The Creatures That Time Forgot

by Ray Bradbury

FROM PLANET Mad! impossible world! Sun-blasted by day, cold-wracked by night--and life condensed by radiation into eight days! Sim eyed the Ship--if he only dared reach it and escape! ... but it was more than half an hour distant--perhaps the limit of life itself! From the author of Fahrenheit 451, The Martian Chronicles and The Illustrated Man. Originally published in the Fall 1946 issue of Planet Stories. It was later reprinted under the title Frost and Fire.

Genres: Science Fiction, Short Stories, Fiction, Classics, Audiobook, Science Fiction Fantasy, Fantasy

Nook

First published March 11, 1946

About the author

Ray Douglas Bradbury was an American author and screenwriter. One of the most celebrated 20th-century American writers, he worked in a variety of genres, including fantasy, science fiction, horror, mystery, and realistic fiction.

Bradbury is best known for his novel Fahrenheit 451 (1953) and his short-story collections The Martian Chronicles (1950), The Illustrated Man (1951), and The October Country (1955). Other notable works include the coming of age novel Dandelion Wine (1957), the dark fantasy Something Wicked This Way Comes (1962) and the fictionalized memoir Green Shadows, White Whale (1992). He also wrote and consulted on screenplays and television scripts, including Moby Dick and It Came from Outer Space. Many of his works were adapted into television and film productions as well as comic books. Bradbury also wrote poetry which has been published in several collections, such as They Have Not Seen the Stars (2001).

The New York Times called Bradbury "An author whose fanciful imagination, poetic prose, and mature understanding of human character have won him an international reputation" and "the writer most responsible for bringing modern science fiction into the literary mainstream".

Reviews

[Adam · Rating 3 out of 5]

A group of human ancestors have been stranded on a deadly planet. Due to the inhospitable environment their metabolism is in overdrive which means the lifespan is reduced to 8 days. That means most of your life is just eating and dying, not much different than what I’m doing! Every minute is valuable, and much thought is focused on living a meaningful life and how transient life is. Eventually Sim, the protagonist, bravely ventures to a ship on the horizon and cures aging with science!

There’s a metaphor in here, I know it. If I just had more time to figure it out...

[David DiDonato · Rating 5 out of 5]

A short but deeply thought-provoking story. Written beautifully and with depth and passion. This is not just a compelling narrative of life on another planet, but an introspection into the human experience and what drives us, divides us, and the purpose of life - whether on earth over 80 years or some distant planet over 8 days. Exceptional from start to finish.

[Katrina · Rating 4 out of 5]

A thought provoking short story about how we use the time we have.
Serial Reader

[Roderick Vonhogen · Rating 4 out of 5]

"The Creatures That Time Forgot" by Ray Bradbury is set on a planet where time flies by incredibly fast, so much so that people are born, age, and die within a single day. It’s a thought-provoking metaphor for how fleeting life is and the unstoppable march of time.

Bradbury uses this unique premisse to dig into themes like survival, adaptation, and how temporary our achievements really are. It’s a reminder that no matter how hard we try, we're always at the mercy of time. The tale nudges us to appreciate each moment and find meaning in our brief existence.

Surprisingly deep layers for what looks like an ordinary science fiction story.

[Isaac LeCompte · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very quick listen. Kinda strange kinda good as all of his books are.

[Nisha D · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was a weird short story, I didn't hate it but I certainly wouldn't recommend it.

[Zanahoria · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love when sci-fi is really about being human. The sense of life slipping out, and the daunting idea of work that would take generations, is very well painted.

[Forked Radish · Rating 5 out of 5]

Like modern art which is puerile, idiotic, rubbish; but brilliant in its puerility, idiocy, and rubbishness; Bradbury cooks up a world so stupid, so absurd, so incredibly moronic that it parallels this world uncannily. A little known sci-fi classic piece of trashcan genius. The only flaw: why would any female stick with one male when there were an abundance of males? Females only stick with one male when there’s a paucity of males. What goes for fruit flies…

[Judith Huang · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting premise, but a super weak love interest female character kind of ruined it for me.

[Ivy Nowosad · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a beautiful thought experiment about time and the limits of a human lifetime. An allegory, that asks “What would you do if your entire life was only 8 days long? What would you prioritize to accomplish and what would you consider a waste of your precious time?”

Our life and awareness condensed into the brief lifespan of an insect, shortened due to the harsh environment of the planet their fore-bearers landed on. I felt as though I were peering through a keyhole, spying on Sim, witnessing his nearness to death from day one. Seeing the death of his parents within a couple days of his birth, a few days later encountering Light, the love of his life. Discovering the point of the war and following his mission to reach the ship that might extend life.

It struck me how our lives actually do seem this short in hindsight, especially in old age looking back on things. And Sim risks a lot attempting to discover ways to extend human life. I wonder if this story, or some of Bradbury’s other writing, may have influenced Lois Lowry in The Giver.

This is a short novella, easy to read in an afternoon and well worth your previous time!

[Kumari de Silva · Rating 2 out of 5]

I like Bradbury in general but I didn't really like this book. It had too many plot holes that I can't go into without spoilers. Much of the story, too much in my opinion, exists as internal monologue which in itself isn't terrible but in specific is way too repetitive in this book. There's also very little tension, our main character has a goal: to get to the space ship. How does he know about the spaceship? How does anyone know about the spaceship?

