Critcal Essay

 English 9a U4 L10

 22 November 2014

      Everyone in life faces challenges, everyone knows in order to accomplish anything we face

 challenges and move on.

      Today's world is an every changing world, the computer you got for Christmas last year will be no

match for the ones coming out on black Friday this year. Technology is changing on a daily bases. I am

going to compare two stories that use the role of technology, (science) and how this technology is

 affecting everyone.” The Sound of Thunder” by Ray Bradbury is about a skilled hunter who wants to

 travel back in time to kill a T-Rex. “Nethergrave”, by Gloria Skurzynski is about a boy who can't find

satisfaction in the real world around him; he uses his computer to become someone he is not. Based on

 the use of technology, the differences in the setting and theme of the stories, The Sound of Thunder is a

 better science fiction short story.

     The Sound of Thunder and Nethergrave are both short stores about using technology to change

 people's lives. When The Sound of Thunder starts, technology starts with a time machine. The story is

 about using a time machine.”...1999! 1997! Gone! The machine roared...” (page. 289). Bradbury helps

 you visualize this be telling us the year 2055, and letting us read about the Time Safari sign. This lets

 you know the people are in a time machine. The characters will be traveling back in time to shot a T

-Rex, with harsh consequences if rules are not followed to the T.  While reading The Sound of Thunder

 you will get the feeling that something is going to go wrong, by the way the Safari team talked in

 detail about everything in the past. Usually when that much talking happens, something goes wrong. In

 contrast,Nethergrave uses a boy that hates the life he is living, so he invents one to please himself and

 all his online friends. Skurzynski talked about bullying, Jeremy's father was never in his life, so his

 father just gave him a new computer for his birthday yearly. “Two techno brains would carry in a

 brand new computer....”(Skurzynski pg.316). What the boy lacked from his father figure he gained

 with his new computers. The way that Skurzynski uses technology is less effective because jumping

into a computer screen is less realistic than being able to feel the movement and sound of a time

 machine. Overall, both stories used technology, Bradbury's use of sensory technology helps the reader

to identify with what the technology is about in the story,consequences.

     The development of the setting in The Sound of Thunder puts the reader right in the story, helping

us to feel and  vividly see all the author is trying to imply to us. In the Sound of Thunder, Bradbury

 throughout the story teaches us the importance of our environment around us. He describes in detail

the surrounding. “It came on great oiled, resilient, striding legs. It towered thirty feet above half the

trees; a great evil God,folding its great watch maker claws close to its oily reptilian chest”.(Bradbury

 pg.294) “Birds cries blew on wind and the smell of tar and old sea salt, moist grasses and flowers the

color of blood”.(Bradbury pg.291) As the examples explain, Bradbury gave great illustrates to our five

 senses.

     Conversely, Skurzynski in Nethergrave, does not use the five senses to put you right in the story.

“When he clicked on his own line name, Xtermin8r, the screen split and went into chat mode so he and

 all other on-liners could see each other.” (Skurzynski pg.317) Skurzynski does not develop the story

 with senses so the story is not as entertaining. In general, Bradbury's story keeps you on the edge of

 your seat, wanting to read on to see what happens, while Skurzynski story just puts you to sleep.