The Veldt Versions of Reality Quotes

How we cite our quotes: (Paragraph)

Quote #1

The walls were blank and two-dimensional. Now, as George and Lydia Hadley stood in the center of the room, the walls began to purr and recede into crystalline distance, it seemed, and presently an African veldt appeared, in three dimensions, on all sides, in color reproduced to the final pebble and bit of straw. (13)

That first sentence is real short and easy. But notice that the second sentence becomes complex and long when Bradbury starts describing the weirdness (and realness) of virtual reality. Too bad poor Ray didn't have the phrase " virtual reality" to describe this.

Quote #2

Now the hidden odorophonics were beginning to blow a wind of odor at the two people in the middle of the baked veldtland. (17)

"Odorophonics" is one of Bradbury's made-up phrases, like "mental tape" (37). Another science fiction author would've spent a lot of time talking about how the nursery works. But Bradbury mostly pays attention to the different versions of reality, not the tech behind it. Also, judging by the number of times the word "odor" appears here, he really wants us to smell this place. You might have a nightmare about the veldt, but from this story we get the idea that Bradbury probably has nightmares about colds and stuffed-up noses.

Quote #3

Oh, occasionally they frightened you with their clinical accuracy, they startled you, gave you a twinge, but most of the time what fun for everyone, not only your own son and daughter, but for yourself when you felt like a quick jaunt to a foreign land, a quick change of scenery. Well, here it was! (28)

See? The nursery is fun for the whole family! And so affordable! It almost sounds like this story wants us to buy one, like the narrator will tell us what free shammies he'll throw in. But here's a serious question: if this is fun for the whole family, why do only the kids use this room to get to a new reality? Why can't the parents go on vacation to Boca Raton?