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Beyond Lies the Wub
“We are a very old race,” the wub said. “Very old and very ponderous. It is difficult for us to move around. You can appreciate that anything so slow and heavy would be at the mercy of more agile forms of life. There was no use in our relying on physical defenses. How could we win? Too heavy to run, too soft to fight, too good-natured to hunt for game—”
397 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 1, 1951
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About the author
Philip K. Dick
1,934 books22.9k 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 - 30 of 281 reviews
December 7, 2020
Philip.K.Dick’s first published story ‘Beyond lies the Wub,’ tells the story of a Captain and his crew returning to Earth from Mars, having purchased various creatures with a view to eating them. Among these creatures is a Wub.
What is a Wub? A Wub is like a huge pig, but unlike your regular pig, he’s telepathic and likes to discuss philosophy and myths. The Captain thinks the Wub would make a great meal, after all he must weigh around 400 pounds, but not all of the crew are in agreement. Would you eat the dinner that had just been philosophising with you?
Short, thought provoking, but amusing tale.
What is a Wub? A Wub is like a huge pig, but unlike your regular pig, he’s telepathic and likes to discuss philosophy and myths. The Captain thinks the Wub would make a great meal, after all he must weigh around 400 pounds, but not all of the crew are in agreement. Would you eat the dinner that had just been philosophising with you?
Short, thought provoking, but amusing tale.
January 19, 2020
Philip K. Dick's first published short story (Planet Stories, July 1952), begins with what may have been a familiar plot point even by the early 50's: a space ship crew, having acquired a cargo-hold filled with alien animals for food, plans to devour a creature--the "wub" of the title--more intelligent and psychically gifted than all the humans on the ship put together. Of course, things do not turn out as expected.
In spite of this conventional theme, this Dick tale is memorable for two reasons: 1) the humorous yet melancholy characterization of the wub which, in addition to being entertaining in itself, disarms the reader and leaves him unprepared for..., 2) the conclusion, which--in addition to being surprising and amusing--calls into question (as Dick would often do in the future) the nature of human personality and the persistence of individual identity.
All in all, a pretty good start for a writer's public career.
October 5, 2019
I’ve been reading a fair bit of Philip K. Dick this year and so felt it would be fun to tackle his first published SF story, “Beyond Lies the Wub” (Planet Stories, July 1952). Not surprisingly, it is a bit odd. Like his other works, PKD presents the reader with the possibility of new realities, in this case, an alien creature known as a wub that is intelligent and telepathic (even though it most resembles a huge pig and admits it would be delicious to eat). It describes itself as “Tolerant, eclectic, catholic. We live and let live.” As he makes his plea not to be dinner, the wub demonstrates that he is a free-willed, thinking creature. As he connects his argument to mythological archetypes (repeatedly invoking Odysseus to make his case), the wub moves toward a definition of what it means to be human.
Even though this work is from very early in his career, the twist at the end definitely reminded me of PKD. I plan to read more of PKD’s short fiction. I still prefer his more developed fiction, but I enjoyed this quick trip into strangeness. 3.25 stars
Even though this work is from very early in his career, the twist at the end definitely reminded me of PKD. I plan to read more of PKD’s short fiction. I still prefer his more developed fiction, but I enjoyed this quick trip into strangeness. 3.25 stars
April 15, 2019
What is a wub?
A wub is like a big telepathic pig that is cultured and likes to discuss philosophy and myths.
There is almost no way to review this brilliant, original 1952 publication from a very young PKD (24 years old) without spoiling, so I’ll just write that if you call yourself a science fiction fan you should invest the less than 15 minutes it will take to read.
An upper level English course called Science Fiction literature should include a discussion of this excellent short work.
** 2019 addendum - it is a testament to great literature that a reader recalls the work years later and this is a story about which I frequently think.
A wub is like a big telepathic pig that is cultured and likes to discuss philosophy and myths.
There is almost no way to review this brilliant, original 1952 publication from a very young PKD (24 years old) without spoiling, so I’ll just write that if you call yourself a science fiction fan you should invest the less than 15 minutes it will take to read.
An upper level English course called Science Fiction literature should include a discussion of this excellent short work.
** 2019 addendum - it is a testament to great literature that a reader recalls the work years later and this is a story about which I frequently think.
December 31, 2018
Philip K. Dick's first published story, from 1952, has a group of humans loading up their spaceship with various birds and animals from Mars, which they plan to eat on the way back to Earth, despite the disapproval of the Martians. Captain Franco, it is clear from the start, is a boorish guy. But Franco approves when one of his men, Peterson, shows up with a 400 pound pig-like animal called a wub. Clearly good eating is ahead!
