As 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. More…
For Esmé with Love and Squalor
J. D. Salinger’s Esmé is a precocious, orphaned teenage girl whose friendship and compassion help a young American soldier deal with the horrors of war. Salinger’s characterization of the soldier (Staff Sergeant X) in the second part of the story suggests first-hand experience with PTSD. This was misunderstood at the time, as reflected in the comment from Clay’s girlfriend: nobody gets a nervous breakdown just from the war and all. She says you probably were unstable like, your whole goddam life. Major themes: youthful innocence, the brutality of war and its effect on mental health, loss, humanity and hope. More…
The Most Dangerous Game
Although written almost a hundred years ago, this seemingly timeless adventure story from Richard Connell is still widely taught in schools. In addition to being an exciting, suspenseful read, one of the reasons for this is the continuing passionate debate about the ethics of hunting for sport. Rainsford the hunter has no regard for the rights or feelings of the animals he kills; Rainsford the hunted clearly thinks otherwise. Note the play on words in the title. Both the ‘game’ Zoroff plays and the ‘game’ he hunts are dangerous. Themes: trophy-hunting, man’s inhumanity to man, violence and cruelty, survival, revenge. More…
Anxiety
In this story from Grace Paley’s activist period, an elderly woman worries about everything from the imminent destruction of the world to the well-being of two children being walked home from school. A father’s shortness with one of the children prompts the woman to call him out. She begins with the alarmist suggestion that people should enjoy life less and think more about the coming doom. She then elicits the cause of the man’s anger (wounded pride), which seems petty compared to the issues she has just raised. Themes: anxiety, global threats, fatherhood, child innocence, adult indifference. More…
Marriage Is a Private Affair
The major themes of this early story by Chinua Achebe are generational conflict and change/progress. A young Nigerian couple living in 1950s Lagos decide to get married. They are from different ethnic groups, which causes tension with the man’s village-based father. He is from the Igbo ethnic group in which marriages are traditionally arranged by parents and restricted to others within the group. When the couple marry in defiance of tradition, the man’s father cuts off contact. Eight years later, a letter and rainstorm cause him to regret the decision. Other themes: family, tradition, bigotry, gender roles, defiance, pride, remorse. More…