I'm a little late posting about this, but a new episode of the Back of the Bookshelf podcast launched at the beginning of the month. Over the years, we've carried our listeners to countries far and wide, to dizzying heights in the sky and deep underground, but we've never taken them beyond the bounds of the planet… until now. That’s right, in the seventh episode of our second season, we journey to the stars courtesy of illustrious science fiction writer Philip K. Dick and his story, Beyond Lies the Wub 🚀🪐. Here are the details...

TITLE – Beyond Lies the Wub
AUTHOR - Philip K. Dick
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED - 1952 in Planet Stories
NARRATOR - C.J. Carter-Stephenson
MUSIC - Kevin MacLeod
DURATION - 00:21:04

It’s an engaging tale about a spaceship crew who purchase a strange creature on a trading trip to Mars. The creature looks like a pig, but looks can be deceiving. On the surface, the story seems simple, but there are hidden depths to it and the twist at the end is second to none. It was Dick’s first published story, but foreshadows his work to come with its biting satirical wit and exploration of important ethical issues. Not surprisingly, it has been reprinted many times since it made its first appearance in Volume 5, Issue 7 of Planet Stories in July 1952. Dick might arguably be more famous for the many movie adaptations of his work (e.g. Blade Runner and Total Recall) than the work itself, but as this story shows, he was a master of his craft.

As always, the Back of the Bookshelf performance features an immersive soundscape to help bring the story to life. It is narrated by C.J. Carter-Stephenson with music by Kevin MacLeod. If you fancy joining us, strap yourselves in, click on the link below and prepare to blast off into the great beyond for another thrilling adventure...

⭐ SEASON 2, EPISODE 7 - BEYOND LIES THE WUB ⭐

It's audio only for now, but a video is under preparation and will hopefully follow in the not too distant future.