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    The Defenders
    The Defenders
    The Defenders
    Ebook53 pages40 minutes

    The Defenders

    By Ed Emshwiller and Philip K. Dick

    4/5

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    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherArchive Classics
    Release dateJun 1, 2007

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    Reviews for The Defenders

    4/5

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    • 5/5
      This is the second Philip K. Dick story I've read and I have to say that it was a great read. I wasn't expecting such a difference from the post-apocalyptic/robotic future type story that this was. I'm looking forward to diving further into Dick's stories that I have loaded up on my Kindle and iPod (audiobooks).
    • 4/5
      Interesting premise and overall a Philip K. Dick book. Not of his best caliber but a fun read non the less.
    • 4/5
      The human race has been living underground for eight years since the beginning of a nuclear war between the United States and the Soviet Union. On the surface, robots known as Leadys continue the fight on behalf of their creators, but when US officials question one of the robots, they become suspicious and decide to travel to the surface to witness conditions for themselves.
    • 5/5
      The entire surface of the planet has been rendered uninhabitable. People now live deep underground and rely on their robotic creations to fight their wars top-side. Nearly a decade after going subterranean, suspicions arise about what the world is really like above ground. The Defenders is a short but satisfying read. Recommended for science fiction fans.
    • 3/5
      As a commentary on power, “The Defenders” is fascinating and complex. The leadies have no real power over the humans. Due to their programming they cannot harm the humans who reach the surface. They put on a good show however and are capable of threats, but not real violence. Their power depends only on deception and the use of media. They destroy model cities and project the images of destruction down to the bunkers. If “The Defenders” is Dick’s vision of the extent of political power, he is strikingly optimistic about the weakness of states and their reliance of informal sources of power, such as ideology and mass media. Good short read.

    Book preview

    The Defenders - Ed Emshwiller

    The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Defenders, by Philip K. Dick

    This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with

    almost no restrictions whatsoever.  You may copy it, give it away or

    re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included

    with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org

    Title: The Defenders

    Author: Philip K. Dick

    Illustrator: Ed Emshwiller

    Release Date: May 12, 2009 [EBook #28767]

    Language: English

    *** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE DEFENDERS ***

    Produced by Greg Weeks, Stephen Blundell and the Online

    Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net

    The Defenders

    By PHILIP K. DICK

    No weapon

    has ever been frightful enough

    to put a stop to war

    —perhaps because

    we never before had any

    that thought

    for themselves!

    Illustrated by EMSH

    Taylor sat back in his chair reading the morning newspaper. The warm kitchen and the smell of coffee blended with the comfort of not having to go to work. This was his Rest Period, the first for a long time, and he was glad of it. He folded the second section back, sighing with contentment.

    What is it? Mary said, from the stove.

    They pasted Moscow again last night. Taylor nodded his head in approval. Gave it a real pounding. One of those R-H bombs. It's about time.

    He nodded again, feeling the full comfort of the kitchen, the presence of his plump, attractive wife, the breakfast dishes and coffee. This was relaxation. And the war news was good, good and satisfying. He could feel a justifiable glow at the news, a sense of pride and personal accomplishment. After all, he was an integral part of the war program, not just another factory worker lugging a cart of scrap, but a technician, one of those who designed and planned the nerve-trunk of the war.

    "It says they have the new subs almost perfected. Wait until they get those going. He smacked his lips with anticipation. When they start shelling from underwater, the Soviets are sure going to be surprised."

    They're doing a wonderful job, Mary agreed vaguely. Do you know what we saw today? Our team is getting a leady to show to the school children. I saw the leady, but only for a moment. It's good for the children to see what their contributions are going for, don't you think?

    She looked around at him.

    A leady, Taylor murmured. He put the newspaper slowly down. Well, make sure it's decontaminated properly. We don't want to take any chances.

    Oh, they always bathe them when they're brought down from the surface, Mary said. They wouldn't think of letting them down without the bath. Would they? She hesitated, thinking back. Don, you know, it makes me remember—

    He nodded. I know.

    He knew what she was thinking. Once in the very first weeks of the war, before everyone had been evacuated from the surface, they had seen a hospital train discharging the wounded, people who had been showered with sleet. He remembered the way they had looked, the expression on their faces, or as much of their faces as was left. It had not been a pleasant sight.

    There had been a lot of that at first, in the early days before the transfer to undersurface was complete. There had been a lot, and it hadn't been very difficult to come across it.

    Taylor looked up at his wife. She was thinking too much about it, the last few months. They all were.

    "Forget

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