Dupler has published numerous essays and has taught college English. In this essay, Dupler examines a prevalent theme of science fiction and its relationship to scientific knowledge.

A major theme of science fiction has been the destruction of earth. In addition, the manner in which science fiction writers have approached and developed this theme has evolved. Advances in space-related technology and in general knowledge have been factors leading to this change. Science fiction itself has done more than mirror these advances in technology and knowledge; imaginative stories in this field have helped to change people's perceptions and expectations about the world.

In this story, published in 1951, Clarke uses very few words and only two characters, a ten-yearold boy named Marvin and his unnamed father. The story has a vague and unearthly setting from the start. The setting is described as a "jumbled wasteland of craters, mountain ranges...