I think of him as a friend I hadn't met

I just heard that Ray Bradbury has passed away.  I don't know what to say--if you're familiar with his books you know what a terrible loss this is for the literary world, the world in general, and for me personally.  He had as much to do with shaping my psyche as my parents did.  I called my mom and we both sobbed a little bit over the phone.  This is a sharp pain.  I hate to describe such a vibrant, unique, completely original man so tritely, but I lack his descriptive gift and am forced to clumsily stammer that the world was richer with him, and is markedly paler without him. He is irreplaceable.