Review for "An Express of the Future"

An Express of the Future by Jules Verne was first published in "The Strand Magazine" in 1895.

Summary
The story starts with an unnamed gentleman being escorted onto a train by the conductor, Colonel Pierce. The man does not remember why or how he got there and has a hard time believing what the conductor is telling him. Colonel Pierce explains to the man that he is on a train leaving a station in Boston, traveling underwater to Liverpool, England. The man recalls reading an article about the construction of this train and thought it was unbelievable. The conductor explains to the man how the train was built and how it works. The train travels at 1,800 kilometers per hour and takes about two hours and forty minutes to make the trip. The man asks questions, such as how can the train stop at such fast speeds without being destroyed. The conductor tells him about how the tunnels were constructed and the use of air in slowing down the train. After he is shown the passengers carriage the man asks when the train will start moving, and the conductor responds by saying the train hs already begun. The man felt no movement and could not believe this. After feeling wetness on his eyebrow the man assumes there is a crack in the tube and that the under water pressure was too much. A sense of fear overcame him and he woke up in his garden with a magazine by his side discussing the project of Colonel Pierce.

Analysis

The fact that the man was dreaming in the end was a bit of a surprise but not to be unexpected. There are a few clues that tip the reader off that something isn't right. The story starts off with the man not knowing where he is or why. That is the first clue that something is wrong. The conductor, Colonel Pierce, appears to know everything about the construction of the train tunnel system and remains optimistic and upbeat. This is because he is a character in a dream.

There is a bit of irony in the idea that this is a science fiction story that someone else is having inspired by what they read in a magazine. It is a bit meta and possibly Jules Verne saw himself as the lead character in the story. 

Thoughts

While the plot summary for this story is rather short, it's the details that capture the readers imagination. What if a train could travel underwater across the Atlantic ocean in under three hours? While this idea is a large scale structure, there is already smaller scales in real life where trains run underwater. The most notable is the tunnel that runs under the English channel that stretches over 30 miles underwater. This is a real life application of what was considered science fiction around the turn of the 20th century. Probably the greatest thing about science fiction is taking what seems impossible (and only exists in our imaginations) and making it a reality.

Since the story was written in the 1890's the technology for trains was still limited to steam engines crossing vast lands. There was nothing like a pneumatic system and certainly no trains the traveled underwater. Verne was simply looking to the future of what train travel could be in the future. The story is set on a train because that was the primary method of transportation for large groups of people during that time. The idea that the train can be propelled by air is not that far stretched and is even similar to the Hyperloop that Elon Musk proposed recently. Which would allow people to travel to travel from southern California to Northern California in a short time. A trip that is over 6 hours long by car.

What I like about this story is that it takes place in a future time where this kind of technology is a possibility. At the end we find out it is not the reality but it is something that could become real in the future in the story's world. I would love to see more from this futuristic world that Verne has created. Are there other major technological advances in this world? Or is this a steampunk setting where the world is still in the 1800's the only difference is this train? Seeing as this is Jules Verne I'm more inclined to think it's the later.

 Be sure to comment below and give me your thoughts about the blog. Recommend some stories to review. You can also follow me on Instagram where I post some artwork related to the story reviews, like the one above, @fantastic_literature and on  Twitter @BelleArboreus. 

Next time we will be discussing the works of another science fiction great! H.G. Wells' short story, The Star.

Jules Verne and Science Fiction.

So the next review is going to be "An Express of the Future" by Jules Verne. You can read the story here Read An Express of the Future . I would just like to talk a little bit about Jules Verne and science fiction stories in general.

Jules Verne is one of my favorite science fiction authors. As a former Geology major, I really love the book Journey to the Center of the Earth. While it might not be scientifically sound, it is a great "what if" story. Verne's style is not about the science fiction that changes this world, but rather to explore the world and find the science in it. What I really like about the short story An Express of the Future is that is not a big science fiction plot. It's small and simple about an underwater train that travels across the Atlantic ocean. There is even a real world comparison with the tunnels that go under the English Channel, connecting the UK to the rest of Europe. Obviously, there are differences between a short tunnel and one that would cross the entire Atlantic, but it is a fantasy that we can all dream of. That's what I like about Verne's writing, using science fiction to explore our fantasies. Since Verne wrote in the 1800's the technology and information available were limited, so there is an element of the Steampunk style to his works.

Science fiction is a big genre and basically means anything that is based on science that is either impossible or highly unlikely (at least in the time it is written). I think when Verne wrote 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, submarine ships were either not invented or not developed for deep seas exploration. So at the time the Nautilus was looked at as science fiction. Whereas some science fiction writers focused on robots, monsters or aliens, Verne focused on taking a journey in the world exploring science and making discoveries. There is always an element of optimism and wonder in the stories. Unlike H.G. Wells who writes stories that explore the dark sides of science fiction. While both men are considered among the great science fiction writers of all time, I tend to prefer the adventurous and lighter stories of Verne.

Last week I wrote a review of "Robbie" by Isaac Asimov, who is also considered to be a great writer of science fiction along with Philip K. Dick and H.P. Lovecraft. I have not read much of these three authors. When I get the chance to read more of their works I will add them to my science fiction list of reviews. If anyone has an recommendations by these authors or other science fiction authors please let me know.

