# Trying to remember a short story **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** books-writing-myths\ **Created:** [February 28, 2025, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trying-to-remember-a-short-story/1014948 "2025-02-28T21:59:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Seanette](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/seanette/32/9139_2.png) [@Seanette](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Seanette)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2025, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trying-to-remember-a-short-story/1014948/1 "2025-02-28T21:59:33Z")
I’m driving myself up the wall trying to recall a short story I read some time ago, with the main characters a husband and wife who have just put their kids to bed on the last day of the world. They know it’s coming, but how/why is not specified, Some part of my alleged brain thinks the year 1958 is somehow relevant, possibly as either setting or publication date, and there’s a calendar date mentioned that does not exist on real-world calendars. What memory I have is a scanned magazine page read online. Does anyone have any clue what this is I’m remembering? ---
**Author:** ![JohnGalt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johngalt/32/184_2.png) [@JohnGalt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnGalt)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2025, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trying-to-remember-a-short-story/1014948/2 "2025-02-28T22:01:15Z")
On the Beach? Not really a short story. ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2025, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trying-to-remember-a-short-story/1014948/3 "2025-02-28T22:02:32Z")
Rings a vague bell. Let me ponder it. If I remember correctly, the reveal was at the very end and if so, it was in a collection of sci fi short stories. Maybe 3 or 4 pages. Were the parents looking out their window watching the nuclear explosions? ---
**Author:** ![Seanette](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/seanette/32/9139_2.png) [@Seanette](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Seanette)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2025, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trying-to-remember-a-short-story/1014948/4 "2025-02-28T22:05:24Z")
I very much enjoyed _On the Beach_, but that definitely wasn’t it, since the one that’s eluding me is a short story. ---
**Author:** ![Julius\_Henry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/8797f3/32.png) [@Julius\_Henry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Julius_Henry)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2025, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trying-to-remember-a-short-story/1014948/5 "2025-02-28T22:07:35Z")
_The Last Night of the World_ by Ray Bradbury. It can be found in his collection **The Illustrated Man.** ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2025, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trying-to-remember-a-short-story/1014948/6 "2025-02-28T22:10:26Z")
> [@Julius\_Henry](#): > > The Last Night of the World That’s the one I was thinking of. Clinched it with > “A war?” > He shook his head ---
**Author:** ![Seanette](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/seanette/32/9139_2.png) [@Seanette](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Seanette)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2025, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trying-to-remember-a-short-story/1014948/7 "2025-02-28T22:13:11Z")
That was the one! Found it online. There are apparently several versions, with the one on the _Esquire_ website (publication date 1951) mentioning February 30, but not in 1958, so I’m not sure where that number came from. Many thanks to everyone for your help. The hive mind here is amazing! Less than 15 minutes from question to definite and definitely correct answer. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2026, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trying-to-remember-a-short-story/1014948/8 "2026-04-06T01:49:09Z")
Here’s one I’m trying to remember. Americans are stranded in the Mexican wilderness. They’re freaked out because a nuclear war is coming/is happening. The Mexican man and his esposa help them until the U.S. couple are able to resume their escape. At the end, the Mexican couple wonder what the ‘end of the world’ is, as they are so isolated. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2026, 1:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trying-to-remember-a-short-story/1014948/9 "2026-04-06T01:58:01Z")
Since the question has been answered, I’d just like to say that OP’s prompt reminds me of the ending of Marvel’s _WandaVision_, where the titular couple put their twin sons to bed, knowing full well that the artificially constructed world Wanda has created out of grief is about to end and that they and Vision are going to cease to exist when it does. One of the most powerful pieces of sci-fi TV in the last decade.