History Literature / ASoundOfThunder

Not to be confused with the Music/PinkFloyd live album ''A Delicate Sound Of Thunder''.

[[http://www.scaryforkids.com/a-sound-of-thunder/ This page has some nice illustrations.]] Not to be confused with the Music/PinkFloyd live album ''A Delicate Sound Of Thunder''.

[[http://www.scaryforkids.com/a-sound-of-thunder/ This page has some nice illustrations.]]

* CuttingCorners: The whole situation started because of a "perfect storm" of 1) somebody panicking and stepping off the path and 2) Haddon shutting down the time machine's bio-filter (which ''would'' have prevented this) in order to save electrical bill money.

[[quoteright:350:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/7768_5808.png]]

* TimeTravelForFunAndProfit: Travis' agency organises safaris into the past for big game hunters.

* CuttingCorners: The whole situation started be cause of a "perfect storm" of 1) somebody panicking and stepping off the path and 2) Haddon shutting down the time machine's bio-filter (which ''would'' have prevented this) in order to save electrical bill money.

* YouAlreadyChangedThePast

* HilariousInHindsight: It's Keith, the liberal president, who is devoutly Christian, while the conservative Deutscher is specifically called out for being "Anti-Christ". In modern America it's most usually the conservative politicians who use Christian morals to attempt to enforce their conservative views, despite a traditional separation of Church and State.

The year is 2055. A hunter known simply as "Eckels" prepares to take the trip of a lifetime: going back in time to the Mesozoic to hunt the [[StockDinosaurs greatest predators]] that ever lived. However, when he goes back to the Late Cretaceous he panics when confronted with a ''TyrannosaurusRex'', and falls off the path and crushes a butterfly, breaking some of the myriad of rules the time agency has to keep the time line from changing. When the party returns to the future, they find out that the world has changed for the worse. In the original timeline, the [[OurPresidentsAreDifferent United States presidential election]] was recently won by Keith, a fairly moderate candidate, as opposed to [[GratuitousGerman Deutscher]], a [[DoesThisRemindYouOfAnything fascist extremist]]. However, in this changed timeline, the reverse is true ([[YouNoTakeCandle words and phrases are also spelled differently]]). A distraught Eckels pleads with Travis, the guide, to take him back in time and fix what he's done, but Travis, having previously warned him that it's impossible (the time machine skips over any moment in history that they've already visited), silently lifts and fires his rifle, presumably at Eckels.

The year is 2055. A hunter known simply as "Eckels" prepares to take the trip of a lifetime; going back in time to the Mesozoic to hunt the [[StockDinosaurs greatest predators]] that ever lived. However, when he goes back to the Late Cretaceous he panics when confronted with a ''TyrannosaurusRex'', and falls off the path and crushes a butterfly, breaking some of the myriad of rules the time agency has to keep the time line from changing. When the party returns to the future, they find out that the world has changed for the worse. In the original time line, the [[OurPresidentsAreDifferent presidential election]] was recently won by Keith, a moderate candidate, as opposed to [[GratuitousGerman Deutscher]], a [[DoesThisRemindYouOfAnything fascist extremist]]. However, in this changed time line, the reverse is true (words & phrases are also spelled differently). A distraught Eckels pleads with Travis, the guide, to take him back in time and fix what he's done, but Travis, having previously warned him that it's impossible (the time machine skips over any moment in history that they've already visited), silently lifts and fires his rifle, presumably at Eckels.

First written by Creator/RayBradbury as a short story for ''Collier's'' magazine in 1952, "A Sound of Thunder" has become the most republished science-fiction story of all time. Its influence can be seen all over the fictional world, particularly due to its [[TropeCodifier introduction of]] the TimeTravel plot in which "[[ButterflyOfDoom small changes in the past snowball into the future]]". It is one of the TropeNamers for ButterflyOfDoom, which is... well, exactly what it stated above. This story has also led to the creation of numerous other works, including a spin-off novel series and the short story series ''Rivers of Time''. Oh, and a movie, released by Creator/WarnerBros in 2005, starring Edward Burns, Creator/BenKingsley and Catherine [=McCormack=], and directed by Peter Hyams. But you'd best read about that one [[http://www.agonybooth.com/recaps/A_Sound_of_Thunder_2005.aspx elsewhere]].

