“The Pedestrian” is a short story written in 1951 by American author Ray Bradbury that truly embodies the science fiction genre with its futuristic setting and thought-provoking exploration of the exploitation of technology. I think “The Pedestrian” is a very effective example of the science fiction genre because of how Bradbury’s storytelling and societal critiques create a compelling narrative that has become a timeless and impactful story that perfectly fits into the genre. The story follows Leonard Mead, a writer in 2053, on a walk in the city at night, but unlike the usual, bustling environment we would be used to in cities today, every person is inside glued to their TV, except Leonard who is completely alone in silence until he gets …show more content…
In the story, Leonard is stopped by a police car with a voice described as “metallic”. This makes us think about the possibility of a robot, drone, or artificially intelligent car, helping to push forward the futuristic setting and creating a sense of a dystopian society perfectly fitting into the science fiction genre. And, later on in the text, Bradbury confirms these suspicions when Leonard enters the car to find no driver. It is also mentioned as being the only police vehicle in the city because the crime rate was so low that there was no need for a force of any more than the singular car. Compared to our world today, where Police Scotland have over 3,600 police vehicles in their fleet, this is extremely odd and suggests the possibility of an oppressive government in which people are brainwashed into complacency. I think that the car represents the authoritarian control and surveillance imposed on the city. Emphasising the restrictions on individuality and conformity, this alienates Leonard by highlighting the isolation and scrutiny he faced for doing something as simple as taking a