This story by Donald Barthelme may be confronting for some readers because it appears to make light of an example of child abuse. Through exaggeration and humor, Barthelme leads us to his central theme: the coming of a baby can change the whole dynamics of family relationships. Most parents like to think that they are the ones in control. However, all too often they find themselves dancing to their child’s tune. By the end of the story, this baby has totally turned the tables. Some might even say that it has been guilty of a form of parental abuse! More…
Skin
The most frequently used adjective in describing this story by Roald Dahl is macabre. A former tattooist, who once had a struggling artist friend tattoo a picture of his wife on his back, has fallen on hard times. Destitute and too old to work, he comes across an exclusive gallery featuring an exhibition of his now famous friend’s work. He learns that his tattoo is now worth a small fortune, and is tempted by two offers to capitalize on its value. Themes include artistic struggle and appreciation, poverty, desperation, objectification, greed, temptation, deception. More…
The Miracle of Purun Bhagat
This story from Rudyard Kipling’s Second Jungle Book is about a high-ranking, British educated, Indian government official who gives up everything he owns and begins a new life as a wandering holy-man. He experiences earthly peace in a mountainside shrine high above a small village, and reverence and permanent peace under a tree on the opposite side of the valley. The story shows how sometimes the Hindu concept of acceptance of one’s fate needs to be countered with an authoritative (Western-style) call to action. Themes: Western vs Hindu values, search for enlightenment, human-animal bonding, spiritualism, faith. More…
I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream
This story from Harlan Ellison is an example of New Wave Science Fiction, a literary movement that flourished in the 1960s and 1970s. Distinguishing features are storylines that are intellectually implausible, and disturbing themes that would not normally be included in traditional science fiction. A sentient supercomputer has destroyed the human race other than five ‘specimens’. With no creative outlet for its powers, it has kept these alive and subjected them to torturous challenges for over one hundred years as revenge against humanity for creating it. Themes: humanity vs. technology, godhood, individualism, revenge, cruelty, violence, misogyny, self-sacrifice More…
The First Law
In this story by Isaac Asimov, a scientist tells astounded colleagues a “tall tale” about how a new model robot broke the first and most fundamental of the Three Laws of Robotics: a robot may not injure a human being, or through inaction allow a human being to come to harm. The malfunctioning robot had escaped from its base and, upon encountering the man in a deadly zero-visibility storm, left him to die. Although the robot had a legitimate reason for its actions, the model was discontinued immediately. Themes include disobedience, protectiveness and “motherly” love. More…