* DullSurprise: "[[http://www.agonybooth.com/recaps/A_Sound_of_Thunder_2005.aspx Pierce Brosnan was originally slated to star. Unfortunately, he was replaced by a wooden marionette that looks a lot like Edward Burns.]]" (it's a running gag on the recap seeing how his facial expressions are the same.)

* ShoutOut: Haddon kiss-assingly compares his clients to "[[FamousFamousFictional Columbus discovering America. Armstrong stepping on the moon. Brubaker landing on Mars]]". The latter is a reference to ''CapricornOne'', Hyams' debut film, where Brubaker was the captain of a faked Mars landing.

The year is 2055. A hunter known simply as "Eckels" prepares to take the trip of a lifetime; going back in time to the Mesozoic to hunt the [[StockDinosaurs greatest predators]] that ever lived. However, when he goes back to the Late Cretaceous he panics when confronted with a ''TyrannosaurusRex'', and falls off the path and crushes a butterfly, breaking some of the myriad of rules the time agency has to keep the time line from changing. When the party returns to the future, they find out that the world has changed for the worse. In the original time line, the [[OurPresidentsAreDifferent presidential election]] was recently won by Keith, a moderate candidate, as opposed to [[GratuitousGerman Deutscher]], a [[DoesThisRemindYouOfAnything fascist extremist]]. However, in this changed time line, the reverse is true (words & phrases are also spelled differently). A distraught Eckels pleads with Travis, the guide, to take him back in time and fix what he's done, but Travis, having previously warned him that it's impossible (the time machine skips over any moment in history that they've already visited), silently lifts and fires his rifle, presumably at Eckles.

First written by Creator/RayBradbury as a short story for Colliers magazine in 1952, "A Sound of Thunder" has become the most re-published science fiction story of all time. Its influence can be seen all over the fictional world, particularly due to its [[TropeCodifier introduction of]] the TimeTravel plot in which "[[ButterflyOfDoom small changes in the past snowball into the future]]". It is one of the {{Trope Namer}}s for ButterflyOfDoom, which is... well, exactly what it stated above. This story has also led to the creation of numerous other works, including a spin-off novel series and the short story series RiversOfTime. Oh, and a movie, directed by Peter Hyams. But you'd better read about that one [[http://www.agonybooth.com/recaps/A_Sound_of_Thunder_2005.aspx in other sources.]]

* ButterflyOfDoom: The TropeNamer

* TemporalParadox: Subverted when the safari guides explain that "time steps aside" to prevent such paradoxes from happening.

* WhatCouldPossiblyGoWrong: Who thought it was a good idea to make big-game time traveling, knowing full well what the risks and consequences were? What sort of monetary gain could be worth the risk of waking up one morning to [[RetGone have never existed]]?
** Simple: ScrewTheRulesIHaveMoney.

* YouFailBiologyForever: Where do we ''start''!
** [[{{Whateversaurus}} Baboonasaurs]], that's where. Alternately "Baboonizards." There's also the flying "Batboonizards," and "miscellaneous underwater shark-eel-thing."
** And we continue with the claim that lions are descended from Allosaurs. Congratulations.
** The claim that humans were "the last species to evolve." That's... nowhere NEAR how evolution works.

