Ray Bradbury was considered a success as a writer by the late 1940s and early 1950s. By the age of 24, around 1944, he had become a full-time writer. His first collection of short stories, "Dark Carnival," was published in 1947 to positive reviews. His reputation grew with the publication of several significant works in the early 1950s, including the influential story cycle "The Martian Chronicles" (1950) and "The Illustrated Man" (1951). Bradbury's greatest work, the novel "Fahrenheit 451," was published in 1953 and helped solidify his status as a successful and renowned writer. By 1954, at age 34, he received the National Institute of Arts and Letters Award for contributions to American literature, marking his recognition as a literary success.