Breakfast At Twilight: Short Story

By Philip K. Dick

When the McLean family wakes up on a foggy weekday morning, they have no idea that the world around them has changed overnight. After soldiers burst through their front door from the dusty and desolate landscape that now surrounds their suburban home, they must piece together the horrible truth about what has happened.

Philip K. Dick was an American science-fiction novelist, short-story writer and essayist. His first short story, “Beyond Lies the Wub,” was published shortly after his high school graduation. Some of his most famous short stories were adapted for film, including “The Minority Report,” “Paycheck,” “Second Variety” (adapted into the film Screamers) and “We Can Remember It For You Wholesale” (adapted into the film Total Recall).

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• Language: English
• Publisher: HarperCollins
• Release date: Dec 16, 2014
• ISBN: 9781443442725

Philip K. Dick

Over a writing career that spanned three decades, PHILIP K. DICK (1928–1982) published 36 science fiction novels and 121 short stories in which he explored the essence of what makes man human and the dangers of centralized power. Toward the end of his life, his work turned to deeply personal, metaphysical questions concerning the nature of God. Eleven novels and short stories have been adapted to film, notably Blade Runner (based on Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?), Total Recall, Minority Report, and A Scanner Darkly, as well as television's The Man in the High Castle. The recipient of critical acclaim and numerous awards throughout his career, including the Hugo and John W. Campbell awards, Dick was inducted into the Science Fiction Hall of Fame in 2005, and between 2007 and 2009, the Library of America published a selection of his novels in three volumes. His work has been translated into more than twenty-five languages.

Book preview

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BREAKFAST AT TWILIGHT

Philip K. Dick

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CONTENTS

Breakfast at Twilight

About the Author

About the Series

Copyright

About the Publisher

Breakfast at Twilight

Dad? Earl asked, hurrying out of the bathroom, you going to drive us to school today?

Tim McLean poured himself a second cup of coffee. You kids can walk for a change. The car’s in the garage.

Judy pouted. It’s raining.

No it isn’t, Virginia corrected her sister. She drew the shade back. It’s all foggy, but it isn’t raining.

Let me look. Mary McLean dried her hands and came over from the sink. What an odd day. Is that fog? It looks more like smoke. I can’t make out a thing. What did the weather man say?

I couldn’t get anything on the radio, Earl said. Nothing but static.

Tim stirred angrily. That darn thing on the blink again? Seems like I just had it fixed. He got up and moved sleepily over to the radio. He fiddled idly with the dials. The three children hurried back and forth, getting ready for school. Strange, Tim said.

I’m going. Earl opened the front door.

Wait for your sisters, Mary ordered absently.

I’m ready, Virginia said. Do I look all right?

You look fine, Mary said, kissing her.

I’ll call the radio repair place from the office, Tim said.

He broke off. Earl stood at the kitchen door, pale and silent, his eyes wide with terror.

What is it?

I—I came back.

What is it? Are you sick?

I can’t go to school.

They stared at him. What is wrong? Tim grabbed his son’s arm. Why can’t you go to school?

They—they won’t let me.

Who?

The soldiers.

It came