Bradbury, Ray. "A Sound of Thunder"
Divergence: c 70,000,000 BCE
Summary: Accidentally stepping on a butterfly while on a T. rex hunt has its repercussions.
Series note: Sequels are Stephen Leigh's Ray Bradbury's Dinosaur World series.
Comments: Classic science fiction about the effect of a minor incident changing history, but not
really allohistorical since the only effect shown is not historical (e.g., it is likely in
our future). Basis for the (bad) movie of the same name released in 2005.
Published: In Golden Apples of the Sun, Doubleday 1953; Aspects of Science Fiction (ed.
Geoffrey Donald Doherty), Billings 1959, 1970 (0719522153), J. Murray 1963; R is for
Rocket, Doubleday 1962 and Bantam 1965 (055307988?); Science Fiction for People Who
Hate Science Fiction (ed. Terry Carr), Doubleday 1966; Science Fiction Through the Ages
2 (ed. I.O. Evans), Panther 1966; The Stars and Under (ed. Edmund Crispin), Faber
1968; Eco-Fiction (ed. John Stadler), Washington Square 1971 (0671478451); Science
Fiction (eds. Sylvia Z. Brodkin and Elizabeth J. Pearson), McDougal, Littell 1973 and
Lothrop, Lee 1975 (068841723X); Transformation (ed. unknown), Fawcett 1973;
Science Fact/Fiction (eds. Edmund J. Farrell, Thomas E. Gage, John Pfordresher, and
Raymond J. Rodrigues), Scott, Foresman 1974; Ray Bradbury (ed. Anthony Adams), Harrap
1975 (024552746X); Masterpieces of Science Fiction (eds. Thomas Durwood and Armand
Eisen), Ariel/Ballantine 1978 (0354276205); Tales Out of Time (ed. Barbara Ireson),
Faber 1979 and Philomel 1981 (0399207864); The Stories of Ray Bradbury, Knopf 1980
(0394513355); Wide-Angle Lens: Stories of Time and Space (ed. Phyllis R. Fenner),
Morrow 1980 (0688222412, 0688322417); Behold the Mighty Dinosaur (ed. David Jablonski),
Elsevier/Nelson 1981 (0525667040); Caught in the Organ Draft: Biology in Science
Fiction (eds. Isaac Asimov, Martin H. Greenberg and Charles G. Waugh), Farrar, Straus
& Giroux 1983 (0374312281); Isaac Asimov Presents the Great SF Stories: 14 (1952)
(eds. Isaac Asimov and Martin H. Greenberg), DAW 1986 (0886771064); Classic Stories 1:
The Golden Apples of the Sun / R is for Rocket, Bantam/Spectra 1990 (0553286374BUY),
v.t. A Sound of Thunder and Other Stories, HarperCollins 2005 (0060785691BUY);
Science Fiction Stories (ed. Andrew Goodwyn), Oxford University 1991; A Sound of
Thunder (ed. Ian Mills), Addison-Wesley, 1993 (0201602172); Ray Bradbury Presents
Dinosaur Planet (by Stephen Leigh), Avon/AvoNova 1993 (0380762781BUY) Tales in Time
(ed. Peter Crowther), White Wolf 1997 ; The Golden Apples of the Sun and Other Stories,
Avon 1997; and Dinosaur Tales, ibooks 2003 (0743458974BUY).
Original in: English.
Translation: French as "Un coup de tonnerre", in Les pommes d'or au soleil, Denoël 1953.
Translation: German by Margarete Bormann as "Ferner Donner", in Geh' nicht zu Fuß durch
stille Straßen (ed. unknown), Marion von Schröder 1970, Heyne 1972, 1980
(3453301692). V.t, "Ein Donnerkrachen", in Die goldenen Äpfel der Sonne, Diogenes
detebe 1970, 1981 (3257208642).
Translation: German by Andrea Kamphuis and Fredy Köpsell as "Ein Donnerschlag", in
Sauriergeschichten (ed. unknown), Bastei-Lübbe 1985 (3404281365), 1993 (3404135385).
Translation: Italian by Roberta Rambelli as "Rumore di tuono", in Le auree mele del sole, La
Tribuna 1964; and Delitti senza tempo (ed. Stefano Benvenuti), Mondadori 1978.
Translation: Italian by Laura Grimaldi as "Rumore di tuono", in 34 Racconti, Mondadori 1984
(8804253245); 33 Fantastiche vacanze (ed. Marzio Tosello), Mondadori 1989 (8804324538);
and Il grande mondo laggiù. 34 Racconti, Mondadori 1997 (8804426535).
Translation: Italian by Stefano Negrini as "Rombo di tuono" in Nove vite (eds. Isaac Asimov,
Charles G. Waugh and Martin H. Greenberg), Riuniti 1985 (8835928907).
Translation: Italian by Giampaolo Cossato and Sandro Sandrelli as "Un rumore di tuono", in Le
grandi storie della fantascienza 14 (eds. Isaac Asimov and Martin H. Greenberg), SIAD
1986 (8844301350), Bompiani 1996 (8845227170).
Translation: Italian by Lidia Perria as "Un rombo di tuono", in Dinosauri (ed. unknown),
Interno Giallo 1991 (8835600529).
Translation: Portuguese by Edgar Costa Moreira as "O Reboar do Trovão", in Ficçao
Científica para Quem Não Gosta de Ficçao Científica (ed.
Terry Carr), O Cruzeiro 1969.
Translation: Portuguese by Paula Reis as "O Som de Trovão", in As Maçãs
Douradas do Sol, Caminho 1989 (9722104071).
Uchronia is copyright © 1991-2024 Robert B. Schmunk