From the Desk of William Pauley III
It’s Saturday! So, let’s get weird! Shall we?
This week’s newsletter is particularly special for me because it involves a story I read repeatedly as a child, Ray Bradbury’s “There Will Come Soft Rains.” Around the age of nine or ten, I became completely obsessed with Bradbury’s fiction. I used to walk around the school library, literally removing every copy of his books from the shelf, examining the cover art and reading the back cover synopsis over and over again, trying to determine which book I’d take home for the weekend. But I wanted them all!
I’ll never forget the moment I first pulled The Martian Chronicles off that rickety old bookshelf. My mind was instantly set ablaze. I had to have every word in my brain immediately. I can’t quite explain it, but I knew even then that his work would play a significant role in my life. I pulled all of Bradbury’s books off the shelf, all the one’s they had anyway, and laid them out on a table. My entire body was tingling with anticipation. I couldn’t wait to explore these weird new worlds.
I distinctly remember bringing at least three of them home with me that day: The Martian Chronicles, Fahrenheit 451, and The Illustrated Man.
You know those moments in life that are so gargantuan that once they happen you immediately recognize you’re no longer the person you once were? You’re violently thrown down another path, and oftentimes that path is dark and strange and horrifying… well, for me, discovering Bradbury’s writing felt like all of those things combined. It was a little scary at first, stepping into the unknown. I wasn’t sure what would happen there, or what could happen there. The possibilities seemed endless, and I was right—Bradbury’s imagination was unbridled, boundless. It was exciting to dive into those worlds. It felt like I was exploring a new planet, some strange place where everything felt peculiar and foreign (it wasn’t until I was a bit older before I realized just how similar Bradbury’s worlds were to our own dismal reality). Even now, reading them for a third, fourth, or fifth time—it’s still just as exciting to me.
Another great memory I have from that day was coming home and seeing my dad’s reaction to seeing me reading The Martian Chronicles in the living room. He was ecstatic. He told me he too loved Bradbury’s books as a child. I remember him going on a rant about The Illustrated Man, which got me even more excited to read it.
Something Bradbury was the master of (still to this day, I’ve yet to read an author who has done it better) was getting the reader to feel intense dread and horror despite every [masterfully placed] word within the story describing bright, joyous scenes. For example, another short story found in The Martian Chronicles, “The Musicians,” describes a particularly fun day for a handful of rambunctious children living on a Mars colony. They run through the old Martian cities, now in ruins, and play music on what they call “white xylophones,” but are actually Martian rib cages. The story is written beautifully, with both nostalgia and whimsy, but as you read, you can help but to think of how disturbing it all really is.
The man wasn’t just a writer, he was a goddamn painter of words. His stories should be hanging in galleries all over the world.
Okay, I’m ranting.
My point is that the story featured in the animation below has a similar feeling. As you watch, think about how unsettled you feel, despite the fact that there’s no real horror present. The horror is implied and you, the viewer, are left to interpret exactly what it is. I love this story so much and I’m excited to share it with those of you who may not have read/seen it before now.
The last thing I’ll say on this is a bit of a SPOILER, so you may not want to read until after you watch today’s video. Bradbury was inspired to write this story during the Cold War, particularly after the testing of the Soviet Union’s first atomic bomb on January 30th, 1950. It seems appropriate that this animation, which was produced in Russia, is seen today, in light of recent events.
Hope you enjoy it as much as I do.
“There Will Come Soft Rains”
Story by Ray Bradbury
Last Week / This Week
Last week, my story “The First Life of Anacoy Marlin” had well over 1,000 streams! You all are blowing my mind. Seriously. This is wild. Thank you all so much for your love and support! It means the world. Truly. Haven’t had a chance to listen to it yet? No worries! It’ll be available to stream for free for the rest of the weekend. Check it out here.
On this week’s episode of Storytime!, Connor Brannigan will be reading the epic conclusion of that story. Be sure to tune in to “The Second Life of Anacoy Marlin” when it drops on Monday! Oh, and subscribe so you never miss an update!
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Oddities Theater
Little Nemo: Adventures in Slumberland is a 1989 animated musical fantasy film directed by Masami Hata and William Hurtz. Based on the comic strip Little Nemo in Slumberland by Winsor McCay. (Wikipedia)
Synopsis: Each night, young Nemo goes to Slumberland and has adventures. But one night Nemo discovers Nightmare Land, and the evil nightmare king, throwing Slumberland and Nemo himself into danger. (IMDB)
The Illustrated Man
(Now & Then)
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