Bradbury Garners Pulitzer Citation

The Pulitzer Board has awarded a special citation to Ray Bradbury.
The boys at SF Signal posted the news on today’s SF Tidbits list.
For its part, the Pulitzer site says the recognition is:

“…for his distinguished, prolific and deeply influential career as an unmatched author of science fiction and fantasy.”

At the time of this posting, there’s been no comment yet from the venerable master on his official site.

Bradbury certainly deserves this honour. I’ve enthused about his imagination, his heart and his style many times before on this blog, so I won’t go into it again except to say that Ray Bradbury is one of the greatest storytellers in the English language of our time and it’s a treat to crack open each new book he offers.
This announcement couldn’t have come at a better time for Bradbury either. Michael McCarty’s interview with the author for Sci Fi Weekly’s interviews page notes there are two new books coming out this year. Gauntlet Press is releasing “Match To Flame: The Fictional Paths to Fahrenheit 451” and “Somewhere a Band is Playing”. Definitely looking forward to those.
So let’s look back on this “deeply influential career”…
As I’ve said before, my favourite Bradbury novel is “The Halloween Tree”. Best short story collection I think would have to be a three-way tie between “The Martian Chronicles” (pretty much a given), “From the Dust Returned” and “Quicker than the Eye”. Favourite short story: probably the one from “Quicker than the Eye” about the time traveler who visits the giants of English language literature on their deathbeds to reassure them that their lives and works have meaning and lasting value. Unfortunately I can’t recall the story’s name off the top of my head and I just happen to have loaned the book to a friend. I guess the old word of advice about never loaning books is really true, ‘cause now I don’t have it when I need a quote/fact check!
And now it’s your turn.
What’s your favourite Ray Bradbury novel, collection or short story? Which chunky, delicious Bradburian turn of phrase captured the exactness of a moment or feeling or thing to you? Which one of his tales made you weep or laugh or shake in horror or sit back and wonder? Send me a note and share with the rest of us how this great magician of the language has left his mark on you.