But it quickly turns out that the wub is an intelligent, sentient being, with a taste for philosophical discussions and a self-deprecating sense of humor, not to mention some other powers. Can the men on the spaceship really kill and eat it? Franco, undaunted, says yes, definitely, even though the wub and at least some of his men disagree with that plan.
There's a nice twist to the story, but I liked that Philip Dick reached beyond the standard space adventure plot to explore some deeper themes about ethics and use of resources. It's interesting that the leader of the humans, their captain, apparently has the least moral development.
This short story is free online here at Project Gutenberg.
But it quickly turns out that the wub is an intelligent, sentient being, with a taste for philosophical discussions and a self-deprecating sense of humor, not to mention some other powers. Can the men on the spaceship really kill and eat it? Franco, undaunted, says yes, definitely, even though the wub and at least some of his men disagree with that plan.
There's a nice twist to the story, but I liked that Philip Dick reached beyond the standard space adventure plot to explore some deeper themes about ethics and use of resources. It's interesting that the leader of the humans, their captain, apparently has the least moral development.
This short story is free online here at Project Gutenberg.
May 27, 2018
PKD's first published story.
Sooooo short, very funny. :)
Me, personally, I'd have just talked with the poor alien and enjoyed his company, but you know how these idiot humans are. Always thinking with their stomachs. :)
Good thing the revenge was totally apropos. :)
Very fun. Classic PKD. :)
Sooooo short, very funny. :)
Me, personally, I'd have just talked with the poor alien and enjoyed his company, but you know how these idiot humans are. Always thinking with their stomachs. :)
Good thing the revenge was totally apropos. :)
Very fun. Classic PKD. :)
September 13, 2016
Thoroughly enjoyed this story.
What would happen if your dinner could talk to you and asked you not to eat it?
Philip K. Dick has the answer [=
What would happen if your dinner could talk to you and asked you not to eat it?
Philip K. Dick has the answer [=
April 20, 2024
داستان درمورد موجودی فضایی شبیه یه خوک چاق و تنبل هست به نام “واب” که میتونه با تلپاتی با انسان ها ارتباط برقرار کنه و یه جورایی یه موجود دارای هوش و آگاهی هست که افراد داخل سفینه قصد کشتنش رو دارن(که بتونن گوشتشو بخورن) و جلوتر افراد داخل سفینه متوجه این موضوع(هوش و ذکاوتش)میشن و بقیه ی داستان که باید خودتون بخونین.و اینکه آخر داستان مثل داستان های دیگه ی فیلیپ کی دیک یه پلات توئیست خفن داره.
July 17, 2014
I AM A WORM..
When I was in class tenth,we had a chapter on Nehru,an extract from his 'discovery of India' in our English text. While lecturing on that,our teacher used to ask us students what we were in comparison to the great brains like Nehru and Wells. Hearing our silence,he would answer his own question,making us repeat after him,"WE ARE WORMS". And after that every time he asked us 'what are you',we answered,"I AM A WORM". So every time I hear of a worm or read of it,I am automatically led to think of myself.
Seeing the wub in this story talking of Odysseus and democracy and individuation and reading our minds,and reading about the super frog in Murakami's 'After the quake' talking about Dostoevsky,Hemingway and Tolstoy,I am led to think of the truth behind the position that humans are the superior intellects on this earth. What if we are nothing but a tiny worm in the chain of life.?! What if we are nothing but minute components of an extremely sophisticated program.? If we were given a glance of our stand,would we be anymore humble.? Or would we lynch that being who shows the reality like the one in 'the man who saw the future'?
A QUESTION TO THE NON-VEGETARIANS OUT THERE INCLUDING ME..
If you were to meet your would-be food before it's killed,and if it were to talk to you of of your own thoughts and your philosophy and of the faults and fineries of humanity,would you still eat it.? If you know that it is another being like you with all the sophisticated thought processes with an ability to comprehend and appreciate things like you do,would you still be able to savor it like you did in the past.?
I won't blame others but would raise the first finger against myself. I am a lover of dishes made of chicken,and friends of mine mockingly call KFC my grandpa's house. I'm sure I'm not going to look at it the same way as before. I'm deeply moved,but how deeply is left to be seen.
Thought-provoking,original,deeply moving.
HIGHEST RECOMMENDATION.
