Ray Bradbury was an American fantasy and horror author who rejected being categorized as a science fiction author, claiming that his work was based on the fantastical and unreal. His best known novel is "Fahrenheit 451" , a dystopian study of future American society in which critical thought is outlawed. He is also remembered for several other popular works, including "The Martian Chronicles" and " Something Wicked This Way Comes". Bradbury won the Pulitzer in 2004, and is one of the most celebrated authors of the 21st century. He died in Los Angeles on June 5, 2012, at the age of 91.
The story we have chosen was first published in 1950 and was in Dandelion Wine. Much of the story is borrowed from a real life cat burglar who was on the loose when Bradbury was a small boy. The burglar was never apprehended, even though he taunted police and called himself, The Lonely One.