(Short Story) Review

Ditulis di tahun 1889, seribu tahun sebelum waktu yang menjadi judul cerita pendek oleh Jules Verne (dan anaknya).  Menurutku, karangan ini luar biasa. Cerita di dalamnya sangat menarik dan canggih, padahal ditulis di jaman telegraph, bahkan komputer yang masih menggunakan gear diciptakan 47 tahun sesudah cerpen ini! 

The first thing that Mr. Smith does is to connect his phonotelephote, the wires of which communicate with his Paris mansion. The telephote! Here is another of the great triumphs of science in our time. The transmission of speech is an old story; the transmission of images by means of sensitive mirrors connected by wires is a thing but of yesterday

 Familiar? Facetime! It is not even a thousand years after this short story. Bayangkan saja, di tahun 1889, foto masih menjadi hal yang sangat mewah, apalagi ini. Facetime di Starwars bahkan masih menjadi angan belaka.

"Well, Cash, what's the news?"

"We have phototelegrams from Mercury, Venus, and Mars."

"Are those from Mars of any interest?"

"Yes, indeed. There is a revolution in the Central Empire.

Oh, hello Venus?! Kelihatannya sudah terjadi di tahun ini. Phototelegrams? It's awkward :D

Mr. Smith returns to his chamber. Where the bed stood in the morning a table all spread comes up through the floor. For Mr. Smith, being above all a practical man; has reduced the problem of existence to its simplest terms. For him, instead of the endless suites of apartments of the olden time, one room fitted with ingenious mechanical contrivances is enough. Here he sleeps, takes his meals, in short, lives.

 Modern life, small houses but so practical. I don't want to see the movie if this one was made because it would be so odd. However, this is a DAD-SON relationship goal, isn't it?