When I was in class tenth,we had a chapter on Nehru,an extract from his 'discovery of India' in our English text. While lecturing on that,our teacher used to ask us students what we were in comparison to the great brains like Nehru and Wells. Hearing our silence,he would answer his own question,making us repeat after him,"WE ARE WORMS". And after that every time he asked us 'what are you',we answered,"I AM A WORM". So every time I hear of a worm or read of it,I am automatically led to think of myself.
Seeing the wub in this story talking of Odysseus and democracy and individuation and reading our minds,and reading about the super frog in Murakami's 'After the quake' talking about Dostoevsky,Hemingway and Tolstoy,I am led to think of the truth behind the position that humans are the superior intellects on this earth. What if we are nothing but a tiny worm in the chain of life.?! What if we are nothing but minute components of an extremely sophisticated program.? If we were given a glance of our stand,would we be anymore humble.? Or would we lynch that being who shows the reality like the one in 'the man who saw the future'?
A QUESTION TO THE NON-VEGETARIANS OUT THERE INCLUDING ME..
If you were to meet your would-be food before it's killed,and if it were to talk to you of of your own thoughts and your philosophy and of the faults and fineries of humanity,would you still eat it.? If you know that it is another being like you with all the sophisticated thought processes with an ability to comprehend and appreciate things like you do,would you still be able to savor it like you did in the past.?
I won't blame others but would raise the first finger against myself. I am a lover of dishes made of chicken,and friends of mine mockingly call KFC my grandpa's house. I'm sure I'm not going to look at it the same way as before. I'm deeply moved,but how deeply is left to be seen.
Thought-provoking,original,deeply moving.
HIGHEST RECOMMENDATION.
February 24, 2021
Never thought I would say the words "cute" and "science fiction" in the same sentence but that's what this is: a cute science fiction story.
Captain and his team are returning from an interplanetary expedition after capturing some galactic creatures. One such special creature is the wub, who appears to the crew to be some kind of giant pig. While the Captain ponders over what to do with the heavy animal that is making his spaceship use extra fuel, a surprising twist occurs.
I enjoyed this story a lot. It has many funny moments and it moves really quickly because of the conversational pattern. While there are a bit too many Christian references in the conversation, I guess it's the norm for a sci-fi story written in the 1950s.
This story is in the public domain and available on Project Gutenberg.
***********************
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Captain and his team are returning from an interplanetary expedition after capturing some galactic creatures. One such special creature is the wub, who appears to the crew to be some kind of giant pig. While the Captain ponders over what to do with the heavy animal that is making his spaceship use extra fuel, a surprising twist occurs.
I enjoyed this story a lot. It has many funny moments and it moves really quickly because of the conversational pattern. While there are a bit too many Christian references in the conversation, I guess it's the norm for a sci-fi story written in the 1950s.
This story is in the public domain and available on Project Gutenberg.
***********************
Join me on the Facebook group, Readers Forever! , for more reviews, book-related discussions and fun.
Follow me on Instagram: RoshReviews
May 27, 2018
This is a very funny and very short short story.
A crew is travelling from Mars back to Earth and since they are starving, they contemplate killing and eating a pig-like creature one of the crew members purchased on Mars - the titular wub.
This, however, is no ordinary creature as the captain soon find out in a very funny way. *lol*
Can't put my finger on where I've heard the narrator before but he was VERY good in imitating the different accents of the crew members as well as giving the wub a voice of its own that was distinguishable.
A crew is travelling from Mars back to Earth and since they are starving, they contemplate killing and eating a pig-like creature one of the crew members purchased on Mars - the titular wub.
This, however, is no ordinary creature as the captain soon find out in a very funny way. *lol*
Can't put my finger on where I've heard the narrator before but he was VERY good in imitating the different accents of the crew members as well as giving the wub a voice of its own that was distinguishable.
November 19, 2020
This was the first published story by one of the masters of science fiction himself, an author I hate to admit I have never read. It is one of his stories that is available for free on amazon, or on Project Gutenberg, or in another one of many places online. Philip K. Dick may not be an author I’ve read, but that does not mean that I have not loved some of his ideas.
We all know him as the writer behind Blade Runner, an epic cult scifi classic. But did you also know that Hollywood has made so many of his stories into movies also? Like Impostor with Gary Sinise, Paycheck with Ben Affleck, Minority Report with Tom Cruise, Next with Nick Cage. A lot of those movies I really loved before really getting into science fiction novels and stories. Amazon also created a very awesome limited TV series anthology with each episode reenacting one of Dick’s stories. His ideas of technology and humanity or progression going too far, or the downside of scientific advancement are all very cutting edge and extremely relevant. I applaud him for writing about the ethics and morality behind the science, to examine our society and culture and where we are going. He dives deep in many of his themes and this very short story is no exception. It has some funny moments, but it is a story that makes me feel uncomfortable. It examines humanity and our society of excess. And this story was written in 1952. I can’t imagine how he would feel about our society now.
