Super-Toys Last All Summer Long
Super-Toys Last All Summer Long
“Super-Toys Last All Summer Long” is a short story published in Harpers Bazar in 1969 by science fiction author Brian Aldiss. What is interesting in this story, is the fact that many different issues are shown, such as the emotional gap between family members in an overpopulated society. When the story was written, it was meant to be a look into a self created future by Brian Aldiss which is why the genre is science fiction. The meaning of science fiction is to criticize society through an imaginary world. In that way, it is not a direct criticism, but more like a hypothetical way for the author to express his opinions.
The story is told from the narrator’s point of view and it contains a changing location between Henry Swinton, who is the father of the family, making a speech in front of his company, Synthank, and the family’s home where the mother, Monica Swindon, stays. At the beginning, we get the impression that David Swinton is the son of the two parents, but later we are told differently.
The reader senses some kind of tense atmosphere between David and Monica as if they are not able to communicate properly with each other; as if something in their mutual understanding has broken down. David does not want to communicate with Monica, and therefore he leaves the garden and goes into the house. In his nursery, he activates Teddy, who is apparently a robot that is able to execute human qualities, and talks to him. They discuss whether David can tell his “mother” that he loves her.
Meanwhile, as I said before, Henry Swinton, makes a speech where he tells the audience about the development in creating robots that can look after and take care of human tasks. Theycannot help being impressed by the many visions that Henry manifests. However, everything is not perfect at home where Monica finds a large number of letters that David has written. None of them is finished, but that does not prevent Monica from knowing what the
“Super-Toys Last All Summer Long” is a short story published in Harpers Bazar in 1969 by science fiction author Brian Aldiss. What is interesting in this story, is the fact that many different issues are shown, such as the emotional gap between family members in an overpopulated society. When the story was written, it was meant to be a look into a self created future by Brian Aldiss which is why the genre is science fiction. The meaning of science fiction is to criticize society through an imaginary world. In that way, it is not a direct criticism, but more like a hypothetical way for the author to express his opinions.
The story is told from the narrator’s point of view and it contains a changing location between Henry Swinton, who is the father of the family, making a speech in front of his company, Synthank, and the family’s home where the mother, Monica Swindon, stays. At the beginning, we get the impression that David Swinton is the son of the two parents, but later we are told differently.
The reader senses some kind of tense atmosphere between David and Monica as if they are not able to communicate properly with each other; as if something in their mutual understanding has broken down. David does not want to communicate with Monica, and therefore he leaves the garden and goes into the house. In his nursery, he activates Teddy, who is apparently a robot that is able to execute human qualities, and talks to him. They discuss whether David can tell his “mother” that he loves her.
Meanwhile, as I said before, Henry Swinton, makes a speech where he tells the audience about the development in creating robots that can look after and take care of human tasks. Theycannot help being impressed by the many visions that Henry manifests. However, everything is not perfect at home where Monica finds a large number of letters that David has written. None of them is finished, but that does not prevent Monica from knowing what the