Ray Bradbury has a history of creating stories that incite fear for the future of technology. Insightful predictions that warn about the fall of humanity by our own hands. As a young child I was given the opportunity to read ‘All Summer in a Day’ by Ray Bradbury and the short story has stuck with me for a majority of my life because of the initial fear it caused. In the short story, Bradbury highlights the pitfalls of bullying when a young child is prevented from seeing the sun on the planet Venus. He displays how tools provided for human advancement can be used for malevolent gain in The Veldt as well.
‘The Veldt’ was similarly terrifying because of its use of small children to depict extreme levels of violence. Societal norms tell us that children are innocent creatures who cannot make poor decisions without outside influence however in this short story that does not seem to be the case for the Hadley family. Mr. and Mrs. Hadley may have spoiled their children, if not for the betterment of their own lives as well, yet this did not seem a reasonable excuse for their execution. Children often times do feel unnerved by their parents authority and feel angst and awkwardness towards their parents “know-it-all” attitudes but to envision, plan out, and carry through with murder takes a mindset that should not be harbored by young minds, with the additional imagery of the book itself gives the story a childlike appearance as though the story told of children’s aspirations was unnerving. Luckily ‘There Will Come Soft Rains’ offers refuge from such a chilling story.
‘There Will Come Soft Rains’ holds back in a way that the other stories mentioned in this post do not, they don’t include the wrath of children. There is human bloodshed caused in an obscene fashion however it stands as a background story, as opposed to the much sadder story at the forefront, of the home the people left behind. The home ticks and toils away for all time with no one left within its walls. As the house begins to wind down for the evening it is torn apart and eaten alive from the inside out. Every circuity nerve burned and was destroyed beyond repair. As the house dies so does a bit of the reader’s soul. After being nearly mauled to death by fire only a single wall is left standing the house is crippled repeating and reliving its death.
Fear Factor
1. The Veldt 9/10
2. All Summer In A Day 7.5/10
3. There Will Come Soft Rains 7/10