It begins on Mars where a crew of explorers and their captain are loading up the ship with animals that they have found there and intend to eat on the way home. One of the crew comes up with an enormous pig like creature that the Martians call a wub, and the captain salivates just thinking of the meal the creature will provide.
Tides are turned when the wub turns out to be intelligent and communicative, and discusses philosophy and myth. It also seems as though the wub actually has powers beyond human capacity, but it is not a creature disposed to violence.
Even with his revelation, the captain cannot see the creature as anything other than a tasty meal, despite protests from his crew. The ending has a clever twist to it that I enjoyed. This story packs a rather large punch for being so short, and I will always appreciate a story that makes me think long after I’ve finished. Recommended! 4 stars.
Day twelve of my November challenge to try and read one science fiction or fantasy short story a day.
We all know him as the writer behind Blade Runner, an epic cult scifi classic. But did you also know that Hollywood has made so many of his stories into movies also? Like Impostor with Gary Sinise, Paycheck with Ben Affleck, Minority Report with Tom Cruise, Next with Nick Cage. A lot of those movies I really loved before really getting into science fiction novels and stories. Amazon also created a very awesome limited TV series anthology with each episode reenacting one of Dick’s stories. His ideas of technology and humanity or progression going too far, or the downside of scientific advancement are all very cutting edge and extremely relevant. I applaud him for writing about the ethics and morality behind the science, to examine our society and culture and where we are going. He dives deep in many of his themes and this very short story is no exception. It has some funny moments, but it is a story that makes me feel uncomfortable. It examines humanity and our society of excess. And this story was written in 1952. I can’t imagine how he would feel about our society now.
It begins on Mars where a crew of explorers and their captain are loading up the ship with animals that they have found there and intend to eat on the way home. One of the crew comes up with an enormous pig like creature that the Martians call a wub, and the captain salivates just thinking of the meal the creature will provide.
Tides are turned when the wub turns out to be intelligent and communicative, and discusses philosophy and myth. It also seems as though the wub actually has powers beyond human capacity, but it is not a creature disposed to violence.
We're very catholic. Tolerant, eclectic, catholic. We live and let live. That's how we've gotten along.
Even with his revelation, the captain cannot see the creature as anything other than a tasty meal, despite protests from his crew. The ending has a clever twist to it that I enjoyed. This story packs a rather large punch for being so short, and I will always appreciate a story that makes me think long after I’ve finished. Recommended! 4 stars.
Day twelve of my November challenge to try and read one science fiction or fantasy short story a day.
August 18, 2021
In addition to 44 published novels, Dick wrote approximately 121 short stories, most of which appeared in science fiction magazines during his lifetime. Although Dick spent most of his career as a writer in near-poverty, ten of his stories have been adapted into popular films since his death, including Blade Runner, Total Recall, A Scanner Darkly, Minority Report, Paycheck, Next, Screamers, and The Adjustment Bureau.
Beyond Lies the Wub by Philip K. Dick is one of the author's many short stories. "The wub, sir," Peterson said. "It spoke!" The slovenly wub might well have said: Many men talk like philosophers and live like fools. It was brought on board the spaceship with the intent of cooking and eating it on the long return trip; but as is often the case the best laid plans often go awry...Beyond Lies the Wub was Philip K. Dick's first published story and appeared in the legendary ”Planet Stories” pulp magazine.
Beyond Lies the Wub by Philip K. Dick is one of the author's many short stories. "The wub, sir," Peterson said. "It spoke!" The slovenly wub might well have said: Many men talk like philosophers and live like fools. It was brought on board the spaceship with the intent of cooking and eating it on the long return trip; but as is often the case the best laid plans often go awry...Beyond Lies the Wub was Philip K. Dick's first published story and appeared in the legendary ”Planet Stories” pulp magazine.
