Jump, and you will find out how to unfold your wings as you fall. Ray Bradbury

A light that burned strong and steadily for 91 years went out today. All over the internet there will be moments taken by Geeks everywhere. And they’ll stop, like me and write a moment, or just think to themselves about Mr. Ray Bradbury. 

Thank you sir for giving me my very first taste of science fiction and fiction. I’d been reading children’s books before ,because I was a child. I was about 10 when I found your books and I went every time my mother would take me to Rock Bottom or the Dickson Street bookstore and I’d use all my credit and some of hers to buy your books. I’ve worn out at least one of each. I’ve worn out four of the Illustrated Man, as a matter of fact -I even bought a new copy just two years ago. 

I know what I’m going to be doing the next while. I’m going to reread. Everything. There’s so much I’ve loved, I want to love it all again. I want to read some aloud to my daughter. Oh The Halloween Tree oh  The October Country. These books, just as surely as those walks through the graveyard in my formative years, headed me toward being spooky. Oh The Martian Chronicals  and oh Fahrenheit 451 had me wondering about what my adulthood would be and sent me careening off into Huxley and Phillip K Dick and Asimov and into a lifelong passion of science fiction and fantasy. I never did and I never will grow out of reading it. 

I wrote Mr. Bradbury once when I was a child. I hope he got to see it. I thanked him. I’m thanking him again and will every time I re-read his books. 

Good Night Sir, rest well.

“The father hesitated only a moment. He felt the vague pain in his chest. If I run, he thought, what will happen? Is Death important? No. Everything that happens before Death is what counts. And we’ve done fine tonight. Even Death can’t spoil it.” From Something Wicked This Way Comes