What is the most dangerous thing about time travel? According to this story by Ray Bradbury, it is doing some small thing that may change the future. Five men travel back in time to hunt a T-Rex. One of them panics when he sees the monster and steps off a specially prepared path. Because of this, they return to a very different world. The last thing the clumsy hunter hears is a sound of thunder. Themes: arrogance, cowardice, the dangers of technology, connections between past and present, democracy vs. dictatorship, the ethics of game hunting.
Original Text / PDF / Audio (4,350 words)
Video Version
This is an episode from Season 3 of the Ray Bradbury Theater TV series. It was first aired in August 1989, and includes a personal introduction by Bradbury himself. Unfortunately, the series was a low-budget production so the special effects (especially the not very scary-looking dinosaur) are rather poor. Watch and enjoy!