Ray Bradbury: a life – in pictures

A studio portrait of Bradbury taken in the 1940s. Bradbury was born in 1920 in Waukegan, Illinois and published his first collection of short stories, Dark Carnival, in 1947 Photograph: Everett Collection/Rex Feature

The cover of Planet Stories, which contains a story by Ray Bradbury, in the spring, 1949 edition Photograph: Transcendental Graphics/Getty Images

Illustration of Bradbury's Outcast of the Stars from the magazine Super Science Stories, 1950 Photograph: Apic/Getty Images

Bradbury, browses through a collection of space suits for a possible television series in 1959 Photograph: Bettmann/CORBIS

Oskar Werner and Julie Christie, beneath a large 451 sign, issued as publicity for the film, Fahrenheit 451, in 1966. The science-fiction film, directed by François Truffaut was adapted from the novel by Ray Bradbury Photograph: Silver Screen Collection/Getty Images

A still from Truffaut's film adaptation of Fahrenhet 451, 1966 Photograph: BFI

Bradbury addresses the audience at an author convention in San Jose, California, 1980 Photograph: Roger Ressmeyer/Corbis

Ray Bradbury in a control room, 1980 Photograph: Bettmann/Corbis

Bradbury surrounded by robots and treasures in his Beverly Hills office in 1986. At the time Bradbury had his own television series, The Ray Bradbury Theater, on HBO Photograph: Doug Pizac/AP

Bradbury's star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in Hollywood, California Photograph: Paul Buck/EPA

Bradbury attends the Los Angeles Times festival of books in 2008 Photograph: Katy Winn/Corbis

Bradbury poses for a portrait at home in Los Angeles, 2008 Photograph: Dan Tuffs/Getty Images