Ray Bradbury | Lecturia

Ray Bradbury: Jack-in-the-Box. Summary and Analysis

Edwin is a thirteen-year-old boy who has spent his entire life confined within a vast mansion. His mother has taught him that the outside world is inhabited by deadly “Beasts” that killed his father, and that leaving the house is tantamount to dying. The house functions as a complete universe divided into territories Edwin crosses daily to attend school, where he is taught by a mysterious teacher who wears a hooded robe and glasses, so that her face cannot be seen. One day, Edwin discovers an open door that leads to a tower from which he sees the outside world for the first time. Shortly afterward, after celebrating his birthday, he finds his mother unconscious in the Parlor. He looks for his teacher, but all he finds is her robe, her glasses, and her makeup. With no one to stop him, Edwin goes through the garden, crosses the iron gate, and steps into the real world, shouting with joy that he is dead—since that is the only word he knows to describe the outside.

Ray Bradbury: The Last Night of the World

“The Last Night of the World” is a short story by Ray Bradbury first published in Esquire in February 1951 and later included in the anthology The Illustrated Man (1951). It tells the story of a married couple facing the possibility that humanity may end that very night. On an afternoon that unfolds with complete normalcy, while their daughters play, the husband shares with his wife a premonitory dream about the apocalypse—one that, intriguingly, has also been experienced by his coworkers and many others. The narrative explores how they and their community confront the imminent certainty that they are living their final hours on Earth.

Ray Bradbury: Kaleidoscope

“Kaleidoscope” is a science fiction story written by Ray Bradbury, published in 1949 in Thrilling Wonder Stories magazine and later included in the collection The Illustrated Man (1951). The story follows a group of astronauts who, after their ship explodes, are left floating uncontrollably in space, doomed to imminent death. As they drift apart and their lives fall apart, their radio conversations become a reflection of their fears, regrets, and reflections on life and death.

Ray Bradbury: The Wind. Summary and Analysis

“The Wind” by Ray Bradbury was first published in Weird Tales in March 1943 and later included in the collection Dark Carnival (1947). The story revolves around a series of telephone calls between Herb Thompson and his friend Allin, a travel writer who lives alone in an isolated house. Allin is convinced that the wind—a conscious force that has pursued him since an expedition to the Himalayas—has finally returned to capture him. Throughout the night, he describes how this presence surrounds his home, tries to enter, and tears apart parts of the structure. Meanwhile, Herb, caught between disbelief and concern, listens to his friend’s increasingly desperate calls. At last, after losing contact and hearing what seems to be Allin’s laughter outside his own door, Herb opens it… but finds only wind and silence.

Ray Bradbury: Skeleton

“Skeleton” is a short story by Ray Bradbury, first published in Weird Tales magazine in September 1945. It tells the story of Mr. Harris, a somewhat hypochondriac man who, convinced that he suffers from mysterious health problems, seeks the help of an alternative medicine specialist named M. Munigant. The doctor offers a psychological explanation for his ailments, suggesting that they stem from an apparent disconnection with his own skeleton. As the story unfolds, Harris becomes increasingly obsessed with his bones, leading him into a series of surreal and disturbing events that plunge him into a spiral of fear and paranoia.

Ray Bradbury: The Wind

“The Wind” is a psychological horror story by Ray Bradbury, published in Weird Tales in March 1943. It tells the story of Allin, a man convinced that the winds are living entities and that one of them is trying to possess him. Seeking comfort, Allin turns to his friend Herb Thompson, but Herb is unable to visit him because he is expecting guests at his own home—and his wife believes Allin has gone mad. Throughout the night, Herb receives several phone calls from Allin, each one more disturbing than the last.