Ray Bradbury celebrated his 88^th birthday in the best possible style for a great sf writer: in a bookstore, surrounded by fans with newly-purchased copies of his latest book, being feted by his colleagues.

Bradbury drew an overflow audience of well-wishers to Mystery & Imagination Bookshop in Glendale, CA this afternoon. I was in the spillover crowd on the sidewalk for awhile, looking at George Clayton Johnson through the door, and Bradbury’s head through the store window. I also watched as one of Ray’s Pandemonium Theatre cadre of actors, Robert Kerr, read Padre Mappple’s sermon (Orson Welles’ role in Moby Dick.)

John King Tarpinian was part of the enthusiastic crowd. He snapped the photo of the Moby Dick birthday cake. Click on the thumbnails to see his other photos of (1) the crowd, (2) Marc Scott Zicree and Ray Bradbury, and (3) Robert Kerr doing the Padre Mapple sermon.