The story begins by describing a room and a man sitting in it. Another man comes in to question him. The narrative is not presented from the point of view of either character. It is entirely objective, as if recorded by a TV camera.
The questioner, at one point, says:
"'Venus is no place for the rugged individualist, Hollister. Men have to work together, and be very tolerant of each other, if they are to survive at all." (I, p. 162)
I could get with that if it means cooperation. We rightly suspect that it means dictatorship.
Without a break in the text, we are given a description of the underground city, New America. See On Venus. Unusually, this installment of a future history series gives us a very precise date, 2051, ninety seven years after the story was published but only thirty one years from now.
After that:
"Hollister didn't enjoy his meal." (1, p. 164)
At last, a point of view. As far as I remember from previous readings, we stay with Hollister till the end on p. 225.
1 comment:
Kaor, Paul!
If my memory is correct, I did not much care for "The Big Rain" the first I read it, because I thought the story was slow and heavy reading. However, I thought better of "Rain" the second time I read it.
Btw, both the cover illustration for ASTOUNDING in October 1954, and the publication credits page for THE COMPLETE PSYCHOTECNIC LEAGUE (Vol. I) dates that story to 1954. Which makes 2051 (not 2150) 31 years from now.
Ad astra! Sean
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