Nothing is better news to a hardcore fan of an author who’s passed away than finding a treasure trove of never-before-published works. When Ray Bradbury passed away last year, author of amazing science-fiction works such as ‘The Martian Chronicles,’ or perhaps his best-known ‘Fahrenheit 451,’ fans may have thought his impact on the science-fiction community was already in the public’s hands. But i09 recently reported that a collection of four indie ‘zines called ‘Futuria Fantasia’ and edited by a young Ray Bradbury have been uploaded to Project Gutenberg.
Back in the day, there were no Tumblrs or National Novel Writing Month Forums through which to share one’s writings with the world. Self-publishing wasn’t done through a fancy-schmancy site with paperback covers, stock photography, and bound pages. You had to do it all on your lonesome, and Ray Bradbury did it, distributing 4 total ‘zines between the summer of 1939 and fall of 1940.
In his opening of the first edition, he wrote:
“I hope you like this brain-child, spawned from the womb of a year long inanimation…Appoint yourself as A-l mourner and critic and pound away at the mag. It will be appreciated. And if you have a dime in your pocket that hasn’t had a breath of air in a few days just drop that in, too. This is only the first issue of FuFa … if it succeeds there will be more, better issues coming up. And your co-operation is needed.”
Successful they were — enough for 3 more editions. It’s humbling and inspirational to see the early works of someone who would rise to fame beyond their wildest hopes and dreams. And downloading them is totally free! Sci-fi literary fans owe it to themselves to check it out!
