Ray Bradbury is one of the world's most respected writers of science fiction and fantasy. His short stories and novels are lyrical, poetic, and fanciful but address serious themes. Themes that recur in his works include the value of individuality over conformity and modern society's overdependence on machines and technology.

Bradbury was born in Waukegan, Illinois, in 1920. He has published many collections of short stories, including The Martian Chronicles and The Illustrated Man, and several novels, including Fahrenheit 451 and Something Wicked This Way Comes.