Response to Ray’s Short Stories

The Veldt is crazy. I was not prepared for the ending. Although I won’t spoil, I do think that Mr. Hadley was right to shut the house off and to take a vacation. I feel as if the rest of his family became too dependant on the mechanics and sevices of the house that if it were to be shut off, they just could not stand the thought of being with out it. I think the house and the nusery became so real because tecnhology is always evolving, especially from the moment it’s created. Although we learn from technology, technology will always be more advanced because it learns from us to improve itself. I think that is so mind blowing and true. When I go back to the beginning of the book and reread the quote “…We must always strive to be one step ahead of those who might use our technology for evil, or we will perish a the hand of our own creation…” it makes me wonder why we let ourselves become so curious to then becoming reliant on things to the point of no longer being aware of the negative side-effects. I’m glad Mr. Hadley realized it, but unfrotuantley it was too late. Messed up ending. I give the book 4.3/5 stars.

There Will Come Soft Rains is a short story that also follows a large theme. It seemed like the whole house was built with features that made anyone able to live in it completely relaint on it. It felt like the house picked up on whoever lived there their routines, things they liked, and patterns they had to accommodate them better. It’s almost scary how well the house knew how to learn about them to improve itself. I think that whoever lived there, became so dependent on the house that they themselves wasn't able to fight off these fires, but that maybe a bit of a high expectation. In general, I think the theme of this story is hard to depict, but I would say that this story is a perfect example of how much technology has improved and how often it is present in the places we feel safe. Most of the inventions in that year (2026) are inventions we have now, which is crazy to think about. I give this story a 3.8/5 stars.