March 3, 2017
This little book consists of 5 short stories by Philip K. Dick. This is my first read from Dick. I never get to like short stories much but these stories are much better than what I expected of them. Due to a small "errand" caused by the editor of the book, I couldn't enjoy the first story after which the book is named. I bought the book online from a Turkish bookstore. It was the only Philip K. Dick book available in English. After I got the book, I read the "introduction" on the back cover. But there were no introduction but an abstract full of spoilers of the first story Beyond Lies the Wub. This is the errand I was talking about. Here are the stories in the books, and my thoughts on them :
- Beyond Lies The Wub
A wub is a pig like animal from Mars. I couldn’t help myself from imagining the wub like a fat Chewbacca It looks like "animal" but it has more capabilities than just reading. It can speak telepathically without knowing the language, it can read the others mind, and it can do some other things which are not mentioned but makes this story interesting. I didn’t like the story much due to that errand I talked about but I believe I would have like it more if I hadn’t got the spoilers. You can read the back cover information here, but I will tag it as spoilers for those who might does not wants to get any spoilers.
- The Crystal Crypt
A story of some Terra people who “blow a Martian city up.” Yet, it is said that they did not destruct the city but only get the whole city inside a little crystal crypt. And they are on the last spaceship to turn back to earth now. I read it and I didn’t like it much. But idea of a crystal crypt was really good. But in the story they can’t distinguish a Terran from a Martian. That is what made them get caught I could say.
- The Defenders
My favorite story of the book is The Defenders. It is a tale of a world war after the Cold War. The war is between two polar, America & Soviets. But wars is everywhere, from Americas to Africa, From Europe to South East Asia. A war of life and death for each hemisphere. After a few months the war begins, people go under surface and live there for eight years. Intelligent Robots which are called Leadys and resistant to A bombs keep the war going. Or, it is what people thinks. On the surface everything is more complicated. When a problems occurs on the last report of a robot to people, a group of technicians and soldiers are sent to see what’s going on the surface. The Leadys does not permit to get underground again for fear of what they have been trying to accomplish for years might go in vain. An A class Leady reports their aim as such:
“It is the goal of the history, unifying the world. From family to tribe to city-state to nation to hemisphere, the direction has been toward unification. Now the hemispheres will be joined…”
- Gun
A spaceship arrives a new world where they never anticipated there would be life up there. But when the ship reaches the atmosphere, a huge gun is shot and harms them. But there is no life in this world and the gun is there to protect the buried treasure lies beneath it. I didn’t understand how the race in that world could set up a system like that to protect their treasure in a perilous time of wars.
- Skull
A story kind of the movie “Predestination.” A story of time-travel with its paradoxes….
July 3, 2017
Don’t Parley with Your Food!
Appearing in “Planet Stories” in 1952, Beyond Lies the Wub, the first story by Dick that was published, could actually make you become a vegetarian. It invites us on board a spacecraft that has just taken provisions, mainly animals, on Mars and is now on its way back to earth.
One of the animals that have been taken aboard, an enormous pig-like creature, which the Martians call a wub, and which makes the captain’s mouth water already, turns out to be an intelligent creature, endowed with the gift of speech and telepathic powers. It is strongly opposed to being made into a main course, although it concedes that it has heard people praise the pleasures its meat affords to the palate, but still it would consider any form of processing in the galley an unfriendly, even a barbaric act. Captain Franco – is his name a coincidence? –, however, remains generally unimpressed by all these arguments and even by the wub’s inclination to discuss mythology, and he is even willing to carry out the act of slaughter himself, with a certain pride in his cold-bloodedness. All the wub asks him then is for him to look into its eyes while he is firing the mortal bullet … with surprising consequences.
The story is not only food for thought, if you pardon the pun, but also grimly funny, for example in a passage like this:
This story actually got me thinking on why some people nowadays take photos of their food and post them.
Appearing in “Planet Stories” in 1952, Beyond Lies the Wub, the first story by Dick that was published, could actually make you become a vegetarian. It invites us on board a spacecraft that has just taken provisions, mainly animals, on Mars and is now on its way back to earth.
One of the animals that have been taken aboard, an enormous pig-like creature, which the Martians call a wub, and which makes the captain’s mouth water already, turns out to be an intelligent creature, endowed with the gift of speech and telepathic powers. It is strongly opposed to being made into a main course, although it concedes that it has heard people praise the pleasures its meat affords to the palate, but still it would consider any form of processing in the galley an unfriendly, even a barbaric act. Captain Franco – is his name a coincidence? –, however, remains generally unimpressed by all these arguments and even by the wub’s inclination to discuss mythology, and he is even willing to carry out the act of slaughter himself, with a certain pride in his cold-bloodedness. All the wub asks him then is for him to look into its eyes while he is firing the mortal bullet … with surprising consequences.
