All Summer in a Day
Children on Venus lock away the one who remembers the sun.
Last updated
"All Summer in a Day" is a science fiction short story by American writer Ray Bradbury, first published in March 1954 in The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction. It is notable for its depiction of a Venus where constant rain allows only one hour of sunlight every seven years.
Plot
The story follows a class of nine-year-old students on Venus, a world of constant rainstorms where the sun appears for only one hour every seven years. Margot, who moved from Earth five years earlier, is the only child who remembers the sun, describing it as a "penny" or "fire in the stove." The other children, who have never seen it, do not believe her. Before the sun emerges, a boy named William rallies the others to lock Margot in a closet down a tunnel.
Their teacher then leads the class outside to enjoy the hour of sunshine; in their excitement, they forget Margot. When the rain returns, the children weep, realizing they will not see the sun for another seven years. One child remembers Margot, and they let her out, ashamed now that they understand what she had missed.
Adaptations
A 1982 episode of the PBS series WonderWorks adapted the story into a 30-minute television film. In this version, the sun only shines once every nine years.
The ending was extended, showing the guilty children giving Margot flowers they had gathered during the brief sunshine. The cinematographer was Robert Elswit, who later won an Academy Award. The cast featured Reesa Mallen as Margot, Keith Coogan as William, Jerry Marshak as Michael, Tammy Simpson as Paula, Bridget Meade as Lisa, and Edith Fields as Mrs. Callaghan.
More in Short Stories Set on Venus
Sources
Compiled from Wikipedia and the sources listed below. Text from Wikipedia is available under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is adapted from it.
- Wikipedia: All Summer in a Day (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Spotted an error? Know more?
Reader corrections go straight into our review queue. Suggest an edit · How this site is sourced