“Science fiction is any idea that occurs in the head and doesn't exist yet, but soon will, and will change everything for everybody, and nothing will ever be the same again. As soon as you have an idea that changes some small part of the world you are writing science fiction. It is always the art of the possible, never the impossible”, said Ray Bradbury, the author of the short story, “The Sound Of Thunder”. He used these principles of science fiction to create a story composed of a time machine’s and its passengers’ journey into prehistoric times. Once there, Eckels, along with his fellow hunters and guides, found what they were searching for. As they followed the metal path, their game ...view middle of the document...
’” However, these five men were able to be in this “ancient land” through time travel. Though they never encountered their past selves, nor anyone else from another time, the hunters and guides are one of the many people that have ridden on the time machine. Lesperance, the assistant, has also traveled back to this time to find their game. “‘Today, before our journey, we sent Lesperance here back with the Machine. He came to this particular era and followed certain animals... Time doesn't permit that sort of mess-a man meeting himself...You felt the Machine jump just before we stopped? That was us passing ourselves on the way back to the Future. We saw nothing’”. Trip after trip back in time, all of the passengers were searching for a thrill. While doing so, they observed a whole new world. These individuals discovered knowledge on both their time and the time of the dinosaurs. This information was known as science.
In addition, science was very important in the use of science fiction. Science, the knowledge and study of the natural world, was incorporated in the setting and the animals. The imagery and other literary devices used gave the reader plenty of information about the time period. “Green wilderness, over streaming swamp, among giant ferns and palms… The jungle was high and… was the entire world forever and forever. Sounds like music and sounds like flying tents filled the sky, and those were pterodactyls soaring with cavernous gray wings, gigantic bats of delirium and night fever.” These animals were also said to be a significant part of history, involving evolution, changes in Earth, cause and effect known as the butterfly effect, and overall progression of the world. During the group’s conversation, Travis discussed the importance and the relation of the animals, also referred to as a food web. “Correct. Crushing certain plants could add up infinitesimally. A little error here would multiply in sixty million years, all out of proportion. Of course maybe our theory is wrong”. Here, Travis was explaining what he has found through his experience with time travel. Although no one was sure of the outcome of an error would cause, Travis presented his knowledge or conclusions he was able to draw as a result of his practice. Through the use of these observations, humans were able to increase their understanding of the world. Furthermore, technology enabled humans to take the information a step further. With the use of the time machine, humans would be able to explore their own time and any point in the past. Time travel allowed for the numerous mysteries in life to be solved through the same branch of study, science. Another example of highly advanced technology was the floating metal path. Its purpose was to keep the men from touching their surroundings and altering time, but this effort was in vain....