The story is not only food for thought, if you pardon the pun, but also grimly funny, for example in a passage like this:
”French nodded. ‘Try to hit the brain. It’s no good for eating. Don’t hit the chest. If the rib cage shatters, we’ll have to pick bones out.’ […]
‘I’m going out,’ Jones said, his face white and sick. ‘I don’t want to see it.’
‘Me, too,’ French [!!!] said.”
This story actually got me thinking on why some people nowadays take photos of their food and post them.
November 20, 2020
I found this a quick fun listen as a group of astronauts visiting Mars encounter a "Wub" (described as a rather large pig). The astronauts being hungry naturally consider eating the Wub, till the Wub speaks to them.
At just under 18 minutes the author has us contemplating what exactly is intelligence and where we draw the line between civility and barbarism. Is our survival paramount (i.e. do they ends justify the means).
A good short story that shows us the knack that the author has for taking a simple idea and pushing it all the way past the norm.
At just under 18 minutes the author has us contemplating what exactly is intelligence and where we draw the line between civility and barbarism. Is our survival paramount (i.e. do they ends justify the means).
A good short story that shows us the knack that the author has for taking a simple idea and pushing it all the way past the norm.
May 24, 2020
I believe this was Dick’s first ever published work, so wanted to see what it was all about. Received it from a free offer. You can tell it’s from his early stuff, but the deeper lying psychological stuff is present even then.
October 21, 2012
I don't know about you, but I picture the wub as a big Guinea Pig. Something like this perhaps:
I have to say that originally I rated this story with 3 stars: enjoyable but nothing special. And then it hit me. What if the wub wasn't really a space hog? what if the space hog was just an animal that previously ATE whatever else had the wub inside it, and was taken over by it? What if the wub "individuates", as he puts it, not by leaving his group in space or time, but by leaving the group "corporally", i.e. body to body? Questions like these immediately lifted this story up for me to a much higher level than I previously assumed...
The hero myth of Oedipus that the wub spoke about refers to the hero going out, individuating, collecting knowledge and then returning to his group. (For more on this check out: The Hero With a Thousand Faces.) Hence at the end of this short story I would have liked the wub, whom I see as the hero on his mythical journey, to be able to return to his people with the knowledge he's learned. But I guess this story is only about a single step in his journey, and so he hasn't finished it yet.
I have to say that originally I rated this story with 3 stars: enjoyable but nothing special. And then it hit me. What if the wub wasn't really a space hog? what if the space hog was just an animal that previously ATE whatever else had the wub inside it, and was taken over by it? What if the wub "individuates", as he puts it, not by leaving his group in space or time, but by leaving the group "corporally", i.e. body to body? Questions like these immediately lifted this story up for me to a much higher level than I previously assumed...
The hero myth of Oedipus that the wub spoke about refers to the hero going out, individuating, collecting knowledge and then returning to his group. (For more on this check out: The Hero With a Thousand Faces.) Hence at the end of this short story I would have liked the wub, whom I see as the hero on his mythical journey, to be able to return to his people with the knowledge he's learned. But I guess this story is only about a single step in his journey, and so he hasn't finished it yet.
April 7, 2012
Dick isn't the greatest of scribblers--characters move with thin or confounding motives at times, flat dialogue--but the situations are magnificent. A ship presumably filling its hold ark-like for a long trip picks up a wub, a filthy creature supposedly tasty but also telepathic and intelligent. From here, as they cynically say, the hilarity ensues. A quick punch in the ethical gut.
March 9, 2026
I liked the title story and Paycheck but the sad truth is that almost all the stories are pretty weak. The one really good story is The Great C. It is about a post apocalyptic society where people have the chance to ask an AI three questions every year. If the AI fails to answer it will shut itself off, but if it answers it demands a human sacrifice. To keep running. So what questions would you ask?
The story was written in 1953 when the term AI was not yet invented and certainly no LLMs. But the Great C is of course exactly that. Lets hope that the existing ones will not ask for human sacrifices for some time (at least not in the literal sense).
The story was written in 1953 when the term AI was not yet invented and certainly no LLMs. But the Great C is of course exactly that. Lets hope that the existing ones will not ask for human sacrifices for some time (at least not in the literal sense).
January 8, 2014
"Many men talk like philosophers and live like fools."
PROs:
* Original plot
* Interesting ethical ideas brought up
* Surprising twist at the end
CONs:
* Too short to really delve deeply into any ideas
* Simplistic dialogue
This is one of Phillip K. Dick's shortest short stories. It can easily be read and understood in less than thirty minutes, making it an easy and rewarding read. The plot is different from anything I've seen before and it has a good ending. I think it has breached potential.
