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Critical Essay: A Sound of Thunder and Nethergrave

 

            Two short science fiction novellas that demonstrate good work of writing include the adventure, A Sound of Thunder by Ray Bradbury, and Nethergrave by Gloria Skurzynski. Both were interesting and kept you to the edge of your seat. There should definitely be more after the end because the endings seemed as if they were cut off. Personally, A Sound of Thunder by Ray Bradbury was more enjoyable contrary to Nethergrave by Gloria Skurzynski. A Sound of Thunder uses better English usage and gets to the point. The first couple of pages were unneeded and useless for the thesis statement and purpose of the story, Nethergrave. Overall, A Sound of Thunder demonstrated a better example and was more interesting.
             In A Sound of Thunder, Eckels travels from 2055 to 85 million years ago to hunt a Tyrannosaurus Rex but is in trouble when the rex begins to hunt them. Travis, Eckels, and the other's main goal is to get back to 2055 alive. When they make it back to their present time, the world was different and worse than before. Eckels realizes that he accidentally tracked dirt and squashed a butterfly from the old time which changes life in the present. Unfortunately, that was a large penalty so he has to get shot for his mistake. This read is a great example of science fiction because the plot, crisis, and setting include traits of it. A Sound of Thunder features different time settings, and crisis involving unreal objects or beings.
             Nethergrave's plot is different and not as deadly or as dangerous as A Sound of Thunder. After being picked on at school for scoring the wrong goal and lying to his "friends" on the internet about being so 'cool,' Jeremy follows the Nethermagus and decides to stay in the Nethergrave forever. This short story demonstrates unique traits of science fiction including advanced technology, alternate places, special powers and incorporated science.
             While both of the stories have different plots, strengths, and weaknesses, they both can be easily compared and contrasted.


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