We know him for his groundbreaking science fiction and fantasy novels, most notably Fahrenheit 451, The Martian Chronicles, Something Wicked This Way Comes, and The Illustrated Man.

But as one of America’s most prolific authors, Bradbury’s sheer volume of work boggles the mind. Eleven novels. Forty-four short story collections. Other short stories published in anthologies and 50 more in magazines that have never been collected. Many more novelettes. Twenty-one plays. A couple dozen screenplays and teleplays, including Moby Dick (1956), Alfred Hitchcock Presents, and The Twilight Zone. A dozen children’s books. A dozen more non-fiction books. Millions and millions of words. I got tired just typing all that.

As you’d expect, he’s received many honors for his writing. The Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America have named an award in his honor. The National Book Foundation presented him its Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters Award. And he was the recipient of the National Medal of Arts, presented by President George W. Bush.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YlYAhSffEDM