There Will Come Soft Rains on August 4, 2026
On the day I am writing this blog entry, it is the date mentioned in Ray Bradbury's 1950 short story There Will Come Soft Rains: August 4th, 2026. If you have not read this short story before you can find a written copy here or read the comic adaptation here as this post will contain spoilers. If you are fine with spoilers before reading then please continue onwards!
I won't lie, I only came across There Will Come Soft Rains earlier this year thanks to fellow educators pointing out the fact that the date noted in the story was approaching, and that some of the content of the story uncannily matched what we are facing today thanks to Bradbury's descriptions establishing an eerie tone. After reading both formats of the story and revisiting them again today for this blog entry, I'd have to agree. Smart home technology, AI, surveillance technology, biometric catalogues, all culminating into the overall idea of how technology of convenience can help aid in the never-ending struggle of keeping up appearances. Appearances which have been permanently captured in a charcoal ash on the side of the smart home due to the destruction caused by a nuclear event; some interpret this was due to nuclear warfare and others a nuclear catastrophe. The theme of the short story is quite on the nose, especially when you get to the inclusion of Sara Teasdale's poem which inspired the title of the story itself: the dependence on technology by humankind. The story illustrates how this over-reliance has led to humankind's own downfall and the destruction of the nature human society had shared. The passing and cremation of the McClellan family's pet dog and the smart house burning down due to a falling tree crashing into the smart home helps to further emphasize this theme, as man-made technology cannot remedy the deceased owners of this home and prevent its destruction.
Undoubtedly, this is a timely short story despite the date it was originally written, but I am still piecing together how I would approach using this short story in my own classroom. Many teachers online had already discussed how they are going to read this text today in their schools, but as someone whose school year begins at the end of the month I am thankful for the gift of time to digest it once again and consider an approach. Short stories like There Will Come Soft Rains were written in times that are not unlike our own with rapid technological advancement and increasing societal conflict due to ongoing injustice. Bradbury perfectly captured the very real possibility of what could come if our reliance on technology outpaced our ability to solve societal conflict on a macro scale. The story in order to share this idea paints an incredibly desolate future which would need to be prepped for with students at the beginning of a brand new school year. All literature is written to build empathy in order to prevent futures like the one Bradbury has written from becoming true (though, we must admit we are scarily close to this reality coming true). As I mentally chew on my recent re-reads, I may come up with a more solid plan but no matter what I will ensure students have access to the format of their choice (I love a good comic adaptation).
Lastly, something I came to realize as I was tracking down copies of this short story is that the 1997 reprint of The Martian Chronicles where There Will Come Soft Rains was originally published pushed all the dates forward by 31 years. So, the date for this tale could also be August 4th, 2057, which made me begin to wonder if the same level of fervour to read this story will rush through the education community with the same intensity 31 years from now. Will the theme of this story still be relevant to students and teachers in 2057? I may never know the answer, but this is a question I will continue to percolate on in my reflections and preparations for the upcoming school year.