ISAAC ASIMOV AND RAY BRADBURY
Module 4 – Case
ISAAC ASIMOV AND RAY BRADBURY
Case Assignment
In this case, we will analyze two very different “end-of-the-world” stories: Asimov’s “Nightfall,” and Bradbury’s “August 2026: There Will Come Soft Rains.” (Click on the URLs, Background Info page.) Both stories are worth reading just for the fun of it, but as we read, we’ll be thinking of them in terms of a particular analytic framework.
Assignment Expectations
Write a 3- to 5-page essay containing the following elements.
A very short (one-paragraph) summary of each story. This is not a recap, but rather an aid to remembering the story’s main points.
In what sense are they both “end-of-the-world” stories?
What makes them SF stories, as opposed to conventional short fiction?
On the Home Page, we listed some features of a good story. Choose the feature on which you think the two stories are most dissimilar. For example, you may think one of the stories has a particularly strong opening, while the other is more difficult “to get into.” Compare the two stories in detail, with respect to that particular feature.
Which story did you find to be the most entertaining? The most memorable? Why?
Be sure to use appropriate citations and references.
