The Boy Who Predicted Earthquakes story
A phenomenally successful young seer (Clint Howard) refuses to continue making predictions. Note: Based on a short story of the same name by Margaret St. Clair. Directed by: John Badham. Story by: Rod Serling. "The Boy Who Predicted Earthquakes" is a short story by American writer Margaret St. Clair. It was first published in 1950, and has been anthologized in both print and television. It is an example of horror fiction.
7 total · 3 major · 4 minor
| Theme | Level | Motivation |
|---|---|---|
| precognition | major | The ten year old boy Herbie Bittman could see future events and wrestled with the consequences when he saw the end of Earth. |
| sun going supernova | major | Herbie foresaw that the Sun would explode tomorrow. |
| to tell the truth vs. to offer a comforting lie | major | Herbie struggled with whether to reveal that Earth was going to end or keep mum about it. |
| dealing with children | minor | Contrast with how the manager did it and how the grandfather did it. |
| extrasensory perception | minor | Dr. Peterson visited Herbie to assess whether or not ESP explained his ability to predict future events. |
| government censorship in society | minor | A government official at the studio had the power to cut Herbie's TV broadcast if the boy said anything that endangered national security. |
| grandfather and grandson | minor | Herbie's grandfather Mr. Godwin took him to the TV studio. |