Ray Bradbury turns 90 this week.

I was a complete sci-fi geek during my teen years - subscribed to the magazines, bought the paperbacks by the ton.  I don't remember when I stumbledonto Ray Bradbury's work, or what the first story of his that I read was.  But I knew I'd found something special almost immediately.  Here was a writer who wasn't trying to impress me with high-flown concepts or dazzle me with futuristic technology, though his stories often had both of those elements.  He really seemed to be trying to get me to pay attention to the world around me, to see the beauty and poetry and wonder in everyday life - even when the stories took place on Mars.

And how many people can say they have not only a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame but an asteroid named after them and a crater on the moon named for one of their books? (Dandelion Crater.)  Not bad for a guy who never got a driver's license.

A salute to Martians, skin illustrations, dandelions and more will open this week's Whizbang.

Tuesday 8/24/10  8-10 PM    Rebroadcast Friday midnight after P5K.