My Favorite Science Fiction Story: Jason Sanford

Today’s post is a guest review by Jason Sanford. Jason is a successful author, blogger and short-story-awards organizer. I recently asked Jason “What is your favorite science fiction short story and why?” Here is his reply:

Jason’s Answer:

My favorite science fiction short story is Ray Bradbury’s 1950 classic “There Will Come Soft Rains.” Set in Allendale, California on August 4, 2026, this is one of those rare stories which reaches extreme depths of human emotions even though not a single human character is present. Instead, we experience the aftermath of a nuclear war through the daily routine of an automatic house, which blindly goes through its programming even though the family it cared for is now dead.

But while there are no human characters present in the story (aside from the outlines of a family burned into the house’s exterior paint by a nuclear blast), the remnants of the family’s lives are what give this tale its truly sad taste. The house still wakes its dead charges at seven o’clock each morning. It still prepares their favorite foods. It still selects a poem to read to Mrs. McClellan each night.

Perhaps the saddest scene is the description of the nursery, which is alive with magical giraffes, lions and other animals conjured up for the enjoyment of nonexistent kids. The contrast between the tenderness in how the house was programmed, and the fact that the house can never know that its charges are dead, is one of many haunting elements which makes this story a true classic.

I first read this story back in the early 1980s in one of those short story anthologies schools throw at students in the hope something inside sticks. And boy did this story stick with me. “There Will Come Soft Rains” has been modified by Bradbury several times over the years, with the version reprinted in The Martian Chronicles available for download as a PDF at jerrywbrown.com. The story is also collected in the book Stories of Ray Bradbury.

About Jason:

Jason Sanford is the author of a number of short stories, essays, and articles. He also edits the literary journal storySouth, through which he runs the annual Million Writers Award for best online fiction. His fiction has been published in Analog: Science Fiction and Fact (forthcoming), Interzone, Orson Scott Card’s Intergalactic Medicine Show, Tales of the Unanticipated, the Beloit Fiction Journal, The Mississippi Review, Diagram, Pindeldyboz, and other places. He’s also published critical essays, book reviews, and articles in places like The New York Review of Science Fiction, The Pedestal Magazine, and The Fix Short Fiction Review. You can check out his website at www.jasonsanford.com.

Rusty’s Two Cents:

I had never read “There Will Come Soft Rains”, but after reading Jason’s glowing review of it I dusted off my copy of The Martian Chronicles and jumped right in. I must agree that it is a very cool story, and Jason describes it perfectly. And to think that for all these years I’ve had The Martian Chronicles sitting on my bookshelf with this amazing short story waiting patiently inside it! If you are interested you can check out The Martian Chronicles at Amazon.com.

I first met Jason Sanford online a few months ago when he linked my web site from one of his blog posts. After checking out his web site I decided to review one of his stories, and asked which one he recommended. He told me “Book Scouts of the Galactic Rim” was a story that a lot of people liked, so I reviewed it – and I’m glad I did because it is an awesome story, and especially touching if you are a collector. I then started following his blog and have been very impressed with the quality of his posts and his ability to see issues from the reader’s, writer’s and editor’s point of view – not something that many people can do.

If you enjoy good stories and a blog that explores writing from both sides of the fence then you owe it to yourself to check out Jason’s web site – you’ll be glad you did.

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