Showing results by author "Philip Dick" in All Categories

If, after a great struggle, the East were to prevail over the world, what sort of civilization would be imposed by the victors? Would it be an oriental version of the societies we know - or might the great old culture be superimposed upon what was left of Western technology? The story is set in a post-apocalyptic future where global civilization is governed by a hierarchical, religious society centered around belief in karmic-based reincarnation metaphorically viewed as moving forward or backward on a turning wheel.

Dive into two captivating tales in the unmistakable style of Philip K. Dick. First, meet the Wub‚Aîa 400-pound, slovenly creature that resembles a bizarre mix of walrus and hog. The hungry crew of a spaceship sees it as a potential meal for just 50 cents, but the Wub has its own ideas about fate. The second story, The Skull, weaves a gripping narrative of time travel intertwined with unscrupulous governments, prisoners, and religious undertones, all featuring a cunning assassin. Prepare for an exhilarating journey through imagination and thought! (summary by Phil Chenevert)

"Mr. Spaceship" is a science fiction short story by American writer Philip K. Dick, first published in 1953 in Imagination in January 1953, and later in The Collected Stories of Philip K. Dick. It has since been republished several times, including in Beyond Lies the Wub in 1988. The story is set in the distant future, where humanity is at war with "Yuks", an alien life form which does not use mechanical spaceships nor constructions but instead relies on life forms to power their technology.

Dopo la catastrofe che ha messo fine alla terza guerra mondiale, due Chiese si disputano i pochi sopravvissuti e i loro discendenti, flagellati dalle mutazioni. Una delle Chiese, quasi una proiezione del Vecchio Testamento, venera Deus Irae, il dio della collera, colui che ha causato nel mondo l'orrore atomico. Un Michelangelo senza braccia né gambe, Tibor McMasters, viene incaricato di realizzare il suo ritratto per rianimare la fede dei seguaci.

Dive into the thought-provoking world of Philip K. Dick’s science fiction classic, Variable Man. Originally published in 1953 in Space Science Fiction, this captivating tale unfolds in a future Earth shackled by a relentless obsession with war and an overreliance on mechanical calculators. What happens when an unpredictable variable—a man from the past who can mend not just appliances but also the very fabric of destiny—enters this rigid world? As he challenges the limitations of technology, he becomes both humanitys greatest hope and its inevitable downfall. Experience a ...

Nella città di Los Angeles una nuova droga, chiamata "Sostanza M", semina follia e devastazione. Nessuno sa cosa contenga, da dove provenga o chi la stia vendendo. Ma sono in tantissimi a usarla. Uno di loro è Bob Arctor, le cui giornate trascorrono tra sballi, incubi, conversazioni assurde con i suoi amici tossici, avventure tragicomiche. Bob è in realtà un agente della Narcotici infiltrato, anche se nessuno sa della sua doppia vita. Quando deve riferire ai superiori, indossa una tuta disindividuante, in modo che neanche i colleghi possano riconoscerlo, e diventa l'agente Fred.

In a world ravaged by a global nuclear war, the early triumphs of the USSR force the United Nations government to retreat to the moon, abandoning troops and fearsome autonomous robots known as “Claws.” These relentless machines reproduce and evolve in hidden subterranean factories. After six grueling years of conflict, an urgent conference is called by the Soviets, prompting UN Major Joseph Hendricks to embark on a perilous journey to meet them. What he uncovers about the Claws along the way is far more alarming than he could have ever imagined. Originally published in the May 1953...

In this collection of five stories, all first published in the 1950s, Dick justified his existence by exploring a number of truly interesting ideas. In “Small Town” a man creates a perfect scale model of his own town, as a means of escaping his unbearable reality. In “Human Is” the wife of a scientist notices that her husband has returned from a scientific expedition a changed man, but she’s not complaining. In “Foster, You’re Dead” a father’s unwillingness to participate in his country’s preparations for a war that never happens, leads to unexpected consequences for his family....

Originally published in Space Science Fiction in May 1953, this gripping tale by Philip K. Dick explores a future where the horrors of war have driven humanity to rely on machines and computers to devise new ways of destruction. But when these deadly creations begin to mimic their creators, the stakes escalate, forcing the human race to confront the possibility of peace—if they can manage it. Dive into this thought-provoking classic that raises questions about technology, identity, and survival!

