Ray Bradbury demands the return of "my book and my title."
The AP reported yesterday that the author of the brilliantly written "Fahrenheit 451," Ray Bradbury, is demanding both an apology from Michael Moore and a name change to his most recent short film "Fahrenheit 9/11." Bradbury asserts that Mr. Moore did not ask permission to borrow from his title and expects him to "give me back my book and my title."…
Article comments
26 - Purple Tigress
uhm. Actually, Ray Bradbury has been active in writing pieces for theater. Some of them have been well-received. Not all of them have been science fiction. This is mostly in the Los Angeles area because he lives around here.
27 - Jim Carruthers
Doesn't saying Bradbury has mostly been active in writing for LA theatre mostly prove my point that he isn't that far from being dead?
Let me guess, he won a Larry Award for his recent musical "Some Bad Home Boy Rides Down The Street" (adapted from his short novel which took its title from Shakespeare, who couldn't whine about it when he had a new play coming out because, homes, he be dead and all, and not a whiny old man).
28 - boomcrashbaby
Ray Bradbury might be wasting time griping about this name issue, but he is still definitely one of the best sci-fi writers I have ever read.
29 - Jim Carruthers
Ray Bradbury is a really fine writer, I just want to get that out of the way right up front.
But. He isn't an SF writer. Saying he is one of the best sci-fi writers you've ever heard is like saying Lionel Richie is one of the best hip-hop artists you've ever heard.
He is the saccharine anti-helix to William Burroughs if you really want to draw a comparison.
Now, what would Philip K. Dick be saying about this? (Probably, "my lawn's on fire, it was done by government death rays and Centurions! Christ, where's my iced tea, I told you, lime, not lemon! I thought I told you to tell Snr. Speilburgo to go fuck himself a couple of times").
30 - David Flanagan
I changed the title of the post and tried to edit out my incorrect comments related to copyright protection of Bradbury's book title. Thanks again to those who corrected me on that issue.
In regards to comments related to Bradbury's lack of writing activity over the past years. If that were even true, which, apparently, it is not, then what does it say about Michael Moore that he needs to borrow ideas from, as one person called him, a "self-promoting gas-bag?"
Thanks
David
31 - Jim Carruthers
Flannel-Man, making an allusion to something, or a reference, is no more needing to borrow than my scanty jabs at your grey super-dude duds, tired rhetoric and lame right-wing agenda.
32 - Jim Carruthers
And if Michael Moore is a "self-promoting gas bag" at least he is one of the few renewable energy resources in the States which isn't beholding to the Saudi theocracy.
And isn't that the point of his movie?
33 - Bob A. Booey
Finest fiction writer alive? Get some taste, Temple Stark. I doubt even Bradbury would agree with you.
Comparing him to Burroughs is even more illiterate. Stop trying so hard to be all "Trainspotting," Carruthers, you tool. Go read Dilbert -- that's more your speed.
34 - Peter Petrisko
Welcome to the post-modern age, David.
From WS Burroughs cutting up & reusing text from his past novels to create new works in the 50s, Warhol's use of iconic corporate images as art in the 60s, the ironic reuse of mainstream imagery in 70s-era punk rock posters, the advent of music sampling in the 80s, to the digital manipulation of photography today proves two things:
1. "Appropriation" is here to stay.
2. Current copyright law is woefully outdated in this post-modern electronic age.
We could bet on whether or not sales of Bradbury's "Fahrenheit 451" will now go up, but that's a no-brainer.
That real bet would be just HOW MUCH sales will increase as a direct result of all the hoopla now surrounding "Fahrenheit 911".