Dear Bradbury Board Members, I am trying to remember the name and author of a short story that I read a while back in my high school days. The setting, as I remember, involves a group of people eating lunch at a restaurant. Next, some of the group have just been to the bank, and find that the bank has made an error of large deposits to each of their accounts. Then, the discussion goes on about machines possibly taking over the world. As the discussion continues, the lights start to dim. This could possibly be Heinlien, Asimov, or Clarke, but I may be wrong. Any help would be much appreciated.
Doug, It was my High School English Teachers that introduced us to Bradbury, Huxley, Heinlein, and Clarke. I'm sure it was one of these authors. Thanks for trying!
In high school we used to read short stories and parts of books. Thus, this could have been one chapter of a novel. As I further recall, the lunch gathering included men who had just come from the bank with their passbooks. Passbooks were a fancy name for what we now call a receipt . (This was before the time of the ATM.)They were all happy that their account balances went way up, a bank error in their favor. As the conversation continues, one man speaks of the theory that maybe one day machines will become smarter than man, and will take over the world, electronically. You can probably guess what happens next.
P.S. Phil, Great truthdig.com Bradbury video on your web site. The Terminator owes Ray big time! Today is the first Sunday that the LA Times has no individual book section, which Ray comments on in the vid clips. Tink,
They never actually give the name of the bank, but it wasn't Indymac!This message has been edited. Last edited by: greenray,
Originally posted by greenray: ...Thus, this could have been one chapter of a novel...
greenray, I have an ebook version of Childhood's End, so in light of the above I did a search for occurrences of the word "bank" in the hope it might identify the scene you describe. Alas, no such scene. (Only a few occurrences of the word "bank", but none in a scene remotely similar to what you described.)
I have to say that the scene feels vaguely familiar, as if I may have read the story in question. But I don't think Childhood's End can be it.
Originally posted by Braling II: A summer shooting party, eh?
Aye! The 'Glorious Twelfth' today, though not for the grouse I fear.
Trust Mrs Braling remembers the PG Tips. She can buy them loose in Tesco, or a large box of teabags is on special offer at £1.34 off AND she get points!
Posts: 396 | Location: Never Never Land, UK | Registered: 16 September 2006
Mrs B is in Manchester as we speak! She'll be bringing back loads of PG, and probably malt loaf, Battenberg Cakes, and maybe even Lancashire cheese, but I don't think she'll risk smuggling that wonderful bacon. Tea for sure, though. She must have it.
Posts: 3167 | Location: Box in Braling I's cellar | Registered: 02 July 2004