"But wouldn't it be more in accord with your principles of democracy if we all drew straws, or something along that line? After all, democracy is to protect the minority from just such infringements."
PROs:
* Original plot
* Interesting ethical ideas brought up
* Surprising twist at the end
CONs:
* Too short to really delve deeply into any ideas
* Simplistic dialogue
This is one of Phillip K. Dick's shortest short stories. It can easily be read and understood in less than thirty minutes, making it an easy and rewarding read. The plot is different from anything I've seen before and it has a good ending. I think it has breached potential.
"But wouldn't it be more in accord with your principles of democracy if we all drew straws, or something along that line? After all, democracy is to protect the minority from just such infringements."
April 25, 2021
A great little 5-minute read. Clearly I need to read more of PKD's short fiction.
July 8, 2018
Back on the farm we had hogs, dirty razor-back hogs. I can do it.
ფრიად აღსაფრთოვანებელი მოთხრობაა.
ფრიად აღსაფრთოვანებელი მოთხრობაა.
November 14, 2017
Haha! Original, too.
May 19, 2014
"Beyond Lies the Wub" is an interesting early short story, that is richer than may seem at first glance. Mythology, religion, and philosophy form a backdrop to the story. In particular, there are references to Odysseus and to Epicureanism.
I think the Odysseus reference could be filled out in several ways. Odysseus does not rely on brute force like Achilles, but on intelligence, cunning, ruse. This is another case where we can identify the Wub with Odysseus, as against the Achilles-like Captain. Futher, Odysseus had the idea of the Trojan Horse, and now the Captain’s body is a Trojan Horse concealing the Wub and carrying it back to Earth.
The eating of the Wub feels like a Eucharist scene, given that he talked about the parable of your Saviour, so “this is my body”; especially as it was accompanied by wine.
The little introduction: ” The slovenly wub might well have said: Many men talk like philosophers and live like fool.” seems to be a reference to the Epicurean philosophers, who held pleasure as the highest good. They were compared to swine by their critiques, mere gluttons. According to John Stuart Mill:
“When thus attacked, the Epicureans have always answered, that it is not they, but their accusers, who represent human nature in a degrading light; since the accusation supposes human beings to be capable of no pleasures except those of which swine are capable”
This seems to be the case in the story, where Captain Franco is the true swine (all he can think of is eating the wub, he has no care for its intelligence and culture, and so lives like a fool), despite his human body. The Wub is the philosopher despite his swine body (although he does take pleasure in eating too).
As for the name “wub”, I think it may be a “nonce word”, coined to be used for the occasion, for the nonce. It resembles Lewis Carroll’s “wabe” in Jabberwocky, which Humpty Dumpty glosses as the grass around a sundial because it “goes a long way before it, and a long way behind it”. As there is “beyond” in the title, this suggests that the wub, which originated “way behind us” in time, lies “way beyond” us in evolution and mental capacity.
Note: the idea that there is an Epicurean reference, however playful, is confirmed by the sequel "Not by its Cover", which I have not yet read. According to the Wikipedia entry: "Wub fur, so the story suggests, continues to live after the "death" of the Wub, and as such is highly prized owing to its postmortem production of a luxurious pelt that has numerous, albeit trivial, human applications. One such application is its use as a book cover by a Mars based publisher who issues a new Latin volume of Lucretius' poem De Rerum Natura (On the Nature of Things)".
I think the Odysseus reference could be filled out in several ways. Odysseus does not rely on brute force like Achilles, but on intelligence, cunning, ruse. This is another case where we can identify the Wub with Odysseus, as against the Achilles-like Captain. Futher, Odysseus had the idea of the Trojan Horse, and now the Captain’s body is a Trojan Horse concealing the Wub and carrying it back to Earth.
The eating of the Wub feels like a Eucharist scene, given that he talked about the parable of your Saviour, so “this is my body”; especially as it was accompanied by wine.
The little introduction: ” The slovenly wub might well have said: Many men talk like philosophers and live like fool.” seems to be a reference to the Epicurean philosophers, who held pleasure as the highest good. They were compared to swine by their critiques, mere gluttons. According to John Stuart Mill:
“When thus attacked, the Epicureans have always answered, that it is not they, but their accusers, who represent human nature in a degrading light; since the accusation supposes human beings to be capable of no pleasures except those of which swine are capable”
This seems to be the case in the story, where Captain Franco is the true swine (all he can think of is eating the wub, he has no care for its intelligence and culture, and so lives like a fool), despite his human body. The Wub is the philosopher despite his swine body (although he does take pleasure in eating too).
