Ray Bradbury: A Sound of Thunder
A Sound of Thunder is a science fiction masterpiece by author Ray Bradbury. First published in Collier’s magazine on June 28, 1952, and later collected in the book The Golden Apples of the Sun (1953), the story tells the story of a group of men who travel back in time to satisfy their desire to hunt a Tyrannosaurus rex. During the trip, something goes wrong, leading to unexpected consequences.
Ray Bradbury: All Summer in a Day
All Summer in a Day is a short story by Ray Bradbury, published in March 1954 in The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction. The story is set on Venus, where it rains constantly, and the sun only appears for one hour every seven years. In an underground school, a group of children anxiously await that unique moment. However, not all of them will be able to experience the event similarly. A story in which Bradbury uses science fiction to capture the harsh reality of cruelty and bullying in childhood.
Ray Bradbury: April 2005: Usher II
In Ray Bradbury’s “Usher II,” Mr. William Stendahl has built an exact replica of Edgar Allan Poe’s The House of Usher on Mars as a protest against the censorship that has destroyed fantasy literature on Earth. In a society where all things imaginative are forbidden, Stendahl invites members of the Society for the Prevention of Fantasy to a macabre event at his newly built house, where they will experience a shocking experience.
Ray Bradbury: Bright Phoenix
Bright Phoenix is a story by Ray Bradbury, written in 1947 and published in 1963 in The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction. This story is considered the seed of Bradbury’s most famous novel, Fahrenheit 451. Set in Green Town, the story begins when the quiet library routine is interrupted by Jonathan Barnes, the Chief Censor, who arrives to confiscate and destroy books under the pretext of protecting society. Tom, the librarian, accompanied by a group of regular readers, responds with silent but firm resistance, transforming the library into a symbol of intellectual struggle against authoritarianism.
Ray Bradbury: The Emissary
Ray Bradbury’s short story “The Emissary” tells the story of Martin Christie, a boy confined to his bed due to illness. Torry, his dog, becomes his connection to the outside world. Martin experiences the changing seasons and the experiences of the outside world through Torry, who also brings him visitors, thanks to a note Martin puts on his collar. One day, Torry disappears without a trace. When Martin has already lost all hope of recovering his friend, something unexpected happens.
Ray Bradbury: The Exiles
In Ray Bradbury’s The Exiles, Mars becomes a refuge for banned writers and literary characters. Exiled from an Earth where their works have been censored and destroyed, these beings survive on the red planet, conjuring spells and nightmares to protect themselves. When an Earth rocket approaches with a scientific and skeptical crew, the clash between … Read more
Ray Bradbury: The Gift
In ‘The Gift,’ a short story by Ray Bradbury published in Esquire in December 1952, a family embarks on their first space voyage on Christmas Eve. The boy is excited about the adventure, but his parents worry about celebrating the holiday in the middle of space, especially after the gift they had prepared was held up at customs. Now, the father must find a creative way to keep the magic of Christmas alive for his son, proving that the Christmas spirit can shine anywhere, even in the stars.
Ray Bradbury: The Handler
“The Handler,” a short story by Ray Bradbury published in 1947, tells the story of Mr. Benedict, a man who runs a funeral business, a church, and a cemetery, all in the exact location. Benedict feels a deep inferiority complex and spends his days enduring the scorn and insults of the town’s neighbors. In his … Read more
Ray Bradbury: The Man Upstairs
The Man Upstairs is a haunting short story by Ray Bradbury, published in March 1947 in Harper’s Magazine. The story follows Douglas, a curious boy who lives with his grandmother, a woman skilled in the kitchen whose culinary rituals fascinate him. One day, a stranger named Mr. Koberman arrives at the boarding house to rent a room upstairs. From the moment he arrives, the atmosphere in the home becomes uneasy and mysterious. Intrigued by the new tenant’s behavior, Douglas begins to suspect something very unusual about him, which defies all logic.
Ray Bradbury: The Other Foot
Ray Bradbury’s short story ‘The Other Foot,’ included in his collection ‘The Illustrated Man’ (1951), tells the story of a black community on Mars that tensely awaits the arrival of a rocket from Earth, the first in twenty years and with a white man on board. The inhabitants of Mars, who had fled a past of racial discrimination and violence on Earth, are confronted with their memories and the temptation to reverse the roles of oppression as they welcome this new visitor.
Ray Bradbury: The Pedestrian
“The Pedestrian” by Ray Bradbury is a short story set in a futuristic city in the year 2053. The plot revolves around Leonard Mead, a man who enjoys walking alone through the city streets at night. In a world where television has replaced social interactions and people remain locked inside their homes, Mead’s walks stand … Read more
Ray Bradbury: The Playground
“The Playground,” a short story by Ray Bradbury published in The Illustrated Man in 1952, tells the story of Charles Underhill, a widowed man who lives with his son Jim and his sister Carol. Underhill had always ignored the playground near his house until Carol mentioned that she would take Jim there to play with other children. Intrigued and worried, Underhill visits the playground and is horrified by what he sees: children hurting each other in an environment that looks more like a battlefield than a place of fun. The smell of medication and the constant screams remind him of the brutalities of his childhood, filling him with terror. Despite her resistance, Carol insists that Jim needs to learn to be strong in the face of the harshness of life from an early age. Underhill, terrified of what might happen to his son, is willing to do anything to protect him.
Ray Bradbury: The Small Assassin
In “The Small Assassin,” a short story by Ray Bradbury published in 1946, a woman named Alice Leiber experiences an intense fear of her newborn son, convinced that the baby wants to hurt her. Despite the support of her husband and the doctors, Alice feels alone in her struggle, perceiving a sinister connection with her son that nobody else seems to notice.
Ray Bradbury: The Veldt
“The Veldt” is a short story by Ray Bradbury set in a future where technology drastically transforms everyday life. The story focuses on the Hadley family and their fully automated home, which is equipped with a virtual reality game room capable of recreating any imagined landscape. The children, Peter and Wendy, are captivated by the game room, especially its simulation of the African savannah, a wild and barren landscape teeming with lions. As George and Lydia, the parents, witness their children’s growing attachment to this incredibly realistic simulation, they begin to question the effects of technology on their family and their children’s mental health. This story explores family dynamics, dependence on technology, and the unforeseen consequences of virtual reality on the human psyche.
Ray Bradbury: There Will Come Soft Rains
“There Will Come Soft Rains,” a short story by Ray Bradbury published in Collier’s magazine in 1950, immerses us in a futuristic, melancholic, and desolate vision of a post-apocalyptic world. Set in 2026, the narrative presents us with a completely automated home where the inhabitants have disappeared. Although there are no longer people to care … Read more
Ray Bradbury: Time Intervening
In Ray Bradbury’s “Time Intervining,” an old man leaves his house in the early morning and finds some children playing in his garden. Although he tries to talk to them, he gets no response. When he returns home, he sits in the dark, restless. Suddenly, a young man and a girl enter, surprised to see him, and chase him away, claiming that this is their home. The old man, perplexed and with unheeded protests, ends up in the street. During the night, he watches in bewilderment as several people enter and leave his home, seemingly paying no attention to him.
