Quote:
Originally Posted by bfisher
The atomic-powered personal aircars are still not there. However, From the radio era on, haven't we been retreating into smaller and smaller community units? I know quite a few people who live in suburban houses by themselves. If boomers haven't physically jettisoned the city completely, they certainly have left it mentally in many cases.
The stories really are classic mid-20th-century. The aircars are right out of Popular Mechanics, likewise the robots. What I find odd is that TV doesn't seem to appear in the early story - just radio.
I have to question Simak's science - it's more like fantasy. Although DNA hadn't been scientifically established, Simak's biology seems to be out of Cuvier.
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That's how I felt when I read it too, people retreating into homes, they don't have to go out much if they chose not too. One of the more revealing points was at the end of the second tale. In Webster's reluctance to leave, he left the decision making open to someone else, and that surprised him.
I also think it reads more like fantasy, especially going in to the third tale.