California, fine anni Cinquanta: una sorta di terra promessa già alle prese con il mito postbellico dello sviluppo economico e della crescita urbana, dove la questione razziale è ancora aperta. Jim Fergesson e Al Miller sono, o credono di essere, amici. Il primo è un meccanico avanti con l'età, amareggiato dalla vita, che da anni affitta al secondo un lotto di terra adiacente alla sua officina, in cui Miller vende auto usate, relitti rabberciati alla meglio.

In the midst of a seemingly stalemated war with the Yucks from Proxima Centauri, a hidden truth lurks beneath the surface. Their mines, designed to strangle Terran planets, seem to propagate on their own, leaving humanity baffled. The brightest minds can only speculate that these ships and mines are somehow alive. Faced with desperation, humanity takes a bold step if the Yucks can harness organic vessels, why cant we? Enter Mr. Spaceship, a revolutionary concept that merges consciousness with warfare. But as the lines blur between machine and sentient being, will a conscious warship follow the...

Yielding to a compulsion he can't explain, Ted Barton interrupts his vacation in order to visit the town of his birth, Millgate, Virginia. But upon entering the sleepy, isolated little hamlet, Ted is distraught to find that the place bears no resemblance to the one he left behind—and never did. He also discovers that in this version of Millgate, Ted Barton died of scarlet fever when he was nine years old. Perhaps even more troubling is the fact that it is literally impossible to escape.

When military personnel stationed on a distant asteroid begin claiming they are no longer human, Dr. Henry Harris is sent to investigate. The soldiers insist they have become "Pipers"—carefree beings with no responsibilities, despite their unchanged physical forms. As Harris delves deeper into the mystery, he faces an unsettling question: Is this a psychological phenomenon, or is something far stranger at play?

Le forze dell'Asse hanno vinto la seconda guerra mondiale e l'America è divisa in due parti, l'una asservita al Reich, l'altra ai Giapponesi. Sul resto del mondo incombe una realtà da incubo: il credo della superiorità razziale ariana è dilagato a tal punto da togliere ogni volontà o possibilità di riscatto. L'Africa è ridotta a un deserto, vittima di una soluzione radicale di sterminio, mentre in Europa l'Italia ha preso le briciole e i nazisti dalle loro rampe di lancio si preparano a inviare razzi su Marte e bombe atomiche sul Giappone.

Dans une Amérique imaginaire livrée à l'effacement des singularités et à la paranoïa technologique, les derniers survivants de la contre-culture des années 60 achèvent de brûler leur cerveau au moyen de la plus redoutable des drogues, la "Substance Mort".

Of Withered Apples by Philip K. Dick is a hauntingly symbolic short story that blends dreamlike imagery with unsettling undercurrents of fate and desire. In this surreal tale, Dick draws readers into a world where ordinary objects—such as withered apples hanging on a tree—take on an ominous significance, suggesting temptation, decay, and the fragility of human will.

On Asteroid Y-3, a strange phenomenon is spreading among Earth’s stationed personnel: soldiers and workers suddenly believe they are turning into plants. They abandon their duties, lying in the sun with no desire for anything else. Doctor Henry Harris is sent to investigate these bizarre cases, only to uncover something deeper than delusion—an unspoken yearning for escape from the grind of mechanized society. In his search for answers, Harris encounters the mysterious “Pipers,” symbolic figures that awaken buried desires for simplicity and peace.

In the aftermath of a devastating nuclear war that has rendered the Earths surface uninhabitable, humanity has retreated into underground hives, where they labor tirelessly to produce the war materials fueling a relentless conflict between the East and West. For eight long years, the battle has been waged not by humans, but by advanced robots known as Ledeys, capable of surviving the extreme radiation above. These mechanical warriors, the Defenders, stand as the last line of defense between the warring factions, their surveillance relaying vital information to the generals below. But as the ...

Aliens have invaded Earth, but not in the way you might expect! In The Eyes Have It, we encounter bizarre, one-celled creatures masquerading as ordinary humans, leading to a delightful satire on certain writing styles. This whimsical tale echoes the brilliance of science fiction legend Philip Dick. Meanwhile, Tony and the Beetles transports us to a distant future where Earths vast colonial empire is in jeopardy. Ten-year-old Tony faces the harsh realities of history as it catches up with humanity, offering a sobering yet engaging perspective on our past and what lies ahead. Two captivating ...

Willianson's world, a culture that seemed a hideous nightmare to men who know nothing of beauty, must be destroyed. Philip Dick's characters have an exciting way of letting their logically motivated self-interest lead them straight down the flaming road to ruin. We suspect that it is this distinctly individual approach which has made him one of the most admired and widely read of science fiction writers of the past few years.