"The Veldt," a story included in Bradbury's collection The Illustrated Man, tells of a brother and sister who have the power to go anywhere in the world through their nursery's electronic screen. Like in "Soft Rains," the results of this technology can be deadly.

I, Robot (1950) by Isaac Asimov is one of the author's earliest collections of science fiction stories written according to his "Three Laws of Robotics," which state that a robot may not harm humans, must obey orders, and must protect its own existence.

"The Fall of the House of Usher" (1839) by Edgar Allan Poe. In this classic horror tale, Roderick Usher insists that his house seeks to destroy him as the hapless narrator witnesses both the house's and Usher's disintegration.

On the Beach (1957) by Nevil Shute, a novel in which survivors of a nuclear holocaust await their...