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In chatting with some coworkers some short stories that we read in high school came up. So, naturally, I had to reread some of them, and one of them was The Veldt by Ray Bradbury. Some of the things in here are pretty funny. For example, they bought this house complete with a 40x40x30 room that can generate images of anything the kids imagine for $30,000. I want to know where I can get one! My house was twice that!
However, what is interesting is that there’s a lesson in this story that is important for us as well. We may not have shoe-tying gizmos or things of that nature, but we are fast becoming a society that has everything that they need provided for them and is becoming spoiled to the “real” things. We fit more things in because we have more gadgets. We shortchange conversation for pleasure. We do things to maximize the amount of “free time” we have.
I won’t spoil the plot, but pay attention to what the psychologist and the father say to each other about what’s going on in this “nursery.” Also, smile when you think how long ago Bradbury wrote about this concept that would appear in Star Trek: The Next Generation!
I saw two most peculiar French movies during the weekend. One was from the 50’s, the other from the 60’s. Both about a modernistic vision of the French society, showing weird technological inventions and the way people thought about the future then. we laughed like mad watching this.
Futurism is a very interesting “science”, because it lets you laugh at yourself when you arrive in time to the point of your predictions…
It lets you laugh, but sometimes you wonder if sci-fi actually shapes what things look like in the future. Some modern cell phones look a lot like the communicators that Captain Kirk used to talk with the Enterprise in the Original Series!
I’ve been thinking on this a lot lately…the lengths we go to entertain our children. TV’s, computer games, “imagination rooms”…it’s no wonder immaturity is so rampant among young adults. Responsibility isn’t any fun…who wants to grow up and be committed to anything that’s not fun?
I tried to follow the link, wanted to read The Veldt, but got an error. I’ll try again sometime!
I found a link in Google Cache. It’s harder to find the story text than I thought!
Thanks so much for finding it, I don’t know when I’ve enjoyed a short story more! That was a good one. Definitely goes along with some things I’ve been working on lately.
Got any more goodies?
Well, rumor has it that some more fiction might come this way, but not here.
Then again, if I said to much I’d give away a surprise.