#417 The Man Who Forgot Ray Bradbury- Neil Gaiman
This is a brilliant story.
Neil Gaiman can’t remember the name of a friend of his, presumably Ray
Bradbury.
“I am losing words, although I am not losing concepts. I
hope that I am not losing concepts. If I am losing concepts, I am not aware
of it. If I am losing concepts, how would I know?”
So, this whole thing is mental game trying to get his mind
to remember that name. Trying to trick his mind with hints, pictures, anything
to open that path. He can remember a lot of other things, almost everything
else about him, then why not the name of his friend.
“Icarus! It’s not as if I have forgotten all names. I
remember Icarus. He flew too close to the sun. In the stories, though, it’s
worth it. Always worth it to have tried, even if you fail, even if you fall
like a meteor forever. Better to have flamed in the darkness, to have inspired
others, to have lived, than to have sat in the darkness, cursing the people who
borrowed, but did not return, your candle.”
The mind is a funny thing. In the introduction, Gaimen says
that he wrote this piece and gave it to Bradbury for a ninetieth birthday gift.
I’m so glad they decided to share it with us. Reading so many stories, I have
come to appreciate truly unique styles an concepts. This is just great!
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