The Lake

by Ray Bradbury

• Release: May 1944
• Format: Short Story
• Genre: Science Fiction
• Audience: Adults
• Content: Debatable Time Travel
• Original Language: English

Tally, if you hear me, come in and build the rest.

VARIANTS

1 English variant

DERIVATIVE WORKS

1. “The Lake” by Ray Bradbury, directed by Pat Robins, (USA Network, 21 July 1989).

TAGS(SPOILERS!)

Time Periods

• Circa AD 1930 to 1939: Presumed adult time time, circa 1933.
• Circa AD 1940 to 1949: Presumed flashback time, circa 1943.

Themes

• Moments Surrounding Death: Perhaps Tally travels during the time surrounding her drowning.

Fictional Tags

• Ghosts: Possibly a ghost rather than time travel, but we don’t think so because of the well-preserved body.

Groupings

• Weird Tales (periodical)

TIME TRAVEL ITINERARY (SPOILERS!)

1. From the lake where Douglas and Tally played, circa summer 1933 ⋙ to the same lake, late summer, ten years later. Note: We’re uncertain whether young Tally traveled through time or not. And if she did, why did she return to the lake to drown? But the half-built castle and her footprints could have been a ghost, but the well-preserved body suggests time travel.