Bradbury :: Biography Biographies

Bradbury A common theme in science fiction is outer space. Many of Bradbury's stories take place there. As critic Wayne L. Johnson observes, "For Bradbury, space is not merely a stage upon which stories of the future are played, it is what the Great Plains were to the pioneers, not just a frontier but a symbol of the future for the human race" (49). If space serves as a symbol of the future for the human race, the story "Kaleidoscope" has a large amount of symbolism. In this story, the crew of a spaceship is shot into space. "The first concussion cut the rocket up the side with a giant can opener. The men were thrown into space like a dozen wriggling silverfish. They were scattered into a dark sea; and the ship, in a million pieces, went on, a meteor swarm seeking a lost sun" (Bradbury The Stories of Ray Bradbury 143). The view expressed in "Kaleidoscope" is that although people come from one original being, they grow apart all the time. This divergent evolution is clearly expressed as each member of the crew, although separated for a short time, changes their view on the situation. The crewmen being hurled at the sun has a happy attitude, while the ones being hurled into darkness are engulfed in it. Bradbury might have not intended the reader to find this theme in the story, but it shows how creatures adapt to their environment. Another element of Bradbury's writing is robots. Wayne L. Johnson explains that "the robot represents the ultimate heart of the scientific conceit, wherein men's knowledge of the universe becomes so great that he is able to play God and create other men" (73). Robots represent the degrading value of life present in society. All of Bradbury's robot stories found in The Stories of Ray Bradbury come to unhappy endings. They are "horror stories as well as light-hearted warnings against taking robots for granted" (74). Many stories with robots are considered science fiction because robots are considered to be futuristic things. Bradbury uses robots to show the value people place on science over human beings. In "Marionettes, Inc.", two men are unhappy with their wives. One man, Braling tells the other man, Smith, that he has purchased a robot to take his place as a husband.