United States | Lecturia

Ray Bradbury: There Will Come Soft Rains. Summary and analysis

There Will Come Soft Rains, written by Ray Bradbury and published in 1950, is a story that transports us to a post-apocalyptic future in which technology continues to function despite the absence of humans. In an automated house in Allendale, California, the devices go about their daily routine: they prepare breakfast, clean the rooms, and read poetry, unaware there is no one there to receive their services. Outside, the world has changed dramatically, and the house is a silent testament to what it once was. As the day progresses, the story draws us into a reflection on the relationship between human beings, technology, and nature, showing how the world continues its course utterly indifferent to the existence or disappearance of humanity.

Isaac Asimov: The Two-Centimeter Demon

Synopsis: The Two-Centimeter Demon is a short story by Isaac Asimov, published in 1988 as part of the Azazel collection. In it, a writer (Asimov’s alter ego) tells how he met George Bitternut, an eccentric man who claims to possess a little demon named Azazel. This tiny being, barely two centimeters tall, has supernatural powers that George uses, he argues, to help others. With a humorous and satirical tone, Asimov weaves a plot where attempts to “improve” the lives of others through magic trigger unexpected and often ironic results.

Harlan Ellison: “Repent, Harlequin!” Said the Ticktockman. Summary and analysis

“Repent, Harlequin!” Said the Ticktockman, written by Harlan Ellison and published in 1965 in Galaxy Magazine, is a science fiction story set in a dystopian society obsessed with punctuality and order. In this world, any tardiness is punished with the literal loss of life, and the Ticktockman, an authoritarian figure, ensures that everything runs like clockwork. The story follows Harlequin, an eccentric rebel who challenges the strict social norms with creative and chaotic acts of disobedience that disrupt the rigid structure of this system. Through this narrative of humor and satire, Ellison explores themes such as individual freedom, conformism, and the dangers of a society that puts efficiency before humanity.

Harlan Ellison: “Repent, Harlequin!” Said the Ticktockman

“Repent, Harlequin!” Said the Ticktockman is a short story by Harlan Ellison, published in December 1965 in Galaxy Magazine, and winner of the Hugo and Nebula awards in 1966. Set in a society obsessed with punctuality and the control of time, the story follows the Harlequin, an eccentric rebel who challenges the rigid system imposed by the Time Keeper, also known as Mr. Tick-Tock. Through his jokes and chaotic acts, the Harlequin upsets the established order and defies the rules of a world where tardiness is severely punished. The narrative combines humor and social criticism and explores the consequences of disobedience in a totalitarian system.

Edgar Allan Poe: The Premature Burial. Summary and Analysis

“The Premature Burial”, written by Edgar Allan Poe and published in 1844, explores one of humanity’s deepest fears: the fear of being buried alive. Through a narrator obsessed with this fate, the story immerses us in an atmosphere of anguish and paranoia and reflects on the thin line that separates life from death. The story combines chilling accounts of confirmed cases with the experiences of the protagonist, who lives in constant panic due to an illness.

Edgar Allan Poe: The Premature Burial

The Premature Burial is a story by Edgar Allan Poe, published on July 31, 1844, in the Dollar Newspaper, in which he reflects on the terror provoked by the idea of being buried alive. In a somber and captivating style, the protagonist describes a series of cases of people who have suffered this terrible experience while relating his own experiences and the methods he employs to avoid such a tragedy. With a style halfway between fiction and journalistic account, Poe addresses one of the oldest atavistic fears while immersing the reader in an atmosphere of macabre fascination.