Today, August 22, American fiction legend Ray Bradbury turns 91. Having penned such stories as Fahrenheit 451, The Illustrated Man, The Martian Chronicles, and Something Wicked This Way Comes, Ray Bradbury has entertained and inspired countless readers since the 1930’s and is still writing today. Today, on his birthday, his semi-autobiographical novel Dandelion Wine was picked up by Phoenix Pictures to become a feature film. Upon hearing this, he responded: “This is the best birthday gift I could ask for. Today, I have been reborn!” Also in celebration, Amazon is offering Ray Bradbury’s The Playground, a short story, as a Kindle download for 91₵.

There is an alarming absence of Ray Bradbury e-books available on the internet, but that is due to Bradbury’s own wishes—he doesn’t like e-readers, and has gone on record as to say that e-books can “go to hell.” He prefers to dream that technology be used to propel mankind to the stars as he imagined in The Martian Chronicles in 1950.

Bradbury has received such honors as the French Commandeur Ordre des Arts et des Lettres medal, the U.S. National Medal of Arts, and has even had an asteroid named after him. He is also the namesake of the Ray Bradbury Award, presented by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America for screenwriting. Ray Bradbury survives a wife of fifty-six years and has four daughters. Everyone at OBS wishes him a fantastic birthday and many more years of fantastical writing.

Links:
http://www.raybradbury.com/ – Official website
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ray_Bradbury – Ray Bradbury,Wikpedia
http://www.cinemablend.com/new/Ray-Bradbury-s-91st-Birthday-Present-A-Movie-Adaptation-Of-Dandelion-Wine-26352.html – Movie News, CinemaBlend.com
http://www.timeslive.co.za/scitech/article606747.ece/eBooks-can-go-to-hell–Ray-Bradbury – Sci-tech News, Times LiveAugust 17, 2010