Science fiction | Lecturia

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

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

The Veldt is a short story by Ray Bradbury, published on September 23, 1950, in The Saturday Evening Post and later included in The Illustrated Man (1951). Set in a future where technology dominates everyday life, it tells the story of the Hadley family and their automated home, designed to meet their every need. Its most significant innovation is a virtual reality games room capable of materializing any imagined environment. However, their peace of mind is disturbed when the room repeatedly projects a disturbing scene of the African savannah, where lions lurk in the grass. As their children’s obsession with this landscape grows, the Hadleys question the impact of excessive technology on their family.

Isaac Asimov: Silly Asses

In ” Silly Asses,” a story by Isaac Asimov written in 1957, Naron, an imposing and ancient member of the Rigelian race, is in charge of maintaining the galactic annals that record the intelligent civilizations of the universe. One day, he is informed that a new group of organisms, hailing from a distant planet known … Read more

Arthur C. Clarke: The Food of the Gods

Arthur C. Clarke - El alimento de los dioses

“The Food of the Gods,” a short story by Arthur C. Clarke published in 1964, revolves around human nutrition’s technological and ethical dilemmas. The protagonist is the CEO of a food company, who discusses the historical evolution of the human diet before a congressional committee, from the vicious dependence on meat and agricultural products to … Read more

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