Ray Bradbury might be one of the first science fiction authors I was introduced to. That, however, occurred so long ago that I don’t even remember what of his I read. But several of his short stories and longer works alike have stuck with me. His short story “The Veldt” developed into the next short story I wanted to review.
This short story first appeared in the Saturday Evening Post in 1950 before being republished in The Illustrated Man. In the story, a family lives in a home that automates all their tasks for them. Machines complete all their chores and generally provide everything for them. The two children in the family stay in the nursery, which employs virtual reality. However, the parents notice that the VR seems to be stuck on an African veldt, with wild lions eating something in the distance.
I know I mentioned this before, but this story developed a terrifying sci-fi concept that reflected then-future ideas. Yes, I know that a lot of Golden Age science fiction accomplished this, but this remains an excellent example. And this example stuck with me. It not only ran with the idea and left me reeling by the end, but it also warned us about the concept. This concept I reference is virtual reality, and, in the case of this story, how it distorts our line of thinking. The story focuses on a simulation and how that simulation gradually takes over. By the end of the story, the characters become consumed by it in more ways than one. The thought made the story more impactful now that it deeply reflects today.
But besides more or less predicting the future, the story also brings tension. From the very beginning, “The Veldt” presents a mystery along with a (then) new virtual concept, and carries the reader through to the end. I sat gripped by the writing the entire time. Bradbury knew how to handle his audience, for one. But this story also reflects just how epic the Golden Age of sci-fi was. This gave me the idea to read The Illustrated Man, one of Bradbury’s collections that includes this work.
“”George, I wish you’d look at the nursery.”
“What’s wrong with it?”
“I don’t know.”
“Well, then.”
“I just want you to look at it, is all, or call a psychologist in to look at it.”
“What would a psychologist want with a nursery?”‘”
As luck would have it, I just finished Heinlein’s Starship Troopers, which I plan to review next week. Stay tuned for another writing post this Saturday! Happy reading as always.
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