In this assignment, we’ll read two SF stories in which technology plays a critical role; Asimov’s “The Final Question,” and Bradbury’s “A Sound of Thunder.” (Click on the URLs, Background Info page.) Again, the stories are very different. Both are fun to read, but we’ll be reading them with a purpose other than entertainment; which is, to compare and contrast the role of technology in each.Write a 3- to 5-page essay containing the following elements.
A very short (one-paragraph) précis of each story. As in the Case Assignment, this should not be a recap, but rather a summary of the story’s main points.
To what extent does technology motivate each story? Without the SF mainstay of futuristic machines and gadgets, would the stories work at all? Why or why not?
In which story is the technical element more believable; or, to put it another way, less unbelievable?
Technology can be fascinating, but without people, there’s no story. Which story presents the human element best? What is it, that makes the presentation of the human element in that story particularly effective?
In conclusion, which story did you find to be the most entertaining? The most memorable? Why?
Be sure to use appropriate citations and references.
Bradbury, R. (1952). A sound of thunder. Retrieved on 1 Oct 2012 from https://docs.google.com/document/d/1XFtrc-PgR8XPbKtU5j-HnzYNydHbub-Q9EEnomNO8CI/edit?pli=1
Asimov, I. (1956). The last question. Retrieved on 1 Oct 2012 from https://www.physics.princeton.edu/ph115/LQ.pdf
