Science fiction

Arthur C. Clarke: The Nine Billion Names of God

Arthur C. Clarke: The Nine Billion Names of God

In “The Nine Billion Names of God,” a story by Arthur C. Clarke, a Tibetan monastery acquires an advanced computer to complete its century-old project: to list all the possible names of God in a special alphabet. The monks believe that completing this list will fulfill humanity’s divine purpose. Two occidental engineers are hired to install and operate the machine. As they near the end of the project, they struggle between logic and faith, grappling with the potential impact of completing this momentous task.

Ray Bradbury: April 2005: Usher II

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: The Veldt

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.