Pulp -- Planet Stories -- May 13, 2021

 

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Fiction House published Planet Stories, a pulp, and Planet Comics. Both usually featured attractive women on their covers. Leigh Brackett and Ray Bradbury wrote two of the stories in this issue. 

Ray Bradbury 100 -- August 22, 2020

 

Ray Bradbury was born 100 years ago today, on 22-August-1920. I'm not usually a science fiction fan, but he wrote science fiction that was very human-centered, and he wrote many stories that were not science fiction. I first read Dandelion Wine while I was in grammar school and it made an impression on me, especially the part about the trolley. I think I heard a series of X Minus One or Dimension X adaptions of The Martian Chronicles before I read it. 

 He wanted to be a magician. I went with my family to hear him speak at the Palace of Fine Arts Theater, but I was too young to remember much.

Herman Melville 200 -- August 1, 2019

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Author Herman Melville was born 200 years ago today, on 01-August-1819.  I don't remember reading any of his novels in high school, but I read Moby Dick (twice) and Billy Budd in college.  Later I read Typee, Omoo and The Confidence-Man.  I need to read some of his others.

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Melville's centennial in 1919 led to a rediscovery of his work, but as far as I can tell, the first film adaption was The Sea Beast, a 1926 adaption of Moby Dick.  John Barrymore played Ahab.

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The second adaption was a talkie remake of Moby Dick, again starring Barrymore.

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John Huston directed the 1956 version of Moby Dick.  He also wrote the screenplay with Ray Bradbury.

I am surprised that no one adapted the short story "Bartleby the Scrivener" until 1956.  This was a French television production.

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In the 1962 Billy Budd, Peter Ustinov played the captain, co-wrote the scenario and directed.

Ray Bradbury, RIP -- June 6, 2012

Ray Bradbury has died.  I'm not usually a science fiction fan, but he wrote science fiction that was very human-centered, and he wrote many stories that were not science fiction.  I first read Dandelion Wine while I was in grammar school and it made an impression on, especially the part about the trolley.  I think I head a series of  X Minus One or Dimension X adaptions of The Martian Chronicles before I read it.   He wanted to be a magician.  I went with my family to hear him speak at the Palace of Fine Arts Theater, but I was too young to remember much.