Author Ray Bradbury (Fahrenheit 451, The Martian Chronicles, Something Wicked This Way Comes) died at 8:45 p.m. Tuesday night, June 5, 2012 in Los Angeles, at the age of 91.

His grandson, Danny Karapetian, shared these words about 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.”

Bradbury was a big supporter of Verbicide in its early years, and we’ll always be grateful for his kind words of encouragement, as well as his generosity in allowing us to publish “All Summer in a Day” in issue #5 alongside contributor and friend Jason Marchi‘s sequel, “When the Rain Stops.”

Bradbury’s wife of 56 years, Marguerite, died in 2003.

(via i09)