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Expendable
8 pages, Unknown Binding
First published July 1, 1953
76 people want to read
About the author
Philip K. Dick
2,008 books22.5k followersPhilip Kindred Dick was a prolific American science fiction author whose work has had a lasting impact on literature, cinema, and popular culture. Known for his imaginative narratives and profound philosophical themes, Dick explored the nature of reality, the boundaries of human identity, and the impact of technology and authoritarianism on society. His stories often blurred the line between the real and the artificial, challenging readers to question their perceptions and beliefs.
Raised in California, Dick began writing professionally in the early 1950s, publishing short stories in various science fiction magazines. He quickly developed a distinctive voice within the genre, marked by a fusion of science fiction concepts with deep existential and psychological inquiry. Over his career, he authored 44 novels and more than 100 short stories, many of which have become classics in the field.
Recurring themes in Dick's work include alternate realities, simulations, corporate and government control, mental illness, and the nature of consciousness. His protagonists are frequently everyday individuals—often paranoid, uncertain, or troubled—caught in surreal and often dangerous circumstances that force them to question their environment and themselves. Works such as Ubik, The Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldritch, and A Scanner Darkly reflect his fascination with perception and altered states of consciousness, often drawing from his own experiences with mental health struggles and drug use.
One of Dick’s most influential novels is Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?, which served as the basis for Ridley Scott’s iconic film Blade Runner. The novel deals with the distinction between humans and artificial beings and asks profound questions about empathy, identity, and what it means to be alive. Other adaptations of his work include Total Recall, Minority Report, A Scanner Darkly, and The Man in the High Castle, each reflecting key elements of his storytelling—uncertain realities, oppressive systems, and the search for truth. These adaptations have introduced his complex ideas to audiences well beyond the traditional readership of science fiction.
In the 1970s, Dick underwent a series of visionary and mystical experiences that had a significant influence on his later writings. He described receiving profound knowledge from an external, possibly divine, source and documented these events extensively in what became known as The Exegesis, a massive and often fragmented journal. These experiences inspired his later novels, most notably the VALIS trilogy, which mixes autobiography, theology, and metaphysics in a narrative that defies conventional structure and genre boundaries.
Throughout his life, Dick faced financial instability, health issues, and periods of personal turmoil, yet he remained a dedicated and relentless writer. Despite limited commercial success during his lifetime, his reputation grew steadily, and he came to be regarded as one of the most original voices in speculative fiction. His work has been celebrated for its ability to fuse philosophical depth with gripping storytelling and has influenced not only science fiction writers but also philosophers, filmmakers, and futurists.
Dick’s legacy continues to thrive in both literary and cinematic spheres. The themes he explored remain urgently relevant in the modern world, particularly as technology increasingly intersects with human identity and governance. The Philip K. Dick Award, named in his honor, is presented annually to distinguished works of science fiction published in paperback original form in the United States. His writings have also inspired television series, academic studies, and countless homages across media.
Through his vivid imagination and unflinching inquiry into the nature of existence, Philip K. Dick redefined what science fiction could achieve. His work continues to challenge and inspire, offering timeless insights into the human condition a
Raised in California, Dick began writing professionally in the early 1950s, publishing short stories in various science fiction magazines. He quickly developed a distinctive voice within the genre, marked by a fusion of science fiction concepts with deep existential and psychological inquiry. Over his career, he authored 44 novels and more than 100 short stories, many of which have become classics in the field.
Recurring themes in Dick's work include alternate realities, simulations, corporate and government control, mental illness, and the nature of consciousness. His protagonists are frequently everyday individuals—often paranoid, uncertain, or troubled—caught in surreal and often dangerous circumstances that force them to question their environment and themselves. Works such as Ubik, The Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldritch, and A Scanner Darkly reflect his fascination with perception and altered states of consciousness, often drawing from his own experiences with mental health struggles and drug use.
One of Dick’s most influential novels is Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?, which served as the basis for Ridley Scott’s iconic film Blade Runner. The novel deals with the distinction between humans and artificial beings and asks profound questions about empathy, identity, and what it means to be alive. Other adaptations of his work include Total Recall, Minority Report, A Scanner Darkly, and The Man in the High Castle, each reflecting key elements of his storytelling—uncertain realities, oppressive systems, and the search for truth. These adaptations have introduced his complex ideas to audiences well beyond the traditional readership of science fiction.
