Seeing Past Each Other

When you boil it down, we remember Ray Bradbury for one moment, and it’s not from Fahrenheit 451. In The Martian Chronicles — a collection of stories around a common theme — two travelers, a human and a Martian, meet one night on a mountain pass. As they look to the valley below, they see a vast Martian city.

Only they see it differently. The Martian sees a thriving metropolis, full of lights and noise and life. The human sees ancient ruins.

How Bradbury frames that moment may have been the first time we were touched by Art. It’s certainly the reason why, of all the paperback science-fiction we read growing up, Bradbury was the one author we considered a poet.

The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, where Bradbury was a frequent guest, has released a tribute video from one of his visits, in 1971, on the eve of the first human craft to orbit Mars. In the video, Bradbury reads an actual poem, which is okay, we guess. Much better is his anecdote about being called out by nine-year-old boys on the shaky science of his work.

That touches us, too. If only because we were twelve at the time.

[via Sully]

nojo
10:21 am • Sunday • June 10, 2012
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3 Comments

blogenfreude

1:41 pm • Sunday • June 10, 2012

His books were wonderful, but his politics were appalling. I forgive him for this the same way I forgive Adam Carolla for his association with the liarBreitbart and the sociopath Dennis Prager. If I were intellectually honest I would not forgive these people for failing to acknowledge the monsters they pal around with. My bad.

nojo

1:58 pm • Sunday • June 10, 2012

@blogenfreude: Weigel also noted Bradbury’s paleolibertarian tendencies, and for all I know he kicked his dog.

But I don’t bother to forgive; I simply ignore. Whatever public statements he made, he’s not known for them, and he didn’t shout them loud enough to shit on his legacy. Unlike, say, Victoria Jackson, who doesn’t have much of a legacy to shit on to begin with.

3:12 pm • Sunday • June 10, 2012

@nojo: Ignoring is hard, but you’re right – probably the thing to do. It’s not effortless, but it might just work.

Seeing Past Each Other

[via Sully]

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