This is an old revision of this page, as edited by Paul Richter (talk | contribs) at 15:49, 16 September 2004 (→Alternate Media Versions: fix hed level). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.
Revision as of 15:49, 16 September 2004 by Paul Richter (talk | contribs) (→Alternate Media Versions: fix hed level)(diff) ← Previous revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff)A Sound of Thunder is a science fiction short story by Ray Bradbury, first published in R is for Rocket. It was later reprinted in Planet Stories, a pulp magazine, in January, 1954 .
It can now be read in several anthologies, including The Stories of Ray Bradbury (1980) and A Sound of Thunder (1987). Locus Index lists it as the first of the top ten most republished science fiction stories
This well-known story about time travel revolves around a business called Time Safari, Inc. Time Safari promises to take people back in time so they can hunt prehistoric animals, such as Tyrannosaurus Rex.
In order to avoid a time paradox, they are very careful to leave history undisturbed on the principle that even the slightest change can cause major changes in the future. Travelers are only allowed shoot animals which are already about to die, and they are required to stay on a path which hovers above the ground. Hunting trophies are not taken; your only souvenir can be a photograph of yourself standing next to the dead monster.
In the story a man leaves the floating path and tramples a butterfly. Upon returning to the present, everyone finds the world to be a somewhat different from than the one they left. All of history has been changed slightly by the death of a single butterfly in the distant past.
This is an fictional exploration of how the Butterfly Effect (or "sensitive dependence upon initial conditions", in the words of Edward Lorenz) could affect time travel. However, this story pre-dates the work of Edward Lorenz by nearly 10 years, long before the term was coined and the principles understood by the scientific community.
Alternate Media Versions
- The story was dramatized on audio tape in 1984, on Bradbury 13.
- An episode of Ray Bradbury Theater featured this story.
- A movie is scheduled for release, also in 2004, and is currently in post-production. The plot appears to be loosely based on the original story, starting off where Brandbury ended. This movie was originally slated to appear in 2002, but flooding on location postponed the production.
- It was parodied in a Simpsons Halloween TV special.
- A Gameboy Advance game of the same title, and based upon this story, was released by Mobius Entertainment in 2004.
- A song by Duran Duran, "Sound of Thunder", is based on the story.
References
Story
- A Sound of Thunder, Full Text
- Amazon Information on The Stories of Ray Bradbury
- Bradbury 13 Audio Version Information