First written by Creator/RayBradbury as a short story for Colliers magazine in 1952, ''A Sound of Thunder'' has become the most re-published science fiction story of all time. Its influence can be seen all over the fictional world, particularly due to its [[TropeCodifier introduction of]] the TimeTravel plot in which "[[ButterflyOfDoom small changes in the past snowball into the future]]". It is one of the {{Trope Namer}}s for ButterflyOfDoom, which is... well, exactly what it stated above. This story has also led to the creation of numerous other works, including a spin-off novel series and the short story series RiversOfTime. Oh, and a movie, directed by Peter Hyams. But you'd better read about that one [[http://www.agonybooth.com/recaps/A_Sound_of_Thunder_2005.aspx in other sources.]]

** [[MixAndMatchCritters Baboonasaurs]], that's where. Alternately "Baboonizards." There's also the flying "Batboonizards," and "miscellaneous underwater shark-eel-thing."

The year is 2055. A hunter known simply as "Eckels" prepares to take the trip of a lifetime; going back in time to the Mesozoic to hunt the [[StockDinosaurs greatest predators]] that ever lived. However, when he goes back to the Late Cretaceous he panics when confronted with a ''TyrannosaurusRex'', and falls off the path and crushes a butterfly, breaking some of the myriad of rules the time agency has to keep the time line from changing. When the party returns to the future, they find out that the world has changed for the worse. In the original time line, the [[OurPresidentsAreDifferent presidential election]] was recently won by Keith, a moderate candidate, as opposed to [[GratuitousGerman Deutscher]], a [[DoesThisRemindYouOfAnything fascist extremist]]. However, in this changed time line, the reverse is true (English also uses a different alphabet). A distraught Eckels pleads with Travis, the guide, to take him back in time and fix what he's done, but Travis, having previously warned him that it's impossible (the time machine skips over any moment in history that they've already visited), silently lifts and fires his rifle, presumably at Eckles.

The year is 2055. A hunter known simply as "Eckels" prepares to take the trip of a lifetime; going back in time to the Mesozoic to hunt the [[StockDinosaurs greatest predators]] that ever lived. However, when he goes back to the Late Cretaceous he panics when confronted with a ''TyrannosaurusRex'', and falls off the path and crushes a butterfly, breaking some of the myriad of rules the time agency has to keep the time line from changing. When the party returns to the future, they find out that the world has changed for the worse. In the original time line, the [[OurPresidentsAreDifferent presidential election]] was recently won by Keith, a moderate candidate, as opposed to [[GratuitousGerman Deutscher]], a [[DoesThisRemindYouOfAnything fascist extremist]]. However, in this changed time line, the reverse is true. A distraught Eckels pleads with Travis, the guide, to take him back in time and fix what he's done, but Travis, having previously warned him that it's impossible (the time machine skips over any moment in history that they've already visited), silently lifts and fires his rifle, presumably at Eckles.

!!This story contains examples of:

!!This spin-off novel series contains examples of:

!!This movie contains examples of:

* SpecialEffectFailure: Apparently it was released when the FX weren't completely finished due to the production company's bankruptcy.

** The claim that humans were "the last species to evolve." That's... nowhere NEAR how evolution works.

The year is 2055. A hunter known simply as "Eckels" prepares to take the trip of a lifetime; going back in time to the Mesozoic to hunt the [[StockDinosaurs greatest predators]] that ever lived. However, when he goes back to the Late Cretaceous he panics when confronted with a TyrannosaurusRex, and falls off the path and crushes a butterfly, breaking some of the myriad of rules the time agency has to keep the time line from changing. When the party returns to the future, they find out that the world has changed for the worse. In the original time line, the [[OurPresidentsAreDifferent presidential election]] was recently won by Keith, a moderate candidate, as opposed to [[GratuitousGerman Deutscher]], a [[DoesThisRemindYouOfAnything fascist extremist]]. However, in this changed time line, the reverse is true. A distraught Eckels pleads with Travis, the guide, to take him back in time and fix what he's done, but Travis, having previously warned him that it's impossible (the time machine skips over any moment in history that they've already visited), silently lifts and fires his rifle, presumably at Eckles.