The Fielder Talks

Join us for a unique event combining science fiction, history, technology, and the Fielder House! In 1950, renowned science fiction author Ray Bradbury wrote “There Will Come Soft Rains,” a standalone short story he included in his novel The Martin Chronicles. The story takes place on August 4, 2026, and narrates a day in the life of an unoccupied, highly automated smart home operating intact in a California city that has been obliterated by a nuclear bomb. The title of the story was taken from Sara Teasdale’s anti-war poem originally published in 1918 during the Great War. In addition to listening to the story, we will examine the Cold War context in which it was written; how Bradbury’s August 4, 2026, matches today’s technological reality; and, through an examination of the Fielder House, how our homes leave a mark of who we are. Presented by Arlington Historical Society Board Member Scott Murphey.