“A Sound of Thunder” and “Nethergrave” Essay

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Introduction

Bradbury’s “A Sound of Thunder” and Skurzynski’s “Nethergrave” are exceptional science fiction stories. Both are about scientific technology changing an individual’s life, though some underlying themes are different. In “A Sound of Thunder,” the events only happen in future settings, 2255 AD and the Jurassic period, and the real-time characters never change their identity. Whereas “Nethergrave” involves the main character turning into a different person when accessing the other world. Ray Bradbury’s “A Sound of Thunder” has better descriptions of the characters and the book overall, it also concerns a more relatable theme and familiarizing with the setting. The last line of Bradbury’s story, “There was a sound of thunder,” made me dazzled for a moment, curious to know if the main character is Eckels. Therefore, I consider this story superior to the two and will prove the point by comparing the narratives in terms of the role of science and technology, main characters, and themes.

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The Role of Science and Technology

In the story “A Sound of Thunder,” Bradbury utilizes the trait of science and technology more effectively. For example, Eckles, the main character, faces harsh consequences due to fear-driven mistakes made when applying the new specialized advancement to go back in time (Bradbury). In “Nethergrave,” Jeremy chooses a virtual world over the real one where he feels awkward. Therefore, in both stories, science and technology play an essential role in the characters’ lives. Moreover, their temperament is somewhat similar and centers around the effect technology can have on the world.

The Development of the Main Character

One of the core ideas of “A Sound of Thunder” is that even one little activity can lead to a monstrous decimation. Additionally, I think a topic for “Nethergrave” is that when the truth is extreme, it is not difficult to settle on reckless choices that appear to improve it. The two topics are ideal for recollecting because they connect in their notion. All things being equal, the topic in “Nethergrave” is embarking on the fact that life is a struggle, and, at that point, it is simpler to settle on a desperate choice. If one makes such a choice, then it can influence oneself or others, which corresponds with the core thought of “A Sound of Thunder.”

The Theme of the Story

In assessing the message of the stories, none of them seems superior, although I personally was more impressed with “A Sound of Thunder’s” point. The theme of “Nethergrave” may be expressed as follows: when the reality is challenging, it is easy to make poor decisions. This idea is utterly comprehensible and can be applied to almost every person’s life. The main character, Jeremy, felt abandoned by his father after his parent’s divorce (Skurzynski 26). His mother worked until late, and his friends had ditched him. Therefore, he used a computer to forget about his real problems and start a new life where he could reach the triumph. Bradbury’s “A Sound of Thunder’s” theme is that one little thing can change the whole life; for instance, when Eckles stepped on a butterfly, everything became different (Hoffman 239). Although these themes are corresponding with each other, the latter seems more mesmerizing.

Conclusion

Both of these short stories show how innovation can be amazingly hazardous. In the real world, headways in innovation are being made each day (Gordon and Todorova). Even though the narratives are sci-fi stories, I think the perils of innovation may be conceivable later on. The two stories kept me reading without a pause, yet “A Sound of Thunder” was more powerful than “Nethergrave” for me personally. It utilized a more delicate topic and provided a deep analysis of it. The last line of Bradbury’s story caused me to sit shocked for some time. Overall, both books provide some food for thought; however, “A Sound of Thunder” makes one wonder about the consequences of each step taken. After all, nobody can predict how their actions will affect the future, their own and the whole world’s.

References

Gordon, Theodore, and Mariana Todorova. Future Studies and Counterfactual Analysis. Palgrave Macmillan, 2019.

Hoffman, Alice. “Introduction To “A Sound of Thunder.” Ploughshares, vol. 46, no. 3, 2020, pp. 238-242.

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Ray, Bradbury. A Sound of Thunder and Other Stories. Harper Perennial, 2005.

Skurzynski Gloria. “Nethergrave.” On the Edge: Stories at the Brink, edited by Lois Duncan, Simon and Schuster, 2001, pp. 25-39.

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IvyPanda. 2022. "A Sound of Thunder” and “Nethergrave." June 29, 2022. https://ivypanda.com/essays/a-sound-of-thunder-and-nethergrave/.

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