This is a short Philip K. Dick story that takes place in a not too distant future where the world has been devastated by the almost total destruction wreaked on by the World War III. The war between the Soviet Union on one hand and the United states on the other has been going on for years, and Soviets have managed to gain control of much of the Earth’s surface, while Americans had been forced into an exile on the Moon. Americans have resorted to guerrilla warfare, with small contingents operating deep within the enemy-occupied territory. As a desperate measure, they have also constructed extremely efficient killer robots that can operate on their own and are capable of repairing themselves and improving on their own design. It is this last feature that will eventually come to haunt them, and will take the whole course of the war into an unexpected and sinister direction.

This story has many of the quintessential Philip K. Dick themes: preoccupation with nuclear war, obtuse functioning of the military, and humanoid robots that develop conscience that is not just a mare extension of the conscience of their creators. This is a sinister and thought-provoking story. The writing is well-crafted and the narrative is extremely well constructed, virtually without any gaps or loose ends. In terms of the seamlessness of style and substance, as well as the sheer narrative technique, this is one of the best of Philip K. Dick’s stories. If you are new to this genius of sci-fi then this would be one of the best ways of getting introduced to his writing. The story has been used as a basis for the movie “Screamers”, and it is also possible to discern certain themes that have parallels with the latest “Battlestar Galactica.”