The Pedestrian

Infobox short story
name = The Pedestrian
title_orig =
translator =
author = Ray Bradbury
country = United States
language = English
series =
genre = Science fiction short story
published_in = "The Reporter"
publication_type = Magazine
publisher =
media_type = Print
pub_date = 7 August, 1951
english_pub_date =
preceded_by =
followed_by = Infobox Book |
name = The Pedestrian
title_orig =
translator =


image_caption =
author = Ray Bradbury
illustrator = Joe Mugnaini
cover_artist =
country = United States
language = English
series =
subject =
genre = Science fiction short story
publisher = Roy A Squires
release_date = 1964
english_release_date =
media_type = Print (Chapbook)
pages =
isbn = NA
preceded_by =
followed_by =

'The Pedestrian' is a short story by author Ray Bradbury. This story was originally published in 1951 by The Fortnightly Publishing Company. It is included in the collection "The Golden Apples of the Sun" (1953).

In this story we encounter Leonard Mead, a citizen of a television-centred world in the year A.D.2053. In the city, roads have fallen into decay and people only leave their homes during the day. It is revealed that Mead enjoys walking through the city during the night, something which no one else does. On one of his usual walks he encounters a robotic police car. It is the only police unit in a city of three million. The police car struggles to understand why Mr. Mead would be out walking for no reason and decides to take him to the Psychiatric Center for Research on Regressive Tendencies.

This story demonstrates certain similarities to Fahrenheit 451, particularly in the analogous characters of Leonard Mead and Clarisse McClellan.

A limited edition (291 copies) of the story was published as a chapbook by Roy A. Squires in 1964.

It was also made into an episode of "The Ray Bradbury Theater", starring David Ogden Stiers as Leonard Mead.

References

*cite book | last=Chalker | first=Jack L. | authorlink=Jack L. Chalker | coauthors=Mark Owings | title=The Science-Fantasy Publishers: A Bibliographic History, 1923-1998 | location=Westminster, MD and Baltimore | publisher=Mirage Press, Ltd.| pages=887 | date=1998
*cite web
last = Contento
first = William G.
authorlink =
coauthors =
title = Index to Science Fiction Anthologies and Collections, Combined Edition
work =
publisher =
date =
url = http://contento.best.vwh.net/t15.htm#A349
format =
doi =
accessdate = 2007-10-10