--- created_at: '2015-08-25T16:24:13.000Z' title: FBI Files on Ray Bradbury (1959) url: http://www.openculture.com/2015/08/who-was-afraid-of-ray-bradbury-science-fiction-the-fbi-it-turns-out-1959.html author: edward points: 66 story_text: comment_text: num_comments: 61 story_id: story_title: story_url: parent_id: created_at_i: 1440519853 _tags: - story - author_edward - story_10117597 objectID: '10117597' year: 1959 --- [Source](http://www.openculture.com/2015/08/who-was-afraid-of-ray-bradbury-science-fiction-the-fbi-it-turns-out-1959.html "Permalink to Who Was Afraid of Ray Bradbury & Science Fiction? The FBI, It Turns Out (1959) | Open Culture") # Who Was Afraid of Ray Bradbury & Science Fiction? The FBI, It Turns Out (1959) | Open Culture Who Was Afraid of Ray Bradbury & Science Fiction? 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The FBI, It Turns Out (1959)][10] in _History, [Sci Fi][11]_ | August 25th, 2015 [3 Comments][12] 9.8k SHARES [Facebook][13][Twitter][14][Reddit][15] [Subscribe][16][Google][17][Whatsapp][18][Pinterest][16][Digg][19][Linkedin][20][Stumbleupon][21][Vk][22][Print][23][Delicious][24][Buffer][25][Pocket][26][Xing][27][Tumblr][28][Mail][29][Yummly][30][Telegram][31][Flipboard][32] Advertisement ![ray bradbury fbi fb][33] When you think of the most astute minds of our time, you might well think of Ray Bradbury's — but you probably don't think of him as one of the most astute _terrorist_ minds of our time. The Federal Bureau of Investigation, however, saw things differently. Collaborative news site MuckRock found that out through files "[released to former MuckRocker Inkoo Kang][34] [which] document the decade the Bureau spent trying to determine if Bradbury was, if not a card-carrying Communist, at least a sympathetic 'fellow traveler.'" See snippets of documents here from 1959. ![Bradburysecuritymatter][35] You can [view the files themselves, obtained under the Freedom of Information Act, at MuckRock][36]. There, the site's JPat Brown also summarizes the organization's basis for suspicion against the author: his "membership in the Screen Writer's Guild, as well as his vocal opposition to McCarthyism, drew particular attention," as did the use in [_The_ _Martian Chronicles_][37] of the "repeated theme that earthmen are despoilers and not developers." Not just Bradbury's work but the whole of science fiction, which informant Martin Berkeley calls a possibly "lucrative field for the introduction of Communist ideology," comes in for an indictment. ![brad2][38] "Communists have found fertile opportunities for development," Berkeley says, "for spreading distrust and lack of confidence in America [_sic_] institutions in the area of Science Fiction writing." Another, unsurprisingly clearer view of the genre comes from Bradbury himself, quoted disapprovingly in the file from a 1959 Women's Legislative Action Bulletin. There, he said he uses the medium of science fiction to "try to bring to light some of the current fallacies in human values today" — the one thing, as the author of [_Fahrenheit 451][39]![][40]_ must have known full well, that the powers that be least want anybody to do. Get more [at MuckRock][36]. ![bradconclu][41] [via Metafilter][42] **Related Content:** [Ray Bradbury: "I Am Not Afraid of Robots. I Am Afraid of People" (1974)][43] [Ray Bradbury: Literature is the Safety Valve of Civilization][44] [Soviet Animations of Ray Bradbury Stories: 'Here There Be Tygers' & 'There Will Comes Soft Rain'][45] [FBI's "Vault" Web Site Reveals Declassified Files on Hemingway, Einstein, Marilyn & Other Icons][46] [_Colin Marshall][47] writes on cities, language, Asia, and men's style. He's at work on a book about Los Angeles, [_A Los Angeles Primer][48]_, and the video series [_The City in Cinema][49]_. Follow him on Twitter at [@colinmarshall][50] or on [Facebook][51]._ 9.8k SHARES [Facebook][13][Twitter][14][Reddit][15] [Subscribe][16][Google][17][Whatsapp][18][Pinterest][16][Digg][19][Linkedin][20][Stumbleupon][21][Vk][22][Print][23][Delicious][24][Buffer][25][Pocket][26][Xing][27][Tumblr][28][Mail][29][Yummly][30][Telegram][31][Flipboard][32] by [Colin Marshall][52] | [Permalink][53] | Comments (3) | **Support Open Culture** We're hoping to rely on our loyal readers rather than erratic ads. To support Open Culture's continued operation, please consider making a donation. We thank you! ![][54] ##### Comments (3) You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed. * Michael M. Hughes says: [ August 25, 2015 at 7:03 pm][55] It’s obvious he was a commie—Martians are RED, right? [Reply][56] * Richard says: [ August 25, 2015 at 10:39 pm][57] The Paranoid States of America. [Reply][58] * Robert says: [ August 26, 2015 at 10:40 pm][59] Check the early star trek series. They are full of innuendo references to communism. Brilliant propaganda light years ahead of anything. [Reply][60] ### Leave a Reply Name (required) Email (required) Message [Click here to cancel reply.][61] Wordpress Hashcash needs javascript to work, but your browser has javascript disabled. 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