Ray Bradbury's "There Will Come Soft Rains" is set today (2026-08-04)

Ray Bradbury's "There Will Come Soft Rains," set on August 4, 2026, depicts an automated house in Allendale, California that continues its daily routines despite the total destruction of the surrounding city. The story reveals that a nuclear blast has annihilated the entire city, leaving only this one house standing, as evidenced by the radioactive glow in the ruins and the silhouettes of the family members burned into the house's charred west wall. The fully automated home persists in preparing meals, cleaning, and entertaining for inhabitants who no longer exist, creating a haunting portrayal of technology operating meaninglessly in a post-apocalyptic world.