Ray Bradbury Interview with Barnes&Noble

What was the book that most influenced your life or your career as a writer — and why?
The John Carter, Warlord of Mars books by Edgar Rice Burroughs, which entered my life when I was ten and caused me to go out on the lawns of summer, put up my hands, and ask for Mars to take me home. Within a short time I began to write and have continued that process ever since, all because of Mr. Burroughs.

What are your favorite books, and what makes them special to you?

The collected essays of George Bernard Shaw, which contain all of the intelligence of humanity during the last hundred years and perhaps more.

The collected poetry of Alexander Pope, who is perhaps the greatest poet outside of Shakespeare.

The collected plays of Shakespeare, which influenced me during my life.

Moby Dick by Herman Melville. Quite obviously its impact on my life has lasted for more than fifty years.

The books of Loren Eisley, who is our greatest poet/essayist of the last forty years.

The short stories of Eudora Welty, the short stories of Edith Wharton, the short stories of Willa Cather, and the short stories of Jessamyn West. All of these women influenced me because they taught me the special, tender, feminine side of humanity. What are some of your favorite films, and what makes them unforgettable to you?

The Hunchback of Notre Dame with Lon Chaney, which I saw when I was three. The film convinced me that there was a little bit of The Hunchback in me at an early age.

The Phantom of the Opera with Lon Chaney, which terrified me but sent me on the road to becoming the great lover of Chaney’s films. When he died when I was ten, I figured no one was safe.

The Mummy, 1932, with Boris Karloff. It is a sensitive, simple, and wondrously frightening film, one of the best of its kind.

King Kong, 1933. Of all the monster films ever made, this is the greatest. It has a grandeur about it and an element of unrequited love between Beauty and The Beast. It remains one of the greatest films ever made.

H.G. Wells’s Things to Come, 1936, because at the end it told me about outer space and of travels to the Moon. When I staggered out of the movie I decided that I would spend the rest of my life trying to do something about going to the Moon and Mars.

Lawrence of Arabia. There is no way to even begin to comment on this film. It is grand in every direction you want to take it.

As Good as it Gets, with Jack Nicholson. This film has an incredible screenplay, incredible cast, and incredible direction. It’s one of the most perfect films of its kind ever made.

The Haunting, 1962, directed by Robert Wise. This is the finest horror film of its kind ever made because it terrifies you without showing you anything; it’s all light and shadows. What types of music do you like? Is there any particular kind you like to listen to when you’re writing?
Mainly the Russian composers: Prokofiev, Tchaikovsky, Mussorsky, They were all taught by the great master, Berlioz. If you want to find the source of much of the music of modern day Russia, you will find it in the incredible compositions of that crazed lunatic Berlioz.

If you had a book club, what would it be reading — and why?
It would be reading the classics and most of the books published early in the twentieth century.

What are your favorite kinds of books to give — and get — as gifts?
I look to the person that I’m giving the book to and then I judge what to give them.

Do you have any special writing rituals? For example, what do you have on your desk when you’re writing?
Every day at 9:00 a.m., for two hours, I begin a new short story, sometimes finishing it, or write an essay or poem. This routine has continued for sixty-five years.

I have my favorite cat, who is my paperweight, on my desk while I am writing.

What are you working on now?
I’m currently working on two new one-act plays, starting a new novel, finishing work on a new book of short stories and completing work on a book of essays. Outside of that, nothing much.

Many writers are hardly “overnight success” stories. How long did it take for you to get where you are today? Any rejection-slip horror stories or inspirational anecdotes?
It took me roughly thirty years. It was a long, slow process with a thousand rejections. I’m still getting rejected this late in time. The important thing is to continue writing and continue being in love with books, authors, and libraries.

If you could choose one new writer to be “discovered,” who would it be — and why?
The science fiction writer, Greg Bear, whom I have known since he was in high school, more than thirty years ago. He has an individual talent and style and a great imagination.

What tips or advice do you have for writers still looking to be discovered?
Fall in love and stay in love. Do what you love and nothing else. Don’t look at the market, look into your heart and find what is there and put it down.