The Toynbee Convector
Encyclopedia
"The Toynbee Convector" is a science fiction
short story
by Ray Bradbury
. First published in Playboy
magazine in 1984, the story was subsequently featured in a 1988 short story collection also titled The Toynbee Convector
.
(which he privately refers to as his Toynbee Convector, although he does not reveal the name of the device to anyone until much later) which he used to travel forwards in time about a hundred years. Now, after returning to the present, he shows evidence - films and other records collected on his journey - showing that man has developed an advanced civilization with many marvellous and helpful inventions, and a restored natural environment. He also claims to have then destroyed the machine deliberately to prevent anyone else doing the same.
Initially, the people of the past are skeptical of the Traveller's claims, but they are unable to explain or disprove the authenticity of the records brought from the future. Inspired by the prospect of a utopian future, many people begin projects to fulfill the vision and create the world the Traveller claims to have seen.
A hundred years later, the perfect world of Stiles' visions has come to pass, just as he saw in his time travel. As a now aged Stiles recounts the story to a visiting reporter — the first interview he has granted since soon after his return from the future — Stiles calmly reveals what really happened, simply stating, "I lied." Since he knew the people of the world had it in them to create a utopia, he created the illusion of one, to give humanity a goal, and hope. Because of people's belief in the illusion, the imagined utopian future became reality. After explaining his actions to the reporter, Roger Shumway, Stiles dies. As a pyrotechnic display appears overhead — the supposed past version of Stiles arriving via his time machine — Shumway resolves to travel to the future himself and carry on Stiles' legacy. Although Stiles wanted Shumway to tell people the truth so that they would know they had saved themselves, the reporter decides to maintain the illusion and not expose the secret, and destroys the evidence which Stiles had left for him to reveal.
, who proposed that civilisation must have a challenge to respond to in order to flourish.
It is unknown what, if any, relation these have to the Toynbee tiles
found in the streets of several major cities.
starring James Whitmore
(as Stiles) and Michael Hurst
(as Roger Shumway). It was first broadcast in 1990.
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
short story
Short story
A short story is a work of fiction that is usually written in prose, often in narrative format. This format tends to be more pointed than longer works of fiction, such as novellas and novels. Short story definitions based on length differ somewhat, even among professional writers, in part because...
by Ray Bradbury
Ray Bradbury
Ray Douglas Bradbury is an American fantasy, horror, science fiction, and mystery writer. Best known for his dystopian novel Fahrenheit 451 and for the science fiction stories gathered together as The Martian Chronicles and The Illustrated Man , Bradbury is one of the most celebrated among 20th...
. First published in Playboy
Playboy
Playboy is an American men's magazine that features photographs of nude women as well as journalism and fiction. It was founded in Chicago in 1953 by Hugh Hefner and his associates, and funded in part by a $1,000 loan from Hefner's mother. The magazine has grown into Playboy Enterprises, Inc., with...
magazine in 1984, the story was subsequently featured in a 1988 short story collection also titled The Toynbee Convector
The Toynbee Convector (collection)
The Toynbee Convector is a short story collection by Ray Bradbury. Several of the stories are original to this collection. Others originally appeared in the magazines Playboy, Omni, Gallery, Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine, Woman's Day, and Weird Tales.-Contents:* "The Toynbee Convector"*...
.
Plot summary
The protagonist is Craig Bennett Stiles, also referred to as the Time Traveller, a man from an economically and creatively stagnant society (about 1984). Stiles claims to have invented a time machineTime travel
Time travel is the concept of moving between different points in time in a manner analogous to moving between different points in space. Time travel could hypothetically involve moving backward in time to a moment earlier than the starting point, or forward to the future of that point without the...
(which he privately refers to as his Toynbee Convector, although he does not reveal the name of the device to anyone until much later) which he used to travel forwards in time about a hundred years. Now, after returning to the present, he shows evidence - films and other records collected on his journey - showing that man has developed an advanced civilization with many marvellous and helpful inventions, and a restored natural environment. He also claims to have then destroyed the machine deliberately to prevent anyone else doing the same.
Initially, the people of the past are skeptical of the Traveller's claims, but they are unable to explain or disprove the authenticity of the records brought from the future. Inspired by the prospect of a utopian future, many people begin projects to fulfill the vision and create the world the Traveller claims to have seen.
A hundred years later, the perfect world of Stiles' visions has come to pass, just as he saw in his time travel. As a now aged Stiles recounts the story to a visiting reporter — the first interview he has granted since soon after his return from the future — Stiles calmly reveals what really happened, simply stating, "I lied." Since he knew the people of the world had it in them to create a utopia, he created the illusion of one, to give humanity a goal, and hope. Because of people's belief in the illusion, the imagined utopian future became reality. After explaining his actions to the reporter, Roger Shumway, Stiles dies. As a pyrotechnic display appears overhead — the supposed past version of Stiles arriving via his time machine — Shumway resolves to travel to the future himself and carry on Stiles' legacy. Although Stiles wanted Shumway to tell people the truth so that they would know they had saved themselves, the reporter decides to maintain the illusion and not expose the secret, and destroys the evidence which Stiles had left for him to reveal.
Origin of Title
Within the story, it is said that the protagonist chose the name "Toynbee Convector" for his machine, being inspired by "a historian named Toynbee." Bradbury likely references Arnold J. ToynbeeArnold J. Toynbee
Arnold Joseph Toynbee CH was a British historian whose twelve-volume analysis of the rise and fall of civilizations, A Study of History, 1934–1961, was a synthesis of world history, a metahistory based on universal rhythms of rise, flowering and decline, which examined history from a global...
, who proposed that civilisation must have a challenge to respond to in order to flourish.
It is unknown what, if any, relation these have to the Toynbee tiles
Toynbee tiles
The Toynbee tiles are messages of mysterious origin found embedded in asphalt of streets in about two dozen major cities in the United States and four South American capitals. Since the 1980s, several hundred tiles have been discovered. They are generally about the size of an American license...
found in the streets of several major cities.
Adaptations
The story was made into an episode of The Ray Bradbury TheaterThe Ray Bradbury Theater
The Ray Bradbury Theater is an anthology series that ran for two seasons on HBO, three episodes per season from 1985 to 1986, and four additional seasons on USA Network from 1988 to 1992. It was later shown in reruns on the Sci Fi Channel...
starring James Whitmore
James Whitmore
James Allen Whitmore, Jr. was an American film and stage actor.-Early life:Born in White Plains, New York, to Florence Belle and James Allen Whitmore, Sr., a park commission official, Whitmore attended Amherst Central High School in Snyder, New York, before graduating from The Choate School in...
(as Stiles) and Michael Hurst
Michael Hurst
Michael Eric Hurst, ONZM is a New Zealand actor, director and writer, mostly on stage and television. He is probably best known internationally for playing Iolaus in the television programs Hercules: The Legendary Journeys and companion series Xena: Warrior Princess...
(as Roger Shumway). It was first broadcast in 1990.