Bradbury Beyond Apollo Hardcover – August 10, 2020

In this installment, Eller examines Bradbury’s later years (1971-2012), when he was doing little original fiction writing. Bradbury was spending most of his creative effort on screenplays of his longer fiction, turning his short stories into episodes of the television series *Ray Bradbury Theatre* or live theatrical plays, and writing poetry. With the assistance of his editors, he did finally finish up a number of book collections and story cycles that had been in the works for decades. However, he may have spent the greatest amount of energy on public appearances, especially in support of NASA’s Space Shuttle Program and in constant promotion of a Mars exploration program.A biographer has a major advantage when his subject has led an interesting life and when the biographer has nearly complete access to the subject’s papers, drafts, and letters. Bradbury had a long life of accomplishment and was friends with some of the most fascinating people in the realms of film and literature. The Center for Ray Bradbury Studies was the recipient of Ray Bradbury’s personal files and his entire home office, as well as the recipient of the files of Donn Albright, Bradbury’s longtime close friend, bibliographer, and sometimes editor and agent. In addition, Eller himself was a good friend of Bradbury and his family for many years and was able to talk with and interview Bradbury for “countless hours”. This close friendship could make a biographer shy about honest evaluation of his subject, but Eller seems to have been able to resist that temptation. He tells about Bradbury’s failures as carefully as he writes about the successes. And Eller acknowledges that a great many of Bradbury’s failures were the fault of his own stubborn insistence that other people defer to him and do things his way.Eller has provided us with a truly fascinating look at a writer’s life that is as varied as anyone could imagine having. He has given me a new understanding and even enthusiasm for both the Bradbury stories which I have read multiple times and for those which I have missed. As I look at episodes of *Ray Bradbury Theatre*, I will have a different appreciation of the craft and thought that went into them. And as I watch human attempts to further explore Mars, I will also do so with greater interest.By the way, if you ever have the chance to visit the Ray Bradbury Center in Indianapolis (where Eller is the Director) or to attend a Jonathan Eller presentation, you won’t regret it, even if you are not particularly a fan of Bradbury. The stories are fascinating for anyone.

After reading "Ray Bradbury Unbound" a few years ago, I was afraid it was the concluding volume of Jonathan Eller's literary biography of RB. Thankfully, he's back with "Bradbury Beyond Apollo"--just in time for RB's 100th birthday. This is a touching portrait of Bradbury's last decades, in which he remained vital, enthusiastic, and prolific across several media.It chronicles many film and stage projects that are tantalizing might-have-beens, such as a "Dandelion Wine" musical with songs by Jimmy Webb. And it makes the reader eager to return to and reconsider Bradbury's later works.All 3 volumes are essential reading for RB fans, and full of inspiration for writers.

Jon Eller's trilogy on Bradbury is an amazing read. I got this one on Kindle; and unlike some ebooks--you want to linger over each page...savor his prose and narrative pace, and delight in the insights into Bradbury.

I purchased two copies of BRADBURY BEYOND APOLLO directly from the University of Illinois Press, so this review will not appear as an Amazon "Verified Purchase." I write it, however, with great earnestness.BRADBURY BEYOND APOLLO, the last in Dr. Jonathan Eller's trilogy about the quintessential American master of imaginative fiction, Ray Bradbury, is a book for two audiences: those familiar with the poetic prose and fantastic imagination of Ray Bradbury, and those new to the Bradbury name. This third book by Dr. Eller, following on the heels of BECOMING RAY BRADBURY and RAY BRADBURY UNBOUND, completes the guided tour of the Bradbury universe by carrying us into the final years of the world-renowned author's career and life.Each of the three Eller books are handsome volumes printed on quality acid-free paper, making them keepsakes to be passed down through the years. Yet the real value here is the detailed content of these books, all meticulously researched, and each skillfully woven into a tight narrative skein that is both extremely informative and immensely entertaining. This is NOT dry prose. Jon Eller writes GOOD stuff, and we learn a lot about not just Ray Bradbury, but about how so many other prominent names in the arts, humanities, and sciences were influenced or inspired by the mountainous imagination of a son of early 20th century mid-western America.After having read all three Eller volumes about Ray Bradbury, anyone interested in the life and work of the famed author--beyond the author's works themselves--will find it ALL in Jon Eller's tomes.I was a close friend of Ray Bradbury during the last thirteen years of his life (and a pen pal for twenty years before that) so I can attest to the authenticity and care Dr. Eller has placed into BRADBURY BEYOND APOLLO, as well as his two earlier Bradbury treatises. The full-life examination of the globally beloved author of science fantasy, science fiction, allegory, metaphor, poetry, articles, and essays are contained in Eller's books factually, fairly, and vibrantly: a combination of scholarly detail and very readable journalistic clarity.BRADBURY BEYOND APOLLO is a must-have for Bradbury fans--alongside Dr. Eller's earlier Bradbury historical volumes--and for anyone wishing to study how a great literary talent, like Bradbury, becomes such an important part of the human experience culturally and in the businesses of being creative.

If one is interested in movie/TV productions of Bradbury's work, fine. However, I wasn't and so I couldn't finish it.