# Ray Bradbury's best quotes

From 'more than one way to burn a book' to 'all I want to do is prevent it': Ray Bradbury's most quoted lines, from Fahrenheit 451, Zen in the Art of Writing and his interviews, with their source.

- 211 votes · 12 items
- Jun 23, 2021 · Logan K.
- https://even.best/en/l/4661/ray-bradbury-s-best-quotes

## Top 12

1. **There is more than one way to burn a book. And the world is full of people running about with lit matches.** (25 · ▲26 ▼1) — Fahrenheit 451, coda (1979).
2. **If you don't want a man unhappy politically, don't give him two sides to a question to worry him; give him one. Better yet, give him none.** (25 · ▲26 ▼1) — Fahrenheit 451 (1953), Captain Beatty.
3. **If you hide your ignorance, no one will hit you, and you'll never learn.** (17 · ▲19 ▼2) — Fahrenheit 451 (1953), Faber.
4. **People ask me to predict the future, when all I want to do is prevent it. Better yet, build it.** (17 · ▲18 ▼1) — Beyond 1984: The People Machines (1979).
5. **Without libraries what have we? We have no past and no future.** (16 · ▲19 ▼3) — Interview with The Seattle Times, 12 March 1993.
6. **You've got to be able to look at your thoughts on paper and discover what a fool you were.** (15 · ▲15 ▼0) — Salon.com, 29 August 2001.
7. **The way to teach in this world is to pretend you're not teaching.** (14 · ▲14 ▼0) — Playboy interview, 1996.
8. **We are cups, constantly and quietly being filled. The trick is knowing how to tip ourselves over and let the beautiful stuff out.** (10 · ▲13 ▼3) — Zen in the Art of Writing (1990).
9. **Since I've never grown up myself, all my books are automatically for children.** (8 · ▲10 ▼2) — Playboy interview, 1996.
10. **We should be back on the moon right now.** (7 · ▲11 ▼4) — Playboy interview, 1996.
11. **In science fiction, we dream.** (7 · ▲10 ▼3) — Playboy interview, 1996.
12. **I had decided to be a magician well before I decided to be a writer.** (6 · ▲8 ▼2) — Playboy interview, 1996.

How is this ranking ordered? By people's votes: each ▲ adds a point and each ▼ takes one away. Anyone can vote and add what is missing.