Ultimately I think the story is supposed to be some sort of analogy. Bradbury must have decided life is so short, it's stupid we're spending so much of it invested in wars. I get that. So he shortens the life span of a human down to 8 days so he can make an impression on people. But the premise is not tenable. If it's really only 8 days how does anyone have more than one kid? What about clothing? Who is making it? Or pencils? Where do they get it? Math? Why do they know any?

I guess part of the mystery lies in the spaceship. They probably originated from there and that may explain everything. But it isn't well explained.

[Steve Chisnell · Rating 4 out of 5]

A short parable on our life time, what we value and do not, what we choose to be meaningful, and what counts in the end.

The premise is fantastic enough: caught in a strange planet's atmosphere, planetary colonists have regressively shifted to living their entire lifetimes in little more than five days. In that time they grow, love, work, war, and die. But a lone spaceship, impossibly far away, offers a chance to extend that life.

With only a few days to live, what possible work might seem important enough to study and continue? What border or personal battles merit our passions? And what relationships might we ever hope to "sustain"? Indeed, Bradbury raises these and other questions, and along the way poses them to us, who live only a mere dozens of years.

What is a life lived satisfied? What risks are worth taking? What role does regret have?

The work is short, a mere novella, but the ever-lyrical Bradbury takes what might otherwise be a pulp fantasy and turns it to a challenge of philosophy.

[Royce Ratterman · Rating 4 out of 5]

The opening header of this swift read of author Ray Bradbury echoes the world of 2021 & 2022... and onward; onward into nuclear winter the current world wonders: "Mad, impossible world! Sun-blasted by day, cold-wracked by night—and life condensed by radiation into eight days!" We see our characters dwelling in a cave on an unbearable planet. What planet could this be? Will anyone survive the scorching sun and chilling cold and freezing ice? "Flowers were burnt into effigies, grasses sucked back into rocks like singed snakes, flower seeds whirled and fell in the sudden furnace blast of wind, sown far into gullies and crannies, ready to blossom at sunset tonight, and then go to seed and die again... Now, hurry—the sun's coming! They ran back to the caves." "Where were these hated Scientists?" I am sure they are in the same position as today.

[Sean Harding · Rating 3 out of 5]

The most fascinating part of this is not the book itself but more of that in a moment.
This will bed destined to be the book that time forgot for me, as I daresay in a little while it will leak out of my memory and down the drain in the pile of books long forgotten.
a very average read.
As for the fascination, this was in Serial reader and it was not long, but according to this it is 240 pages long which goes to show you can quickly add lots of pages to your reading title if you look for the edition that you want to assist you in that endeavour!

[Goo]

Read the translated version on Zhihu as an answer provided for “amazing concept in fiction”. Loved it very much. Can't believe I bumped into it again after all these time.

[A note about the other short stories read this session:

The lottery by Shirley Jackson
Very relaxed pacing for a horror story. Paced well between actions.


The Drone King by Kurt Vonnegut
Adorable humor throughout.


The above two are epitome of craft in spite of rather dated ideas.

[Thikrayat Al-aradi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting read, it resonated with me as I have been rushing through life trying to do everything all at once and not being able to rest or take things easy, I don't want to elaborate further but I enjoyed this book

[Máňa Diblíčková · Rating 5 out of 5]

I always thought 451° Fahrenheit was my favourite book. This might just take it's place... I'll have to give it a couple more reads before deciding though.
It's absolutely phenomenal - if you're thinking about reading, stop now, grab it and enjoy. And enjoy you will 😍

[Mack · Rating 5 out of 5]

People escape the fast cycling of life, by findingscience

[Gr1972 · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 out of 5

[Eric Durso · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun.

[Lee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Take a shot whenever you read/hear “queer.” I know it’s the parlance of the time, but it’s still used far too often for an experienced writer like Bradbury to rely on so much.

[Kevin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bradbury’s short novella about life and the broader telos of mankind.

[Isirla · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this story!! This is actually my second reread of the story.

[Eribunnie⚓️ · Rating 4 out of 5]

More like a 3.5 🌟

[Mark Rabideau · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a most intriguing and interesting novella. I enjoyed it immensely. A very good read.

[Chanpheng · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bradbury created an interesting world, dark night and burning daylight, with creatures with 7 day long life span.

[Meghan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a wild story of action and adventure that blended science fiction and the human experience. The landscape Bradbury portrays is brutal, but it highlights the things that mean most to us as people, even if it takes place on another planet where the average life span is 8 days and the world's conditions mean death. Sim desires life and hopes for happiness, making him unique among his people.

[Chad · Rating 4 out of 5]

On a planet where the people only live 8 days, one man decides to change his fate. He sets off to reach a ship on a distant mountain, but with half his life gone, he has little time left to complete his quest.

This short story explores the life of a man summarized over the course of 8 days. Beyond that, it is an interesting look at the spirit of man and how easily some squander their lives. This was a short story that was a quick read, but likely won't appeal to every reader.

[Alex Memus · Rating 3 out of 5]

Концепт у Брэдбери прикольный, но как обычно ему фантастика не интересна, поэтому он всё сводит к своей любимой экзистенциальной метафоре про скоротечность жизни. Получается немного вайб: "I'm 14 and this is deep". Но мифологическая составляющая несмотря на это работает отлично и вызывает ворох сильных эмоций всего за 30 с небольшим страниц.

[Chandler · Rating 5 out of 5]

How awful to only live 8 days. Wow. I mean a person on earth can live for 100+ years if they strive to but these people can only live for 8 days… unless! Unless you go to the ship heh heh heh. It's a MUST read!