Beware of the Illustrated Man
by Paulette Reynolds * September 10, 2019
Book Review
Conversations with Ray Bradbury
By Steven Aggelis
Conversations with Ray Bradbury
By Steven Aggelis
Hailed as a 'prophet' in an age that was racing towards technological overload, Ray Bradbury was fond of saying, "We've got to dumb America up again." The author who seamlessly melded science fiction with magical poetry was responsible for some of the most memorable works of horror, notably Fahrenheit 451 and his collected short stories, such as The Martian Chronicles.
My favorite was The Illustrated Man, a book that taught me if one looks at something long enough, they're bound to see more than they bargained for in the process. In Bradbury the man, truth is definitely stranger than fiction.
My favorite was The Illustrated Man, a book that taught me if one looks at something long enough, they're bound to see more than they bargained for in the process. In Bradbury the man, truth is definitely stranger than fiction.
Throughout his long career he gave out numerous interviews to individuals and media outlets. Conversations with Ray Bradbury highlights the more interesting interviews, where the literary legend shares antidotes about working with Hollywood insiders, favorite influencers, and his personal philosophy on writing, life, politics and religion.
His free-wheeling style is fast and funny, but tucked into these reveries are some unsettling revelations; as Bradbury reveals his radical conservatism on people of color, women working, immigration - and it's not pretty.
"The blacks are beginning to dominate, and that should not be allowed." *1
"Two careers can't exist in a family. [and] "All a man has is his future. A woman has her future in her husband and her children." *2
“If we listened to all these groups then we wouldn’t have anything to read or anything to look at. It’s okay for them to speak up, but you don’t have to listen to them ’cause if we censor all the things the gays want changed and all the women’s lib things changed and all the Jewish groups want changed and all the Catholic groups, after a while you have empty shells." *3
"The future of America belongs in the hands of corporations." *4
"The people have grabbed back a lot of power, and we’re grabbing back more with a policy of radical conservatism, which is really what the mood of the time is." *5
Bradbury's radical conservatism is a far-right system of political thought that mixes Christian faith-based ideology with conservative concepts about government, bordering on religious fundamentalism. If this sounds all-too familiar, it's because this is the current mindset embraced by the Republican Party.
Steven Aggelis's book is a fascinating look at the artistic and political times during Ray Bradbury's fame, often showing a softer side to the man who battled a few demons of his own.
His free-wheeling style is fast and funny, but tucked into these reveries are some unsettling revelations; as Bradbury reveals his radical conservatism on people of color, women working, immigration - and it's not pretty.
"The blacks are beginning to dominate, and that should not be allowed." *1
"Two careers can't exist in a family. [and] "All a man has is his future. A woman has her future in her husband and her children." *2
“If we listened to all these groups then we wouldn’t have anything to read or anything to look at. It’s okay for them to speak up, but you don’t have to listen to them ’cause if we censor all the things the gays want changed and all the women’s lib things changed and all the Jewish groups want changed and all the Catholic groups, after a while you have empty shells." *3
"The future of America belongs in the hands of corporations." *4
"The people have grabbed back a lot of power, and we’re grabbing back more with a policy of radical conservatism, which is really what the mood of the time is." *5
Bradbury's radical conservatism is a far-right system of political thought that mixes Christian faith-based ideology with conservative concepts about government, bordering on religious fundamentalism. If this sounds all-too familiar, it's because this is the current mindset embraced by the Republican Party.
Steven Aggelis's book is a fascinating look at the artistic and political times during Ray Bradbury's fame, often showing a softer side to the man who battled a few demons of his own.
References
*1 Page 138
*2 Page 181
*3 pgs xvi/92
*4 Pg 99
*5 Page 185
All quotes taken from Steven Aggelis's' original dissertation online:
http://diginole.lib.fsu.edu/islandora/object/fsu:168044/datastream/PDF/view
Further Reference:
Radical Conservatism: The Right's Political Religion
By Robert Brent Toplin
*1 Page 138
*2 Page 181
*3 pgs xvi/92
*4 Pg 99
*5 Page 185
All quotes taken from Steven Aggelis's' original dissertation online:
http://diginole.lib.fsu.edu/islandora/object/fsu:168044/datastream/PDF/view
Further Reference:
Radical Conservatism: The Right's Political Religion
By Robert Brent Toplin
COPYRIGHT 2012/2019. Paulette Reynolds. All CineMata Movie Madness blog articles, reviews, faux interviews, commentary, and the Cine Mata character are under the sole ownership of Paulette Reynolds. All intellectual and creative rights reserved.