There Will Come Soft Rains

“There Will Come Soft Rains” by Ray Bradbury 

First published in 1950 in Collier’s Magazine, Bradbury shows the anxiety of a world grappling with the prospect of all-out nuclear war. The memory of the United States’ bombing of Japan and full-scale nuclear proliferation with the USSR provide a stark backdrop for this subdued cautionary tale.  The title comes from a 1918 poem by Sara Teasdale that refers to how nature will continue on, indifferent to humanity's conflicts.

The basic plot shows a house in the aftermath of nuclear fallout, going about its daily routine of cooking, cleaning, and preparing the spotless house for residents who are no longer there.  The mid-20th century was a time of great advancement for domestic systems and products, removing a human connection from now-automated processes.  In that way it’s not too dissimilar from a modern day look into the proliferation of artificial intelligence and the way it is beginning to creep into all aspects of everyday life.  A voice-operated electronic assistant shows how close Bradbury was to grasping the reality of modern times. 

"Today is August 4, 2026," said a second voice from the kitchen ceiling, "in the city of Allendale, California." It repeated the date three times for memory's sake. "Today is Mr. Featherstone's birthday. Today is the anniversary of Tilita's marriage. Insurance is payable, as are the water, gas, and light bills."

Bradbury endowed this abandoned house, and each of the mechanical creatures therein, with human characteristics, and these robots bear a resemblance far too close to actual human beings. His writing is sublime and so fraught with echoes of tension that build toward a crescendo that should stop all of us in our tracks.