Ray Bradbury was a prolific and influential writer of science fiction, fantasy, and horror stories. He published hundreds of short stories in various magazines and anthologies, as well as several collections of his own. His stories often explore themes such as the impact of technology, the nature of human creativity, the power of imagination, and the fragility of civilization.
The Veldt
‘The Veldt’ is a short story by Ray Bradbury that explores the dangers of technology and its impact on human relationships. It tells the story of a family who lives in a futuristic house that caters to their every need, including a nursery that can create any scenario the children imagine. However, the parents soon discover that their children have become obsessed with a virtual African veldt, where lions prey on their victims. The story ends with a shocking twist that reveals the true nature of the children’s fantasies and the fate of their parents.
The Pedestrian
In the year 2053, Leonard Mead is a rare individual who enjoys walking the city streets at night while everyone else stays indoors, glued to their television screens. One night, he encounters a robotic police car that questions his motives and labels him a nonconformist. Mead is arrested and taken to a psychiatric institution, where he is to be studied for his regressive tendencies. ‘The Pedestrian’ is a dystopian story that warns of the dangers of technology and its impact on human freedom and individuality.
Fire Balloons
‘Fire Balloons’ by Ray Bradbury is a story about a group of Episcopal priests, led by Father Peregrine, who travel to Mars with the intention of converting the natives. They discover a second race of Martians who appear as spheres of blue fire. Peregrine is convinced that these entities are intelligent and have souls, and they even save his life multiple times. However, the blue spheres decline the priests’ attempts to convert them, as they are already holy and free of sin due to their incorporeal form.
A Sound of Thunder
‘A Sound of Thunder‘ by Ray Bradbury is a science fiction story about a company, Time Safari Inc., that offers time-traveling safaris to hunt dinosaurs as a service. A hunter named Eckels joins a safari but panics and steps off the path, and crushes a butterfly, disrupting the environment. Upon returning to 2055, Eckels notices dramatic changes in the world they meet. This small act in the past has drastically altered the present, illustrating the story’s theme of the butterfly effect.
Dark They Were, and Golden Eyed
‘Dark They Were, and Golden Eyed‘ by Ray Bradbury is a story set on Mars, where Harry Bittering and his family move from Earth to participate in a new colony. However, Harry quickly senses that the Martian environment is subtly altering his family. As time passes, the settlers, including Harry’s family, undergo physical changes, becoming taller with dark skin and golden eyes. Eventually, they forget their Earthly origins and fully assimilate into the Martian environment.
There Will Come Soft Rains
The short story ‘There Will Come Soft Rains’, published in 1950, tells the story of a lone house standing in a city in California in the aftermath of a nuclear catastrophe. This artificially intelligent house, with its automated systems miraculously preserved, continues to maintain the house as if it were still occupied, making beds, cooking meals, keeping schedules, and addressing the erstwhile inhabitants as if they were present. A freak accident destroys the house, leaving only a wall that endlessly repeats the time and date.
The Small Assassin
In Ray Bradbury’s ‘The Small Assassin,’ Alice Leiber gives birth to a baby boy but believes he wants to kill her. Her husband, David, initially dismisses her fears until he trips on a doll at the top of the stairs. Alice is later found dead at the bottom of the stairs with the same doll. David shares his suspicions about their son with their doctor, but he is found dead from gas before any action is taken. The doctor begins to believe the parents’ suspicion.
—And The Moon Be Still As Bright
In ‘—And The Moon Be Still As Bright’ by Ray Bradbury, an expedition lands on Mars, only to find that the Martians have been wiped out by a disease brought by the previous humans. While most of the crew celebrate their conquest, one of them, Spender, becomes fascinated by the ancient and mysterious Martian culture. He rebels against his fellow men and tries to protect the Martian ruins from their vandalism and ignorance. His actions lead to a violent confrontation with his captain, Wilder, who has to decide between loyalty and justice. The story is a powerful critique of colonialism and its effects on both the colonizers and the colonized.
All Summer in a Day
‘All Summer in a Day’ is set on Venus, where it rains incessantly, and a group of children eagerly await the rare appearance of the sun. But one of them, Margot, who remembers the sun from her childhood on Earth, is isolated and bullied by her classmates. When the sun finally comes out, they lock her in a closet and forget about her. The story is a poignant exploration of the themes of alienation, envy, and cruelty.
The Last Night of the World
‘The Last Night of the World‘ is a science fiction short story by Ray Bradbury, first published in Esquire magazine in 1951. It depicts a seemingly ordinary evening in the life of a married couple, who have a disturbing conversation over coffee. They reveal to each other that they have both dreamed the same dream: that the world will end that night. As they accept their fate, they wonder what it means and how they should spend their final hours.
I Sing the Body Electric
‘I Sing the Body Electric’ is a science fiction short story by Ray Bradbury, first published in Esquire magazine in 1951. It tells the tale of a family who buys a lifelike robot grandmother to care for their children after their mother dies. The grandmother becomes a beloved member of the family, teaching them valuable lessons and providing comfort and joy. This story explores themes of love, death, technology, and identity in a poignant and poetic way. Bradbury uses the title, which is taken from a poem by Walt Whitman, to contrast the mechanical and the organic aspects of life. He also raises ethical and philosophical issues about the role of machines in society and the nature of family bonds.
FAQs
What short story collection is Ray Bradbury best known for?
Ray Bradbury’s collections ‘The Martian Chronicles‘ (1950) and ‘The Illustrated Man‘ (1951) are his best-known collections.
What are some famous Ray Bradbury’s short stories?
‘The Veldt‘, ‘A Sound of Thunder‘, and ‘There Will Come Soft Rains‘ are a few of Bradbury’s well-known short stories which have been published in several anthologies.
Where did Bradbury publish his first short story?
Ray Bradbury published his first short story, ‘Hollerbochen’s Dilemma‘ in the fanzine Imagination! in 1938.
What was Ray Bradbury’s final work?
‘Farewell, Summer‘ published in 2006, was Bradbury’s last novel.
Was Ray Bradbury religious?
Bradbury considered himself a Zen Buddhist and “a delicatessen religionist,” taking insights from both Eastern and Western faiths.
