The Illustrated Man

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Image:Illustrated book.jpg The Illustrated Man (1951) is a book of eighteen science fiction short stories by Ray Bradbury that explore the nature of humankind. The stories are mostly unrelated, but many demonstrate how technology can destroy mankind.

The stories are played out through various scenarios in the moving tattoos on a vagrant's body. The device of "the illustrated man" serves as a frame story for all the unrelated tales. All but one of the stories had been previously published elsewhere, although Bradbury revised some of the texts.

Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.

"The Veldt" Two parents use an artificial "nursery" to keep their children happy. The children use the high-tech simulation nursery to create a sadistic African predatorial environment. When the parents threaten to take it away, the children lock their parents inside where they are killed by the "harmless" devices of the nursery.
"Kaleidoscope" A bitter astronaut feels he has accomplished nothing worthwhile in his life before his, and the rest of his crew's demise in outerspace because of a malfunction in their ship. The story illustrates the collapse of the sanity and logic of the crew members as they face their death. Ultimately the lamenting narrator is incinerated in the atmosphere of the Earth and appears as a shooting star to a child after wishing his life would be worth something for someone else.
"The Other Foot" Mars has been colonized solely by blacks. When they learn that a rocket is coming from Earth with white travelers, they institute a reverse Jim Crow system of segregation in which white people are to be considered second-class citizens. When the rocket lands, the traveler tells them that most of the Earth has been destroyed in a war and asks for their help. The people realize that discrimination is harmful in all its forms, and reverse their new segregation.
"The Highway" Simple people living by a highway go on with their lives as the highway fills with people fleeing a nuclear war. The residents, unaware of the events continue with their lives in bliss. The story ends with some travellers they help telling them about the nuclear war, and how the world was ending. After the travellers leave the confused resident blissfully wonders what is 'the world?' and continues with his life.
"The Man"
"The Long Rain" A group of astronauts are stranded on Venus, where it rains heavily and without stop. The travelers make their way across the Venusian landscape to find a "sun dome", a shelter with a large artificial light source. On the way the characters are driven to madness by the rain, and when they reach the sun dome, it is destroyed. The story displays the members of the group losing their sanity, and eventually some being driven to suicide by the unrelenting rhythm of the rain.
"The Rocket Man" An astronaut's job keeps him away from home for long stretches of time, so he has little time with his spouse and to help raise his son. This story is told from the son's perspective. This story served as the inspiration for Elton John's popular song "Rocket Man".
"The Fire Balloons" A priest travels to Mars to act as a missionary to Martians. Once there he discovers that the natives are actually entities of pure energy. Since they lack corporeal form, they are unable to commit sin, and thus do not need redemption.
"The Last Night of the World" In this story the entire planet awakens to the knowledge that the world is going to end. That night. Nevertheless they go through their normal routine, going to work, eating, brushing their teeth, and fall asleep knowing they won't wake up. This is in strong contrast to the looting and riots typically expected in this situation.
"The Exiles"
"No Particular Night or Morning"
"The Fox and the Forest"
"The Visitor" In this tale a group of space explorers land on a planet to find the population living in a healthy state of bliss. Upon investigation they discover that a visitor came to them. Further description leads the two spacemen to believe that this man is Jesus. (Though he is never named, leaving room for other religious personas.) One decides to spend the rest of his days on the planet, living and rejoicing in the wake of the man's glory. The other continues in his spaceship, chasing 'him' always a step behind, never fast enough to catch up to him, constantly trying to achieve the unachievable.
"The Concrete Mixer"
"Marionettes, Inc."
"The City"
"Zero Hour"
"The Rocket" This is the story of Fiorello Bodoni, a junkyard owner who, despite his abject poverty, has saved $3,000 to fulfill his lifelong dream of sending one member of his family on a trip to outer space. The family, however, finds it impossible to choose who will go; those left behind will inevitably envy the chosen one for the rest of their lives. Bodoni uses the money to build a replica rocket from an old mock-up and takes all of his children on the journey of a lifetime.