Such an enjoyable book. I feel a whole new connection to his works.

A very good bio of Bradbury. I contributed a small bit to Sam Weller's research. I sent him a copy of a letter that our college received from Bradbury in the late 1960's. When asked to offer suggestions and personal experiences to beginning writers, Bradbury sent us a three-page, hand edited letter! Weller's bio has complete access and approval from Bradbury. This, of course, makes the book an advocate and worshiper of its subject; there's not much that's negative or critical of Bradbury here. This is a bio written by someone who adores the subject.

I read The Martian Chronicles over a few days in a pivotal time in my life (immigrating to Canada it was exactly what I needed to totally escape the major challenges I was facing), and 40 years later I still consider it one of the most enjoyable in my memory. I know sometime in re-reading a book or watching a movie many years after the initial encounter can be disappointing; however I just re-read it concurrently with Ray’s biography and it still stands up as a great piece of work. I am not a Science Fiction buff and probably could count one two hands the SC material I have read however as a youth I read a lot of the Argosy (??) short story collections and really enjoyed those. Now to the biography; I really enjoyed it and it’s a length but easy read. I was amazed (but why should I?) how much of Ray’s early life is in his work and his early years are some of the best part of the book as you can really see the formation of Ray’s amazing multi-talented character and his tireless drive. The other part of the book that stands out is Ray’s relationship with John Huston and the writing of the screenplay for Moby Dick. I had seen a short film (of the short story) “The Banshee” years ago which came to mind as it was written by Ray during his stay on Ireland and reflects a comical but scathing take on his harrowing dealings with the mighty ego and Uber-personality that was Huston.
Overall I hate to use a worn cliché for a biography but this does read like a novel!

The Bradbury Chronicles was a sheer delight for me to read. I started reading Ray Bradbury books as a child, and was immediately hooked. When I heard about this book, I couldn't wait to read it. What an amazing life he led! He was born in Illinois in a town that he held very dear for his entire life. His father was a dreamer and left Illinois several times when he couldn't find work there. He always went west. It was amazing to me just how many times this man left and returned to Illinois, eventually settling in California. Ray, like his father, was perpetually interested in everything around him, and was not shy about anything, outside of the fact that he refused to drive a car or fly in a plane, which was unbelievable to me, considering that fact that he wrote stories about space travel.
I felt very jealous of Sam Weller while reading this book, as he had the opportunity to not only meet, but to become friends with Ray and write his life story. He did a wonderful job of getting it all down, while keeping it interesting. There is quite a lot to tell. I know some reviewers complained that it was not realistic, and stories were told in a prejudiced fashion, with Ray as the perpetual good guy, but, I think Mr. Weller wrote it as he was told, and the reader is free to make his own decisions on the material. I found the book to be a breath of fresh air. This was not by any means a perfect man, but a man that changed the genre of Science fiction writing and influenced so many future writers, as well as making readers like myself very happy. Thank you Sam Weller for this lovely book.

I do not understand how some reviewers left a 3 star rating for this wonderful Sam Weller masterpiece. A fun and inspiring.

I really enjoyed this book. It is an authorized biography of Ray Bradbury, one of the most prolific writers of our time. It tells of his early life, his struggles as a young writer, and of his eventual success, popularity and huge impact on other writers, and in other mediums. Full of the names we are familiar with, it does not seem to be gratuitous name-dropping, but illustrative of the circles that Ray populated; magazines, TV, theater and movies. Each chapter has a foreword, and one from a well know author states this "there would be no Stephen King without Ray Bradbury"; written by King himself.
This book has compelled me to read more of his writing, and to look into a few of the movies that have been made from his works.

95/100

5 stars - 90/100
4 stars - 80/100
3 stars - 70/100
2 stars - 60/100
1 star - 50/10

My love of Ray Bradbury grew leaps and bounds with every page. Truly one of the greatest. A terrific book and well worth a read! Truly one of the greatest lives ever lived!

An authorized biography of Ray Bradbury by an author that clearly idolized his subject, and which sometimes comes off more as a hagiography than a biography. Ray Bradbury is one of my favorite authors, but the gushing anecdotes, and the foreshadowing of Bradbury's genius when just a child were too much for me. I did learn some new things about Bradbury, and the origins of some of his most famous stories, but it was hard to get past the adoration. Only recommended for committed fans.

Can I give this book 6 stars?

The sentimental nostalgia that I love of Ray Bradbury was present in his biography as well. Author Sam Weller took great pains to ensure that the readers of this bio feel just as close to "Uncle Ray" as they encounter the man, the myth, the legend up close!

This was such an incredible biography. Bradbury is my all-time favorite author and my biggest inspiration as a writer. This riveting and inspirational chronicle of his life only made me love him more.

Ray Bradbury is one of my very favorite authors. Dandelion Wine is one of my top three favorite novels of all time (and From the Dust Returned is right up there at the top as well). I loved this look into his journey from little mama's-boy to science fiction icon. Weller did a great job -- his writing was enjoyable (sometimes a tiny bit repetitive), but full of life and fun to read. A lot like Bradbury himself...