The Crystal Crypt

By Philip K. Dick

In The Crystal Crypt, Earth and Mars are poised on the verge of war. On the last spaceship to leave Mars for Earth, law enforcement officials are looking for three fugitives who somehow made a great Martian city disappear. Unable to find the perpetrators, the officials allow the ship to disembark for Earth. A businessman named Thacher strikes up a conversation with a young woman and two men who reveal a very interesting secret to him about the mysterious case.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Dreamscape Media
• Release date: Oct 17, 2017
• ISBN: 9781974998715

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.

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THE CRYSTAL CRYPT

By

PHILIP K. DICK

This edition published by Dreamscape Media LLC, 2018

www.dreamscapeab.com * [e-mail]

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About Philip K. Dick:

Philip Kindred Dick (December 16, 1928 – March 2, 1982) was an American writer known for his influential work in science fiction. His work explored philosophical, social, and political themes, with stories dominated by monopolistic corporations, alternative universes, authoritarian governments, and altered states of consciousness. His writing also reflected his interest in metaphysics and theology, and often drew upon his life experiences in addressing the nature of reality, identity, drug abuse, schizophrenia, and transcendental experiences.

Born in Illinois, he eventually moved to California and began publishing science fiction stories in the 1950s. His stories initially found little commercial success. His 1962 alternative history novel The Man in the High Castle earned Dick early acclaim, including a Hugo Award for Best Novel. He followed with science fiction novels such as Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? (1968) and Ubik (1969). His 1974 novel Flow My Tears, the Policeman Said won the John W. Campbell Memorial Award for best novel. Following a series of religious experiences in February–March 1974, Dick's work engaged more explicitly with issues of theology, philosophy, and the nature of reality, as in such novels as A Scanner Darkly (1977) and VALIS (1981). A collection of his non-fiction writing on these themes was published posthumously as The Exegesis of Philip K. Dick (2011). He died in 1982, at age 53, due to complications from a stroke.

Dick's writing produced 44 published novels and approximately 121 short stories, most of which appeared in science fiction magazines during his lifetime. A variety of popular films based on Dick's works have been produced, including Blade Runner (1982), Total Recall (adapted twice: in 1990 and in 2012), Minority Report (2002), A Scanner Darkly (2006), and The Adjustment Bureau (2011). In 2005, Time named Ubik one of the hundred greatest English-language novels published since 1923. In 2007, Dick became the first science fiction writer to be included in The Library of America series.

Source: Wikipedia

The Crystal Crypt

Stark terror ruled the Inner-Flight ship on that last Mars-Terra run.

For the black-clad Leiters were on the prowl ... and the grim red planet was not far behind.

ATTENTION, Inner-Flight ship! Attention! You are ordered to land at the Control Station on Deimos for inspection. Attention! You are to land at once!

The metallic rasp of the speaker echoed

Reviews for The Crystal Crypt

[arkrayder · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

The Crystal Crypt is a science fiction short story by Philip K Dick and was first published in the US magazine Planet Stories, January 1952. The Crystal Crypt tells the story of the very last Mars to Earth space flight, an mass evacuation that took place after hostilities broke out on the Red planet. Of course the last ship isn't going to leave easily, not when the black-clad Leiters are on the prowl. A great little Philip K Dick short story, and one that has a genuine surprise plot twist and a great ending.

[dreesie-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Another clever short story by Philip K Dick. This story definitely feels very dated, as the last of the Terrans are heading home from Mars and the two planets prepare for war. And Terrans essentially look the same as humans--which means people can sneak into one of their cities to "destroy" it.

[ecw0647 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Short fiction of mild interest. Rather predictable.

[robert.zimmermann · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I did not expect that to happen. Well done ending with a very interesting story leading up to it. I'm really starting enjoying Dick's stories.