Rain, Rain, Go Away

“Rain, Rain, Go Away” is a short story by American author and professor Isaac Asimov. It was first published in the 1959 issue of Fantastic Universe and later appeared in the collection Buy Jupiter and Other Stories, published in 1975. The story blends elements of science fiction and fantasy to explore themes like The Illusion of Perfection and Control, Curiosity and Judgment, and Fear of the Unknown, as well as representations of the traditional American family and suburban lifestyles that border on satire.

Asimov was a prolific writer, authoring or editing more than 500 books and numerous other works, largely in science fiction, fantasy, and popular science. He is most famous for the Foundation series and the story collection I, Robot, science fiction works that share the overarching concern with the ethics of human and robot interactions that most Asimov fans associate with his work. While “Rain, Rain, Go Away” displays several hallmarks of Asimov’s style, notably using straightforward, conversational language to blend fantasy elements with mundane aspects of everyday life, it’s a departure from his most famous works.