The Flying Machine

by Ray Bradbury

A famous short story

Genres: Short Stories, Historical Fiction, Classics, Science Fiction, Fiction, American, Audiobook

1 pages, Unknown Binding

First published March 1, 1953

About the author

Ray Douglas Bradbury was an American author and screenwriter. One of the most celebrated 20th-century American writers, he worked in a variety of genres, including fantasy, science fiction, horror, mystery, and realistic fiction.

Bradbury is best known for his novel Fahrenheit 451 (1953) and his short-story collections The Martian Chronicles (1950), The Illustrated Man (1951), and The October Country (1955). Other notable works include the coming of age novel Dandelion Wine (1957), the dark fantasy Something Wicked This Way Comes (1962) and the fictionalized memoir Green Shadows, White Whale (1992). He also wrote and consulted on screenplays and television scripts, including Moby Dick and It Came from Outer Space. Many of his works were adapted into television and film productions as well as comic books. Bradbury also wrote poetry which has been published in several collections, such as They Have Not Seen the Stars (2001).

The New York Times called Bradbury "An author whose fanciful imagination, poetic prose, and mature understanding of human character have won him an international reputation" and "the writer most responsible for bringing modern science fiction into the literary mainstream".

Reviews

[Lyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Flying Machine was published in 1953 as a part of Bradbury’s The Golden Apples of the Sun (a wonderful collection by the way).

The Emperor of China is sipping tea by the wall and his servant comes to tell him that there is a man flying above the battlements in a paper and bamboo contraption. This leads His Excellency to a sad realization.

Told with Bradbury’s fable like simplicity and with clear and hidden truths, and really operating on multiple levels, this is one of his more cerebral stories.

[Farjaneh_ · Rating 3 out of 5]

《هو الحق》
من نسخه‌ی ترجمه شده‌ی این کامیک رو خوندم. کوتاه بود و ساده اما آدم رو به فکر میبرد...
فکر اینکه در طول تاریخ چقدر این اتفاق افتاده... فکر اینکه این رفتار درسته یا غلطه...
۲۸تیر ۱۴۰۱🌱🌼

[Katrina McCollough · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Do we understand the implications of the things we create? Once created, can anything be uncreated” -intro by Stephen king

[R. · Rating 4 out of 5]

- اوه امپراطور، امپراطور، معجزه!
- بله، امروز صبح هوا خیلی خنکه.
- نه، نه، یک معجزه!
- و این چای توی دهنم خیلی خوشمزه به نظر میاد، این قطعا یک معجزه ست.
- نه، نه، شاها!
- بزار حدس بزنم. خورشید اومده بالا یک روز جدید در پیشه. یا دریا آبیه. که همین بهترین معجزه هاست.
- شاها، یک مرد داره پرواز میکنه!
...

[Forked Radish · Rating 3 out of 5]

Based on the story about the dude who invented tempered glass and shewed it to the Roman emperor. The only thing one should shew a tyrant is the tyrant’s own still beating excised heart. ♥️

[Phil Marcoccia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Guy runs into some trouble when his new invention is criticized by the emperor.

Comic version: http://the-wanderling.com/flying_mach...

[Binbag · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not the best short story Ray Bradbury has written, but when it comes to short stories I don't think anything can quite match up to The Veldt.

[Xine Segalas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ray Bradbury’s "The Flying Machine" is a deceptively simple yet deeply thought-provoking story about innovation, control, and the clash between progress and fear. Written in Bradbury’s signature easy-to-read style, it carries weighty themes that feel just as relevant today as when it was first published. With vivid imagery and precise language, he explores the consequences of trying to suppress human ingenuity—whether out of fear, power, or the belief that some knowledge is too dangerous to exist.

Though short, this story lingers in the mind, raising questions about technological advancement and who gets to decide what is “safe” for society. Bradbury masterfully captures the tension between wonder and caution, progress and preservation. It’s a timeless reflection on how history repeats itself, with those in power always trying to control what they don’t fully understand. A must-read for anyone who loves classic sci-fi with a sharp, unsettling edge.

[Dalia · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I finished reading The Flying Machine , I thought about it deeply ,I realized that this story Greatly embodies our reality .For example, when someone invents something new that benefits humanity, his punishment is either killing or capturing Like the person who invented the flying machine. We can also drop the story to our reality on the other hand, which is injustice and cold killing, as we see it in some rulers of the country or occupation, such as the Israeli occupation of Palestine, and this appeared in the king when the inventor was killed. The people in the story remind me of people who have no power, submissive people who only care about making a living. Finally, I had a question as I finished reading the story: Are there greats and inventors who have not spoken out about something great they invented on the basis of their fear of society?

[Amir Sepahram · Rating 4 out of 5]

داستان «ماشین پرنده» حکایت ساده‌ای است از تقابل حاکمیت سنتی و نوآوری؛ مشابه آنچه امروزه در مورد هوش مصنوعی و نگرانی و عقب‌ماندگی نظام‌های حاکم شاهدش هستیم.
این داستان، به ترجمه «مهدی بنواری» روی فضای استعاره منتشر شده است.

لینک داستان در فضای استعاره
مترجم: مهدی بنواری

[Ivan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Из Библиотеки Научной Фантастики *(красно-белый 50-томник), который я прочёл целиком в детстве.

https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%91%...

[Mary · Rating 3 out of 5]

A thought-provoking short story set in ancient China (around 400 AD). It portrays the encounter between an emperor and the inventor of a paper flying machine who, despite the beauty of his creation, is executed out of fear that such an invention could be misused in the future and threaten security.
A powerful reflection on progress, fear, and the cost of preserving order.

[Jake Ignatowicz · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought this was somewhat similar to the letter in its themes of tradition and death, as well as its writing style. I like Bradbury (from the 2 things I've read of his now) and should get around to reading more of his work. I rate it the same as the lottery, a solid 4 stars.

[James Biser · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an excellent story about an Chinese inventor who learns to fly. The Emperor sees the invention, realizes what danger it could cause his country and has the inventor killed.

[Brett Minor · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fear of progress keeps one in the Dark Ages

[Mastoor · Rating 2 out of 5]

Instead of killing him, the flying man could be silent about this issue, couldn't he?!

[Daniel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent. Simple, well written, gripping.

[Andy Hickman · Rating 3 out of 5]

THE FLYING MACHINE by Ray Bradbury
Chinese emperor Yuan, AD400, suspects that inventions may likely be used for evil purposes, but he's "... only very much bewildered and afraid. " ***
.

[Mary Lou · Rating 4 out of 5]

Food for thought. Is one evil act now justified to prevent only the potential of many evil acts in the future? Objects are only as good or bad as the people using them.

[João Vicente · Rating 3 out of 5]

*3,5
Leitura de 2023 que esqueci de colocar aqui.

[Brodie Labott · Rating 3 out of 5]

Meh. Stands as a fine short story but not too much depth, pretty basic premise and fairly standard / short explanation verbalized by the main character for his actions.

[Nicolas Jao]

-a simple story that displays the trolley problem but with an emperor with questionable justifications. too short to be effective, but still memorable

[Annette Steele · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm not really into SciFi. It was ok.

[Serena · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really stayed with me.

[Mercy Haokip · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was tutoring a 6th grade kid. Read the story to the kid. We were both surprised at the darkness of the story and how it made us both think.