Author+Page

=Author Page = By: Louis Piotti Jeff Rizzo and Van Holt

Ray Bradbury:  Bio: On August 22, 1920, Ray Bradbury was born in Waukegan, Illinois. During the 1950s Ray started writing short stories with a Science Fiction theme. Two of these works are //The Martian Chronicles// and //Fahrenheit 451.// Ray Bradbury feels that technology and science fiction are very important. He said "A lot of intellectuals think science fiction is trivial. And it's pivotal! People are walking around the streets with phones to their heads talking to someone ten feet away. We've killed two million people with automobiles. We're surrounded by technology and the problems created by technology, and science fiction isn't important?" He feels that technology and science fiction is important. Its strengths overcome the problems it creates.

Kurt Vonnegut: Bio: Kurt Vonnegut was born on November 11, 1922. As a writer, Vonnegut “blended literature with science fiction and humor.” He portrays technology in a poor way in most of his works. One such work is //Player Piano//. //Player Piano// is a short story about how in the future all businesses have become so technologically based, the need for humans to work is no longer needed, and therefore everyone loses their job. Vonnegut dislikes how technology is replacing humans as labor and causing people to lose jobs. He even stated “I believe half of the duty of every inventor is to make a product that is better and cheaper, and the other half is to create a job that is more satisfying. We do only half of it. People are never mentioned, as though they don't figure in the equation at all.”

H.G. Wells:  Bio: H.G. Wells was born in Bromley, England on September 21, 1866. He wrote two amazing science fiction books, //The Time Machine// and //War of the Worlds//. He was one of the pioneers of science fiction. How he portrayed some things in the science fiction genre such as time travel and alien invasions may have evolved differently. Wells saw technology as beneficial to the human race. He thought it could solve many of the problems we had. As he advanced in age, his opinion changed. He felt that human beings had become too selfish and cruel in they way they used technology.

Similarities: One similarity between these authors is that they all combine fantasy and science-fiction. In several stories technology changes people's attitudes, and perception on life. Most of the time technology is for the worst. A theme for these stories is that people have to keep their values to what makes them human. In many of their short stories futuristc technology is hazardous.

Differences: Ray Bradbury and H.G Wells' writings are mostly serious while Kurt Vonnegut's is humerous. Kurt Vonnegut has the same character in many of his stories named Kilgore Trout while the other two authors have different characters. Kurt Vonnegut sometimes uses a theme which life plays jokes on humanity. Ray Bradbury and H.G Wells' themes focus more on serious problems with people and technology. The sentence structure for all three authors differ. Ray Bradbury uses short sentences. However, it may be difficult to find the main point because his writing style is very unique. Kurt Vonnegut uses shorter sentences to express his main idea. H.G Wells uses very long sentences and his points are not always clear.

Sources for information: Ray Bradbury Sources: [] []

Kurt Vonnegut: [] []

H.G. Wells Sources: [] []