The Curse (Clarke story): Difference between revisions
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'''"The Curse"''' is a short story by [[Arthur C. Clarke]], first published in 1953. |
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"'''The Curse'''" (also called "'''Nightfall'''"<ref>{{cite book |last1=Clarke |first1=Arthur C. |title=The Collected Stories of Arthur C. Clarke |url=https://archive.org/details/collectedstories00clar |url-access=registration |date=2000 |publisher=Tom Doherty Associates |isbn=0-312-87860-5 |page=[https://archive.org/details/collectedstories00clar/page/89 89]}}</ref>) is a [[postapocalyptic]] short story by English writer [[Arthur C. Clarke]], first published in 1946.<ref>[http://www.isfdb.org/cgi-bin/title.cgi?56722 Page at Internet Speculative Fiction Database]</ref> |
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==Plot summary== |
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This story describes, in a sad mood, the "state of a dead small town a few hundred years after a nuclear bomb was dropped on it". From the reference to [[Shakespeare]]'s grave in the last paragraph it can be determined that the small town in question is [[Stratford-upon-Avon]]. |
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The story is set in the immediate aftermath of a global [[nuclear war]] that has wiped out mankind and describes in great detail the devastation it has caused to a small town. In the end, the town is revealed as [[Stratford-upon-Avon]], with the [[epitaph]] on the grave of [[William Shakespeare]] providing both the location and the title of the story. |
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Employing a [[Narrative mode#Third-person, objective|third-person objective narrator]] and a very matter-of-fact style, the story achieves a chilling effect despite completely omitting descriptions of human tragedy and suffering. Instead, it merely shows the bleakness of the completely depopulated ruins of the town and surrounding landscape, interspersed with sparse hints of how its destruction fit into the global events. Concepts like [[mutual assured destruction]], [[nuclear overkill]] and (insufficient) [[missile defence]] systems are also hinted at. |
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==References== |
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{{reflist}} |
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Curse, The}} |
{{DEFAULTSORT:Curse, The}} |
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[[Category:1946 short stories]] |
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[[Category:Post-apocalyptic short stories]] |
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[[Category:Short stories by Arthur C. Clarke]] |
[[Category:Short stories by Arthur C. Clarke]] |
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[[Category:Short stories set in the United Kingdom]] |
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{{1940s-sf-story-stub}} |
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Latest revision as of 00:23, 19 October 2024
 | This article needs additional citations for verification. (October 2024) |
"The Curse" (also called "Nightfall"[1]) is a postapocalyptic short story by English writer Arthur C. Clarke, first published in 1946.[2]
Plot summary
[edit]The story is set in the immediate aftermath of a global nuclear war that has wiped out mankind and describes in great detail the devastation it has caused to a small town. In the end, the town is revealed as Stratford-upon-Avon, with the epitaph on the grave of William Shakespeare providing both the location and the title of the story.
Employing a third-person objective narrator and a very matter-of-fact style, the story achieves a chilling effect despite completely omitting descriptions of human tragedy and suffering. Instead, it merely shows the bleakness of the completely depopulated ruins of the town and surrounding landscape, interspersed with sparse hints of how its destruction fit into the global events. Concepts like mutual assured destruction, nuclear overkill and (insufficient) missile defence systems are also hinted at.
References
[edit]- ^ Clarke, Arthur C. (2000). The Collected Stories of Arthur C. Clarke. Tom Doherty Associates. p. 89. ISBN 0-312-87860-5.
- ^ Page at Internet Speculative Fiction Database
 | This article about a science fiction short story (or stories) published in the 1940s is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |