A Boy and His Dog

A Boy and His Dog: Short story by Harlan EllisonWritten at the peak of the Cold War, this Harlan Ellison story takes place in a dystopic, post-apocalyptic world. ‘Civilized’ people have retreated to secure underground cities, leaving the desolate surface to ‘solo’ wanderers and lawless gangs who survive by foraging, violence and murder. The plot involves a young solo, his genetically manipulated telepathic dog, and an attractive young woman from the underground who almost comes between them. Despite the title, there is nothing “boyish” about the protagonist given what he and the girl get up to! Themes: anarchy, division, violence, loyalty, manipulation, betrayal, love.

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The Open Boat

The Open Boat: Short story by Stephen CraneA remarkable aspect of this story from Stephen Crane is that it is based on an actual event in the author’s life. This adds credibility to what to me is a defining feature of the story: the way that throughout the ordeal four men from such diverse backgrounds were able to maintain their self-discipline and work so well together. The Open Boat is considered a classic in the literary style called “naturalism”. Such stories deal with the unforgiving power of nature and man’s struggle for survival. Themes: man vs. nature/the sea, perspective (appearance vs. reality), courage, teamwork, survival.

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The Gentleman from San Francisco

The Gentleman from San Francisco: Short story by Ivan BuninIn this story by Ivan Bunin an overweight, fifty-eight-year-old industrialist who had grown rich off the sweat of Chinese immigrants treats himself and his family to a two-year trip around the world. He only makes it as far as Capri, where he dies of a heart attack. The story is a biting satire of the opulent lifestyles and arrogance of the mega-rich, living in their ivory towers indifferent to the “lesser” people who toil to make their lifestyles possible. Themes include greed, social class, vanity, superficiality, moral decay, self-aggrandizement vs. spiritual enlightenment, death as a leveler.

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Nightfall

Nightfall: Short story by Isaac AsimovNightfall: Short story by Isaac AsimovAs once described by Isaac Asimov himself, Nightfall (is) the tale of a world with eternal sun that is suddenly plunged into total darkness and utter madness. Hailed as one of the greatest Science Fiction stories ever written it tells how, in preparation for the potential end of their civilization, a group of forward-thinking scientists have created a safe place to store their world’s accumulated knowledge and hide a select group of “survivors”. Themes: science vs superstition (cultism), having the courage of one’s convictions, sensory deprivation, insanity, mob hysteria, scientific hubris.

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The Railroad and the Churchyard

The Railroad and the Churchyard: Short story by Bjørnstjerne BjørnsonIn this story by Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson two friends fall out over a proposal to sell the public grain magazine and establish a community savings bank. The decision (to sell the magazine) brings prosperity to all. Years later, as many in the parish face financial ruin due to speculation, the two clash again over a proposal to allow a new railway to pass through the town. Although the railway will increase land values, the only route possible includes part of an old, disused cemetery. This leads to a fiery ending. Themes include friendship, tradition vs. progress, conflicts of interest, desperation, community.

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Journey into a Dark Heart

Journey into a Dark Heart: Short story by Peter HøegIn this story by Peter Høeg, a naïve young mathematician becomes disillusioned at the impossibility of reducing all things (including humanity) to a set of equations. He gives up his academic career, joins a Danish trading company, and finds himself in Africa mixing with royalty at the opening of a new railroad. During the inaugural train journey, he discusses European notions of colonial Africa with three fellow passengers. He later learns that one is a rebel leader, another a gunrunner, and a bridge ahead has been sabotaged. Themes: colonialism, race and racism, war/rebellion, honesty, idealism vs. reality, despair.

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Five-Twenty

Five-Twenty: Short story by Patrick WhiteIn this story by Patrick White, a woman with very low self-esteem spends her life at the beck and call of a rancorous, dominating husband. As they age and he gradually wastes away, they spend their days “traffic watching” from the veranda of their small house on a busy road. She becomes obsessed with a strange-looking man who drives by at five-twenty every day and, following a chance meeting after her husband dies, experiences what may be her first passionate stirrings. Sadly, death comes between them. Themes include patriarchy, gender roles, aging, loneliness, lack of passion and fulfilment, freedom, loss.

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In the Zoo

In the Zoo: Novelette by Jean StaffordIn this story by Jean Stafford, a sorry-looking blind polar bear in a Denver zoo reminds adult sisters of a gentle alcoholic ne’er-do-well who befriended them during their traumatic childhood. As eight and ten year-old orphans, the two were fostered out to “Gran”, a possessive, unloving, scornful woman who runs a boarding house. Academically backward and teased at school, they find comfort in their friendship with a kindly Irishman and a puppy he gives them. That is until Gran converts the loveable pup into a ferocious attack dog. Themes include arranged psychological trauma, isolation, confinement and control, companionship and love.

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