I read on Farcebook that Grandmaster Ray Bradbury’s house was sold and torn down.

I have to admit, the first thing that crossed my mind was it should have been turned into a museum. After all, Ray’s work crossed many genres, and even today some universities use his work when teaching courses on prose and poetry.

Then I remembered his short story titled “There Will Come Soft Rains”. You know, the one where an automated abandoned house dies. For some reason, when I read this story in The Martian Chronicles it really impacted me on emotional level (which was surprising, since I was an Asperger kid before the definition was finalized.)

While I think Ray would be sad that the house he loved is now gone to the pages of real estate history, I think he would understand. He was, after all, a futurist, and the modern house that will be built might even include some of the features of the house from his short story.

That, at least, gives me a slight smile.

If I had my druthers, I would hope that someone saved the pay-for-use typewriter he used to bang out Fahrenheit 451. That piece of history does belong in a museum, both as a testament to his tenacity as an author and to a man I personally admire.