The Veldt

The Veldt was first published in 1950 and was part of Ray Bradbury's anthology The Illustrated Man (1951). We cannot present the text of the story because it is not in the public domain. We offer this brief summary for your convenience.

The Veldt is a science fiction short story by Ray Bradbury, set in a futuristic home called the Happylife Home, where all household chores and tasks are automated. The story follows George and Lydia Hadley and their two children, Wendy and Peter, who live in this highly advanced house.

Central to the story is the nursery, a virtual reality room that materializes whatever the children imagine. Lately, the nursery has been stuck displaying an African veldt, complete with the sights, sounds, and smells of lions stalking prey. The parents become increasingly disturbed as they realize the nursery’s virtual world reflects the children's dark and violent fantasies.

Lydia persuades George to shut down the automated house and especially the nursery, as they feel technology is replacing their role as parents and alienating their children. The children resist, convincing their parents to let them visit the nursery one last time. However, inside the nursery, the children trap their parents, and the lions they had imagined become dangerously real. The story ends darkly, implying the virtual lions kill the parents, leaving the children free in the house.

The Veldt explores themes of technology overpowering family bonds, the dangers of indulging children’s desires without boundaries, and the unsettling blurring between reality and virtual imagination.