The Smile

English · Science Fiction, Short Stories, Dramatic Readings

“The Smile” is a science-fiction story by Ray Bradbury, set in a future where civilization has been devastated and people gather to destroy remnants of the past. At the center is a boy whose response to a famous work of art sets him apart from the crowd.

Presented as a dramatic radio story, it brings Bradbury’s spare, evocative writing to life through spoken performance and sound. The story unfolds around a public gathering, where the crowd’s anger and the boy’s quiet attention create a tense contrast.

Rather than relying on elaborate science-fiction machinery, “The Smile” focuses on human behavior: what people choose to preserve, and what beauty can mean after catastrophe. Its reflective, unsettling mood gives the story a lasting emotional resonance.

This recording is part of the Old Time Radio collection.