There Will Come Soft Rains is the second title in Short Stops, a series from Conversation Tree Press dedicated to bringing exceptional shorter works of fiction to life through beautifully bound, letterpress-printed, limited editions that begin shipping immediately upon announcement.
Conversation Tree Press is proud to present There Will Come Soft Rains by Ray Bradbury, one of the twentieth century’s most celebrated American authors. First published in 1950, the short story is a poignant reflection on technology, nature, and human absence.
In a post-apocalyptic future where humanity has been wiped out, a fully automated house miraculously survives, carrying out its daily routines as if nothing has changed, unaware that there is no one left to hear it. As nature slowly reclaims the world, the house recites Sara Teasdale’s haunting poem of the same name.
Bradbury saw There Will Come Soft Rains as the story that best captured the essence of his writing and considered it the only true science fiction piece in his classic collection, The Martian Chronicles. His foresight in depicting nuclear self-destruction was recognized by the Pulitzer Prize Board, which, in awarding him a Special Citation in 2007, acknowledged him as “a lone voice among his contemporaries, contemplating the potentialities of such horrors.”
The Martian Chronicles celebrates its 75th anniversary this year, and this story is a reminder that Bradbury’s vision of humanity, technology, and nature remains as thought-provoking and relevant as ever.
It is a limited edition of 300 unnumbered copies, letterpress printed by Hand & Eye Letterpress in London, England. It features a frontispiece illustration by Guillem H. Pongiluppi. The book is quarter-bound in book cloth and custom hand-marbled paper from Daniela Prina in a waved palm pattern. The endpapers are GF Smith Colorplan with a linen finish.
All copies are signed by the artist.
EDITION DETAILS:
- Signed by Guillem H. Pongiluppi.
- Limited to only 300 unnumbered copies.
- Letterpress printed on Munken Pure Smooth Cream 120gsm (80lb) paper by Hand & Eye Letterpress in London, England.
- Quarter bound in book cloth and custom hand-marbled paper from Papiers Prina in a waved palm pattern.
- Endpapers are GF Smith Colorplan with a linen finish.
- Title and author foil-stamped on the spine.
- Trim size of 6 x 9 inches.
- 19 pages including front and back matter.
