Introduction
“The Fun They Had” is a science fiction by an American writer Isaac Asimov. It is set in the future in the year 2157 when perhaps, there will be no schools and no books. This story first appeared in a children’s newspaper in 1951 and was reprinted in the February 1954 issue of The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction. It is about computerized home schooling where children are taught by a mechanical teacher. The story satirizes the way children are mechanically tuned by schools and parents. It is a warning to the new-gen parents and teachers.
Summary
In the year 2157, Margie and Tommy are neighbours and good friends. They do not go to schools as they have their school at home. Their teachers are computerized machines and books are electronic tablets. One day Tommy brings a very old paper book to Margie and tells her that it belonged to his great grandfather’s grandfather’s time. The kids can’t believe that there was a time when children went to a building called school where many children sat together to learn different subjects from a human teacher. They thought that the schools of the past were fun and the children were happier than them.