As for the name “wub”, I think it may be a “nonce word”, coined to be used for the occasion, for the nonce. It resembles Lewis Carroll’s “wabe” in Jabberwocky, which Humpty Dumpty glosses as the grass around a sundial because it “goes a long way before it, and a long way behind it”. As there is “beyond” in the title, this suggests that the wub, which originated “way behind us” in time, lies “way beyond” us in evolution and mental capacity.
Note: the idea that there is an Epicurean reference, however playful, is confirmed by the sequel "Not by its Cover", which I have not yet read. According to the Wikipedia entry: "Wub fur, so the story suggests, continues to live after the "death" of the Wub, and as such is highly prized owing to its postmortem production of a luxurious pelt that has numerous, albeit trivial, human applications. One such application is its use as a book cover by a Mars based publisher who issues a new Latin volume of Lucretius' poem De Rerum Natura (On the Nature of Things)".
February 23, 2013
Among the five stories included in this book, my favourite story is the third story "The Defenders"; Americans are fighting against Russians in a hot war, which is going on on the surface of the world via robots and the people are beneath the Earth. The end of the story is, of course not to mention, a characteristic property of a Philip K. Dick novel, very striking!
In the first story "Behind lies the Wub" (this story also names the book), Philip discusses the "discrimination" and "violence" and he strictly relates them to eachother; and raises the questions who are "they" and who are "we". And story ends again with a very interesting situation. Futher going deep into this subject, just after finishing this story, one may read the book "The Anatomy of Human Destructiveness", written by Erich Fromm.
The second story in the book, "The Crystal Crypt", is also very fascinating; in the opening scene, there is a ship that is about to leave planet Mars. This is the last ship carrying humanbeings to their home Earth due to some politic conflict between Mars natives (a species slightly different from humans); but its departure is postponed for a while by the Mars authorities due to a terorist attack in one of the main and very populated cities of Mars people. Story-teller creates so vivid scenes that you really feel yourself in that ship.
The fourth story, "The Gun", is also very good, it begins with an atomic blast and the author again raises questions against the motives for the violence and destructiveness of human nature.
The fifth story, "The Skull" is not very stunning like the first four but it is also worth reading.
The main drawback of the stories in this book is that they are really short; but may be it is the main reason that makes them worth reading!
In the first story "Behind lies the Wub" (this story also names the book), Philip discusses the "discrimination" and "violence" and he strictly relates them to eachother; and raises the questions who are "they" and who are "we". And story ends again with a very interesting situation. Futher going deep into this subject, just after finishing this story, one may read the book "The Anatomy of Human Destructiveness", written by Erich Fromm.
The second story in the book, "The Crystal Crypt", is also very fascinating; in the opening scene, there is a ship that is about to leave planet Mars. This is the last ship carrying humanbeings to their home Earth due to some politic conflict between Mars natives (a species slightly different from humans); but its departure is postponed for a while by the Mars authorities due to a terorist attack in one of the main and very populated cities of Mars people. Story-teller creates so vivid scenes that you really feel yourself in that ship.
The fourth story, "The Gun", is also very good, it begins with an atomic blast and the author again raises questions against the motives for the violence and destructiveness of human nature.
The fifth story, "The Skull" is not very stunning like the first four but it is also worth reading.
The main drawback of the stories in this book is that they are really short; but may be it is the main reason that makes them worth reading!
May 31, 2018
http://www.gutenberg.org/files/28554/...
-- originally published in Planet Stories in July 1952.
Short and.... Well. Things don't end well for the wub. But the taste, I understand, was excellent. ;-}
-- originally published in Planet Stories in July 1952.
Short and.... Well. Things don't end well for the wub. But the taste, I understand, was excellent. ;-}
June 27, 2016
Another PKD short work. Interesting story with an interesting twist. The Wub is great! An excellent quick read.
May 13, 2024
I'm not a short story person, but it turns out there's some I quite like! A fabulously simple and yet complex examination of human nature. A small crew leave a planet with an intelligent creature called a Wub in their custody, discussing philosophy and morality while the Captain decides whether or not to eat it. Punchy and thought-provoking.
March 14, 2018
As expected from a Philip K Dick book, that was trippy. Talky in the style of golden and silver age science fiction, but I have a fondness for the style as some of my first science fiction exposure was in that style.
Not a bad plot, it's a quick read and available free from Project Gutenberg.
Not a bad plot, it's a quick read and available free from Project Gutenberg.
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