Ray Bradbury, USA (1920 - )
Summary in English
"The Sound of Thunder" by Ray Bradbury is a scientific fiction that makes a critique on the modern society. It deals with wonderful safari on a time machine through not space but time to enjoy the thrill of hunting the monstrous beast. It can also be discovered as the "Butterfly Effect". Furthermore, the death of an animal, plant or an insect can change the view of the world because they are all part of ecosystem.
The central character of this story is a thrill-speaker, Eckels who sees an advertisement on the office wall. When Eckels enters the Time Safari Inc, he is shown photos of dinosaurs, and promised that they were really taken only yesterday. Eckels and the others in the office express their happiness that Keith has become the president of America. He gets on the Time Machine with other four people. He is strongly advised by Mr. Travis, the guide, not to do what is not allowed.
Eckels could enjoy the thrill of hunting just by paying ten thousand dollars. He pays that amount and the safari begins there are penalties for shooting without permission. Travis demands him a biographical computer card. In fact, Eckels is a hunter who claims to have shot everything in the world. He says frankly that he is bored, that is why he has come to Time Safari Inc.
The guide, Travis makes Eckels choose a weapon. Then, Eckels picks up the biggest. And both of them with other two hunters move towards the time machine landed in the forest of sixty millions two thousand fifty five years back. They arrive in the jungle. Travis explains that they must not leave the path at any time. Eckels is very excited to enjoy the severest thrill of hunting the monstrous lizard like animal called dinosaurs, a giant animal with 30 feet height and huge weight appears in front of the machine. They shoot the giant animal turn by turn. But they become failure to kill it.
Suddenly, a giant tree feel upon the Dinosaurs and it fall on the ground with loud roar. There is the full of blood and huge heap of flesh. The time machine is also full of blood. At the same time, Eckels steps out of the metal path and kicks some dirt of earth. That is the serious mistake committed by Eckels.
The time machine returns to the present. Nothing is same that they have left in the morning. Everything is upset. Keith is not the president of the USA. The biosphere, the politics, the human history, civilization, eco-cycle, i.e. everything is upset.
Mr. Eckels finds out a butterfly dead embedded with mud in his shoes. He regrets and wants to pay millions of dollars as compensation. But he could not mistake the butterfly alive. Similarly, he could not maintain balance in the biosphere. Finally, Eckels is shot and dead by Mr. Travis for his fatal error. So, there is a sound of thunder.
