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Analysis of speculative fiction: Ray Bradbury

By: Ryan Lafield

 

The keyboard that I sit here pecking away at controls my emotions, my tone, my purpose – the supreme tool of life. I ponder the future and what it will look like. Today, my inferences would likely involve an existence surrounded by what we, as humans, consider necessary innovation. Consider, however, that many of these ideas represent dependency, not between people, but on technology. The glow of computer screens and hum of machines that accomplish what we cannot seem to excite the masses.

 

From my own perspective, there is appeal in the vision of a robot cleaning and cooking for my household. I’ll also proudly proclaim my anticipation for flying cars. Many years ago, the prediction was that they would already be here, jetting around like fireflies in the sky. Take it a step further and explore the wish list of every science fiction fan – the time machine. In practically every list of icebreaker questions, resides the infamous, “if you had a time machine, where would you go and why?” Admittedly, these musings do not cause much reservation to me. For others – many great minds of the past – lies trepidation. A true concern.

 

Famed author, Ray Bradbury, through a myriad of novels and short stories, has represented the group of reluctancy. Through his work, his purpose is an awareness of fearful uncertainty about our future world. There is an obvious disdain, and caution, for desired technological phenomena. Mr. Bradbury is a genius at combining sunshine pumping with a darkness of eagerness to support his point. The creativity and entertainment value in his stories highlight a warning sign for our species yet inspire change at the same time.

 

One of the most direct methods of outlining a theme within a story is through the mindset and actions of the central characters. Many of Bradbury’s protagonists find themselves in a common scenario of craving technology – the intent of making life easier or more enjoyable – only to have the goals backfire. In his short story “The Marionettes, Inc.” two conversing gentlemen, trapped in wearisome marriages, discuss the benefits of cloning themselves. The objective – the ability to temporarily leave their wives at times, the clones, or “Marionettes,” duplicating the marital roles of each man.

Regardless of whether or not the reader liked the idea, the plan was an underhanded way for Bradbury to spotlight his opinion of existing problems in marriage. Technology enters as a solution to these men’s issues yet misfires on the initial plan, as eventually, the clones turn on them. Bradbury’s warning is apparent.

 

Likewise, his characters in “The Veldt” experience a similar fate after submerging into a life of dependency on household technology. A married couple and their two young children live in a home that functions solely with technological assistance. The children even receive their evening baths from robotic scrubbing. The house clearly represents Bradbury’s fear of humankind falling into an unhealthy, and inhumane, reliance. Part of the advancement of the home was an expensive playroom for the kids. The “nursery” is modified with three dimensional surrounding walls that bring to life whatever it is the children create in their minds. The parents soon recognize a significant concern, as the children’s dependence on the room had become unhealthy. Upon attempting to punish their offspring one afternoon, the kids rebel by wishing their parents dead – to which the room abides.

Clearly, Bradbury depicts the notion of society being unable to reverse its course, once in too deep. Realization mirrors reality. As an example, imagine attempting to undo the thirty-year-old internet – something many feel has become a detriment to society. Bradbury is able to parallel this concern through his own extrapolations.

 

Consider that the impact of a story can be determined by an author’s foreshadowing technique. That methodology is used in many literary pieces, not just Ray Bradbury. George Orwell’s 1984 and Aldus Huxley’s Brave New World  are both renowned novels that depict the same type of inferences about technology and our future.

 

“A Sound of Thunder,” another of Bradbury’s short stories, revolves around a high technological development, the aforementioned time machine. In the year 2055, a company offers wealthy clients the ability to hunt dinosaurs from millions of years prior. Bradbury uses foreshadowing methods throughout the story to insinuate that catastrophe is evident. The hunters are alerted to stay on a previously built path. The emphasis placed on this stipulation to the hunt is telling. As likely predicted, one of them indeed disobeys and squashes a butterfly, ultimately altering existence as the world evolves. Again, technology has led to disaster in a Bradbury tale.

 

If a few small aspects of the past were altered, could the ways of life be improved? I believe it to be the encompassing notion of many. Although the phrase “butterfly effect” was not technically coined until 1960 by meteorologist Edward Lorenz, Ray Bradbury essentially envisioned the concept eight years earlier. The discovery was that a single flap of a butterfly’s wings has the capability to affect world-wide weather in the most extreme of ways. Symbolically, Bradbury’s character Eckels stepping on a butterfly altered evolution in similar extremisms.  

 

Moving beyond time travel to a more realistic scenario, suppose during an everyday occurrence, an item is forgotten, which, in turn, compels a person to return for it. Upon that shift in schedule, said person bumps into another, and a relationship blossoms. Resulting from the serendipitous moment, the concept that an infinite number of small occurrences could have hindered other events is the viewpoint. It seems the theory has directly, and indirectly, influenced the popular cliché “everything happens for a reason.” The connection between Bradbury’s anti-technology stance and the butterfly effect expresses the fear of the direction humanity is headed. He does a magnificent job of incorporating the dangers of changing the course of evolution while hemming it all into a fun tale involving time travel and dinosaurs.

 

It is crucial to apply the societal influence of the time period that an author lives in. The manner in which people from different decades – and even centuries – view the future, is an intriguing prompt for analyzing literature. It is easy to see that the events within society during the years certain pieces are written influence future visions. “A Sound of Thunder” was written in 1952, very shortly after World War II, and the threat of ruthless dictatorship. Implied in Bradbury’s story, that particular fear exists in the setting; United States, 2055. It is presented with such intensity that, because of the destruction of one butterfly, one of the changes to reality upon the hunters’ return was that a dictator had won the presidential election, instead of the opposition who had won prior to the time-travelling journey. Bradbury includes multiple references to the election, the most notable being that the first inquiry from the men when back in the present is “who won the election?” Bradbury himself always spoke of writing about what surrounds a person.  

 

In a more uplifting example, a film such as “Back to the Future II” released in 1989, views the future (2015) with a bright, artsy, aura of creativity and technological development. The mid to late eighties began the age of computers, along with arguably the most colorful and creative fashion and décor in recent history. Wars and fear were not dwelled on during this time period, and coincidentally, the vision of the near future reflected it.

 

Lastly, consider the ideas 19th century author H.G. Wells in his book “The Time Machine.” The novel was written in 1898, and his visions of the year 802,701 predict that the human race will sink into a species void of motivation and intelligence. The idea being that humans will slowly lose intellect for reasons correlated with the behavioral patterns of humans during the time it was written. During the late 1800’s, there was apparent disappointment in the development of humanity, at least in the eyes of Wells.

             

The examples offered previously were written many years apart from one another, yet they all demonstrate the idea that present day society influences our extrapolations of the future. Is the theory that technology will eventually overtake humanity far-fetched? While some may say yes, according to many, they must be careful, as they may become complacent, allowing a  mindset that would lead it in that direction. It might be extreme to fear advancement, but rather, be cautious of it.

 

Stories have been known to come true.