Hannes Bok and the Lorelei

This chapter discusses Hans (later Hannes) Bok's influence on Ray Bradbury's short fiction “Lorelei,” which was inspired by a gift the latter received from the artist and writer: a tempura painting of a strange Bokian creature. In Los Angeles, Bradbury continued to write stories. In the middle of his senior year Bradbury met Bok at one of the meetings of Science Fiction League and was drawn to his tempura compositions. This chapter first looks at Bradbury's friendship with Hannes Bok and their shared fondness for fantasy literature and fairy tales before turning to “Lorelei,” a 10,000-word novella written in July 1938 that articulates Bradbury's fears that the coming World War would destroy him before he could become a writer. It also considers Bradbury's religious faith and experiences, along with his conviction that Man would eventually solve the riddle of the universe.