One of the most influential writers that have inspired a generation of creators with his classic science fiction body of work, Ray Bradbury has passed away on June 5, 2012, at the age of 91.

On last Tuesday, June 5, 2015, as the planet Venus transit across the face of the sun, an event that will only take place once in a few centuries, Ray Bradbury, one of the greatest minds in science fiction who have inspired a generation of creators with his massive bibliography of novels, novellas, and short stories, have passed away at the age of 91.

Undoubtedly one of the writers who brought science fiction into mainstream pop culture, Bradbury has and will always be among the very top of the list of great science fiction writers with his literary classics such as The Martian Chronicles, Fahrenheit 451, and Something Wicked This Way Comes. His imaginative works are often at once evocative, lyrical, and thought-provoking, examining technological concepts like ATMs and artificial intelligence long before they existed.

In testament of Bradbury's great influence, the White House Press Office has released an official public statement from President Barack Obama to pay respect to the late great literary giant:

For many Americans, the news of Ray Bradbury's death immediately brought to mind images from his work, imprinted in our minds, often from a young age. His gift for storytelling reshaped our culture and expanded our world. But Ray also understood that our imaginations could be used as a tool for better understanding, a vehicle for change, and an expression of our most cherished values. There is no doubt that Ray will continue to inspire many more generations with his writing, and our thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends.

In a statement to iO9, Bradbury’s grandson Danny Karapetian has shared these words on his grandfather's passing:

"If I had to make any statement, it would be how much I love and miss him, and I look forward to hearing everyone's memories about him. He influenced so many artists, writers, teachers, scientists, and it's always really touching and comforting to hear their stories. Your stories. His legacy lives on in his monumental body of books, film, television and theater, but more importantly, in the minds and hearts of anyone who read him, because to read him was to know him. He was the biggest kid I know.

If you're looking for any single passage to remember him by, I just picked up my copy of The Illustrated Man, my favorite of his books. The introduction is entitled "Dancing, So As Not to Be Dead," and there are some great lines about death. My favorite:

"My tunes and numbers are here. They have filled my years, the years when I refused to die. And in order to do that I wrote, I wrote, I wrote, at noon or 3:00 A.M.

So as not to be dead."

I'm an actor, something he was always been really proud of, and told me once, after getting cast in a play. "You're living out my life! You're doing everything I wanted to do but couldn't!" He was such a driving force in my life, but what always fascinated me were his impact on others. How his stories lifted people up and saved them from lonely summers. Who among us was never buried deep in a Bradbury story, lost in his meticulously yet effortlessly crafted metaphor?"

Renowned horror author Stephen King has released the following statement:

"Ray Bradbury wrote three great novels and three hundred great stories. One of the latter was called 'A Sound of Thunder.' The sound I hear today is the thunder of a giant's footsteps fading away. But the novels and stories remain, in all their resonance and strange beauty."

Notable film-maker Steven Spielberg has also released statement on Bradbury's passing, calling Bradbury, "my muse for the better part of my sci-fi career.... On the world of science fiction and fantasy and imagination he is immortal."

Statement from writer Neil Gaiman:

“He was kind, and gentle, and always filled with enthusiasm, and that the landscape of the world we live in would have been diminished if we had not had him in our world."

And from us here at The Daily Zombies, Thank You, Mr. Bradbury, for your great work that opened up the hearts and minds of a generation.

We would also like to take this opportunity to offer our condolences to the family and friends of Ray Bradbury.