Megalopolis

Bradbury's career was paradoxical in many respects. He was a Science
Fiction fanatic since childhood, but, when he began to write science fiction
books, he thought the game was up. His works were in fact regularly rejected
by John W. Campbell, Jr., the “steadfast” editor of Astounding Stories
of Super Science, founded in January 1930. By the late 30s, John W.
Campbell, Jr. had replaced F. Orlin Tremain as manager of Street & Smith
Publishing Company of New York (Sadoul 11), imposing his “dictatorial”
policy on the Magazine’s editorial staff. (Westfahl 255). According to John
W. Campbell, Jr., Science Fiction has to have a plausible plot, realistic characters
and, above all, it must include “scientific facts,” and “greater scientific
accuracy.” (Lambourne & Others 20). John W. Campbell, Jr. rejected
“almost all books by Bradbury,” because he judged them “too little scientific.”
( Westfahl 258). Really, Bradbury was an example of “Soft” Science
Fiction’s writer, where “there is little science.” (Gunn & Candelaria
21).
After the bad experience with the “unyielding” John W. Campbell, Jr., the
“authoritarian” editor of professional Science Fiction magazines in New
York, Bradbury did not lose heart, and succeeded at length in placing his
stories in other magazines such as Collier’s, which had a large circulation,
and despite Campbell’s dislike, he managed to succeed in the world of Science
Fiction, becoming very popular indeed. (Beley 43).
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