A sad day, indeed, as I just learned of the passing of my favorite author, Mr. Ray Bradbury. At the tender and impressionable age of 12, his collections of short stories pulled me into richly textured worlds populated with the most amazingly familiar characters imaginable. Bradbury had a knack for slowly revealing the fantastic depths that lay just beneath the surfaces of our everyday lives. A fellow Illinois original, he changed the way I looked at my own midwestern childhood--encouraging me to challenge my own perceptions and consider the possibilities of the extraordinary. From as early as 7th grade, his stories enchanted and affected me like no other.

He was one of the pioneers of the genre, weaving common social and psychological issues into the fabric of science fiction while at the same time creating some of the most fantastic stories of any generation. His tender treatment of very real and relatable characters brought a wholesomeness to his writing that no one has been able to match.

While perhaps best known for his ground breaking classic, "Fahrenheit 451", there are so many other rich and satisfying stories: I suggest "Something Wicked this Way Comes" for a great classic scare. "Dandelion Wine" is a wonderful tale of boyhood and summertime youth. "Martian Chronicles" is the quintessential Bradbury saga, full of bright visuals and wonderful layers of humanity. My favorites, by far, are his collections of short stories. Bradbury is the master of the short tale = larger lesson.

His influence on my writing is clear, as I pay some sort of homage to him in each and every book. I will miss him.

I encourage everyone to pick up a Bradbury book and give it a thorough reading. His stories are like a warm summer walk through your favorite small town park. Lets honor this legend the best way we can, in a way he would appreciate: Read a great book by one of the classic story tellers of the past century!

Thanks, Ray, for giving us your words. Your ideas. Your cast of everyday heroes. You did it like no other.