In the 1970s, Dick underwent a series of visionary and mystical experiences that had a significant influence on his later writings. He described receiving profound knowledge from an external, possibly divine, source and documented these events extensively in what became known as The Exegesis, a massive and often fragmented journal. These experiences inspired his later novels, most notably the VALIS trilogy, which mixes autobiography, theology, and metaphysics in a narrative that defies conventional structure and genre boundaries.
Throughout his life, Dick faced financial instability, health issues, and periods of personal turmoil, yet he remained a dedicated and relentless writer. Despite limited commercial success during his lifetime, his reputation grew steadily, and he came to be regarded as one of the most original voices in speculative fiction. His work has been celebrated for its ability to fuse philosophical depth with gripping storytelling and has influenced not only science fiction writers but also philosophers, filmmakers, and futurists.
Dick’s legacy continues to thrive in both literary and cinematic spheres. The themes he explored remain urgently relevant in the modern world, particularly as technology increasingly intersects with human identity and governance. The Philip K. Dick Award, named in his honor, is presented annually to distinguished works of science fiction published in paperback original form in the United States. His writings have also inspired television series, academic studies, and countless homages across media.
Through his vivid imagination and unflinching inquiry into the nature of existence, Philip K. Dick redefined what science fiction could achieve. His work continues to challenge and inspire, offering timeless insights into the human condition a
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
May 16, 2019
Once upon a time, Philip K. Dick was feeling more paranoid than usual. He heard a fly buzzing near his ear, and thought, “That fly is laughing at me!” Thus the idea for the short story Expendable was born.
Published in The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction (1953), "Expendable" posits a world in which invading humans won a war eons ago against the insects. The humans, having won the war, have since forgotten all about it, but the defeated insects remember.
The story itself tells us about one man who has learned to understand the conversations of the insects. But the insects have learned his secret, and a council is being called to determine his fate.
This is a very creepy story that manages to suggest a rich history and a complex world and still be brief and to the point. I think the ending may be a little too pat, like a secon-rate Twilight Zone episode, but it is satisfying nevertheless.
July 6, 2017
On More Than Just a Flying Visit
The short story Expendable, which Dick wrote in 1953, is so creepy-crawly that, in my opinion, it would even have been expandable. Nevertheless, it’s amazing how the author managed to give so much background to the events we witness and yet not exceed a couple of pages.
Expendable is not really what I would call a science fiction story at all in that it conjures up what fears and qualms we may have in connection with insects. We have an unnamed protagonist who somehow is gifted with understanding the language of insects, spiders, and birds – and who is therefore targeted by the insects as somebody to destroy since they see him as a threat to their plans of finally having it out with the humans. While our unnamed hero is waiting for the onslaught led by the ants, some spiders – along with birds and toads the humans’ allies – fill him in on the background of that ancient war between species, which has been forgotten by the descendants of the victorious humans.
This is a clever little story, and it especially worked with me because I am not too partial to insects, thinking of them in terms of little robots, and it also made me think of the very eerie 1974 movie “Phase IV”.
The short story Expendable, which Dick wrote in 1953, is so creepy-crawly that, in my opinion, it would even have been expandable. Nevertheless, it’s amazing how the author managed to give so much background to the events we witness and yet not exceed a couple of pages.
Expendable is not really what I would call a science fiction story at all in that it conjures up what fears and qualms we may have in connection with insects. We have an unnamed protagonist who somehow is gifted with understanding the language of insects, spiders, and birds – and who is therefore targeted by the insects as somebody to destroy since they see him as a threat to their plans of finally having it out with the humans. While our unnamed hero is waiting for the onslaught led by the ants, some spiders – along with birds and toads the humans’ allies – fill him in on the background of that ancient war between species, which has been forgotten by the descendants of the victorious humans.
This is a clever little story, and it especially worked with me because I am not too partial to insects, thinking of them in terms of little robots, and it also made me think of the very eerie 1974 movie “Phase IV”.
November 12, 2018
Fan-bloody-tastic. The premise is great, even if it would be difficult to push it further, but that ending clinches it.
April 13, 2018
PKD writing short and dark humor! 5-minute read!
January 10, 2021
Paranoia indeed.
May 17, 2021
El tono y el ambiente. Y el final!
December 23, 2023
sacrificio
el mas sencillo de los cuentos hasta ahorita
el mas sencillo de los cuentos hasta ahorita
May 27, 2024
Short story.. 👍
May 21, 2024
“La historia interminable” es un libro imprescindible no solo para amantes de la fantasía, sino para cualquier persona apasionada por los libros. Michael Ende logra transmitir toda la complejidad del mundo en una sola idea, y su magia con las palabras nos transporta a mundos tanto reales como fantásticos
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews