Philip K. Dick | Lecturia

Philip K. Dick: Human Is

“Human Is” is a science fiction short story written by Philip K. Dick and published in 1955 in the magazine Startling Stories. Jill is a woman trapped in a marriage with Lester Herrick, a cold and emotionally abusive husband, an extremely rational scientist wholly devoted to his work. However, after being sent on a mission to the planet Rexor IV, Lester returns with a completely different attitude: kind, affectionate, almost unrecognizable. This change unsettles Jill, who begins to wonder what the true reason behind her husband’s transformation might be.

Philip K. Dick: The Golden Man

“The Golden Man” is a short story by Philip K. Dick, published in April 1954 in If magazine. In a post-war world, humans face a disturbing threat: mutants with genetic abilities that give them strange and dangerous powers. George Baines, a government agent, is tasked with tracking down and eliminating these beings. His mission takes him to a remote farm where Cris, a young man of extraordinary beauty with golden skin and hair, lives. His silent presence hides an incomprehensible power that will test Baines’ effectiveness and the system’s ability to control mutants.

Philip K. Dick: Stability. Summary and Analysis

In a future where humanity has ceased to progress and lives under a rigid system called Stability, Robert Benton receives news that his invention has been rejected, even though he does not remember inventing anything. Intrigued, he retrieves a device registered in his name and, upon activating it at home, discovers it is a time machine. He is transported to a strange world, where he finds a crystal sphere containing a miniature city inside. An invisible voice warns him not to touch it, but Benton disobeys and takes it back with him to his own time. Back at home, the sphere begins to communicate with him telepathically and persuades him to release it. When the authorities try to intervene, Benton, under the influence of the globe, breaks the glass and releases the forces that had been confined within. In the final scene, he awakens with no memory, now turned into just another laborer under the new order imposed by the liberated city.

Philip K. Dick: The Eyes Have It

“The Eyes Have It” is a science fiction short story by Philip K. Dick, published in June 1953 in Science Fiction Stories. The narrative follows a man who finds an abandoned book on public transportation. Reading it at home, he believes he has uncovered evidence of a conspiracy in which a race of alien beings, hiding among humans, is stealthily invading Earth. As his paranoia grows, the protagonist grapples with the uncertainty of whether to share what he has discovered or keep it secret.

Philip K. Dick: The Pre-Persons

“The Pre-Persons” is a controversial short story by Philip K. Dick, published in October 1974 in The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction. Set in a dystopian future where abortion is legal up to the age of twelve, a boy flees when he sees the truck that collects unwanted children to take them to a state institution, where an algebra test determines whether or not they have a “soul.” Although his mother tries to calm him with legal arguments, the fear persists. In this tale, Dick presents a disturbing premise where the right to life and human dignity are subjected to bureaucratic and arbitrary criteria.

The Stories of Philip K. Dick

Explore the best stories by Philip K. Dick, visionary of science fiction. Discover tales about alternate realities, artificial intelligence, and dystopian futures, such as “Foster, You’re Dead” and “We Can Remember It For You Wholesale.” Read his complete stories and immerse yourself in his unique universe.