You can follow me on Twitter and Instagram @BelleArboreus and @fantastic_literature Go ahead and read An Express of the Future and come back on Thursday for the review!

Review for "Robbie" by Isaac Asimov

Review of "Robbie" by Isaac Asimov

"Robbie" by Isaac Asimov was published in 1940 originally titled "Strange Playfellow" in the Super Science Stories magazine. It was revised and retitled for Asimov's book "I, Robot". This revision includes an additional scene that contains a character that recurs throughout the other stories in the "I, Robot" collection of stories. 

Asimov is known for his book "I, Robot" which is a collection of stories about robots. He created his own rules known as "the three laws of Robotics". Which are as follows:

1. A robot may not injure a human being, or, through inaction all a human to come to harm.
2. A robot must obey the orders given it by humans except where such orders would conflict with the First Law.
3. A robot must protect its own existence as long as such protection does not conflict with the First and Second Law. 

Summary
Outside a house in the country, a little girl named Gloria is playing hide and seek with her robot friend she calls Robbie. When called by her mother to the dinner table, Gloria insists that Robbie stay with her so she can finish telling him the story of Cinderella. Her mother, Mrs. Weston says no and that if Robbie does not leave now, then Gloria cannot play with him for a week. Later that night Mrs. Weston told her husband that she wants to get rid of Robbie because she wants Gloria to grow up normally. Mr. Weston says no and after a few weeks continues to say no to Mrs. Weston's request. Until one day they take Gloria out to a show and when they return Robbie is gone. Clearly upset, Gloria mopes around the house for a month.

In order to get over Robbie, Mrs. Weston convinces her husband to take a trip to New York city. Gloria is excited to go, but only because she thinks they are going to look for Robbie. After a month in the city, taking in shows, and visiting museums and zoos, Gloria is still not happy. Mr. Weston decides to take Gloria on a tour of a robot factory. Mrs. Weston thinks that will help Gloria get over Robbie. When they get there they find robots that are helping build other robots. Gloria looks in the crowd of workers and there she sees her robot, her friend, Robbie. She runs to him but does not see a tractor coming her way. Mr. Weston makes a move towards his daughter but Robbie is closer and rushes at the girl. He then grabs her just before the tractor goes by. Gloria and Robbie hug, and Mrs. Weston finally decides that he can stay.

Analysis
The story portrays Mrs. Weston as a person who is more strict and concerned about societal pressures. She is not a bad person, she just wants the best for her daughter. Only that she cannot accept that Robbie the robot might be just what Gloria needs. The father comes across as a man who is less concerned because he knows that Robbie makes his daughter happy. In the end, he is the one to take action and give Gloria her friend back. Even though he is described as being a business man, he is not the parent who is stern and restrictive. While being a housewife Mrs. Weston is less warm and caring. This is a good reversal of the traditional characterization of parents and gender roles.

Mrs. Weston raises the idea that people are afraid of robots and that something dangerous could go wrong. This is when Mr. Weston reminds her that the laws of robotics will prevent Robbie from ever harming their daughter. In the end, Robbie does indeed comply with the first law of robotics by preventing Gloria from getting hurt. The other way to look at that is that Robbie cares for Gloria and would have saved her regardless of the laws.

The story does raise a good question, in that how much exposure to technology is too much? At what point will technology turn on people? Robbie is always depicted as a semi-shy robot that enjoys hearing stories and likes to gently play with his friend Gloria. He is never shown as doing anything to disobey his human owners. In the revision of the story, there is a scene in a museum in which Gloria approaches a machine that is called "The Talking Robot". That "robot" is merely a mechanical machine that can talk and spout off random facts and answer simple questions. However, when faced with the notion that it, it not unique but a part of a group known as robots, the machine breaks down. This is the only sign that there could be potential problems for robots. These ideas are explored more in the rest of Asimov's works in "I, Robot".


Thoughts
This is a story that I really enjoy because as a woman it reminds me of when I was a little girl and really attached to my things. I never had a robot, but I did have hamsters and I was so sad every time one died I got a new one to try to replace it. For anyone that has something they love taken away from them suddenly, you can relate to that feeling of sadness that Gloria has. In this case, the story does have happy ending, which is something I like to see in science fiction stories.

The ending was a bit of a surprise and it was nice that the father arranged for a reunion between Gloria and Robbie. I really like that the father doesn't judge Gloria's relationship with Robbie and he just wants his little girl to be happy. Again that appeals to the little girl in me that loves her dad. I also like the settings in the story. First being the country house, then in New York we get the museum and the robot factory. This is a story that moves and travels and in doing so makes it feel real.

The other thing I like is the idea of robots in existence in what feels like a story set in the 1950's. The story states that Robbie is a robot who was built for and sole purpose is to be a companion for a child. At the factory, there is mention that robots can be used as labor workers. So there are many different types of robots that exist in this world. I have not read the "I, Robot" series but if it delves deeper into this world and setting with the laws of robotics, I think I would really enjoy those stories.

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