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Second Variety

Philip K. Dick

First published 1953
Type Short Fiction
Length Novelette
Series Claws #1

Synopsis

Russia nearly conquers the US/UN, who retaliate by deploying deadly autonomic machines with the ability to reproduce and evolve and the motivation of killing all living organisms, but are inhibited by badges worn by the US troops. Eventually, the machines evolve new models which threaten the existence of all life on earth.

Notes

• Made into the movies, or influenced the making of the movies: Screamers (1995), and Screamers: The Hunting (2009).

External Links

Wikipedia IMDb IMDb

Awards

YearAwardCategoryStatus
2004 Retro Hugo Award Best Novelette Runner-up
2012 Locus Online 20th Century Novelette Nominee/Finalist

Publications (97)

Date Publication Publisher Type Page
1953 Space Science Fiction [UK], Volume 1 No. 5 The Archer Press MAGAZINE 87
May 1953 Space Science Fiction, May 1953 Space Publications, Inc. MAGAZINE 102
June 1954 Year's Best Science Fiction Novels: 1954 Frederick Fell Anthology 269
May 1955 Selected Science Fiction Magazine, Number 1 Malian Press MAGAZINE
1957 The Variable Man and Other Stories Ace Books Collection 87
September 1962 Spectrum II Gollancz Anthology
1963 Spectrum II Harcourt, Brace & World Anthology 118
1963 Spectrum II Doubleday Canada Anthology
December 1963 Spectrum II The Science Fiction Book Club (UK) Anthology
July 1964 Spectrum II Berkley Medallion Anthology 111
1965 Spectrum II Pan Books Anthology 123
May 1967 Spectrum II Berkley Medallion Anthology 111
August 1969 The Variable Man and Other Stories Sphere Books Collection 77
1971 Spectrum II Pan Books Anthology 123
October 1976 The Variable Man and Other Stories Ace Books Collection 98
1977 The Variable Man and Other Stories Sphere Collection 77
1977 The Best Science Fiction Stories Hamlyn Anthology 273
March 1977 The Best of Philip K. Dick Del Rey / Ballantine Collection 17
March 1978 The Best of Philip K. Dick Del Rey / Ballantine Collection 17
June 1984 Robots, Androids, and Mechanical Oddities: The Science Fiction of Philip K. Dick Southern Illinois University Press Collection
December 1984 Machines That Kill Ace Science Fiction Books Anthology 114
February 1986 Robots, Androids, and Mechanical Oddities: The Science Fiction of Philip K. Dick Southern Illinois University Press Collection 38
May 1987 Second Variety Underwood-Miller Collection 15
May 1987 Second Variety Underwood-Miller Collection 15
January 1989 The World Treasury of Science Fiction Little, Brown / BOMC Anthology 803
February 1989 The World Treasury of Science Fiction Little, Brown Anthology 803
April 1989 Robots Signet / New American Library Anthology 178
April 1989 Second Variety Gollancz Collection 15
June 1989 The World Treasury of Science Fiction Little, Brown / QPBC Anthology 803
August 1989 Robots Robinson Anthology 178
July 1990 Second Variety Grafton Collection 31
July 1991 Second Variety Citadel Twilight Collection 373
October 1991 Robot Warriors Ace Books Anthology 29
May 1992 Machines That Kill Tor Anthology 120
1996 Second Variety Voyager / HarperCollins Collection 31
February 1997 The Philip K. Dick Reader Citadel Twilight Collection 385
September 1998 The Reel Stuff DAW Books Anthology 19
August 1999 Future War Ace Books Anthology 1
August 1999 Second Variety Millennium / Orion Collection 15
May 2001 The Best Military Science Fiction of the 20th Century Del Rey / Ballantine Anthology 27
May 2002 Second Variety Citadel Press Collection 373
July 2002 Minority Report Gollancz / Orion Collection 61
July 2002 Minority Report Gollancz Collection
November 2002 Selected Stories of Philip K. Dick Pantheon Books Collection 55
November 2002 Selected Stories of Philip K. Dick Pantheon Books / SFBC Collection 55
December 2002 Minority Report Gollancz Collection
March 2004 Cyberfilms ibooks Anthology 9
2005 Minority Report Orion Collection 61
March 2005 Minority Report Orion Collection
March 2007 Human Is? Gollancz Collection 36
June 2008 The Reel Stuff DAW Books Anthology 11
September 2008 Human Is? Gollancz / Orion Collection |36
December 2008 Science Fiction: Stories and Contexts Bedford Books of St. Martin's Press Anthology 296
April 2010 Second Variety Project Gutenberg Chapbook
April 2010 Minority Report Gollancz / Orion Collection
April 2010 Second Variety LibriVox Chapbook
June 2010 The Defenders and Others: The Classic Short Fiction of Philip K. Dick Wildside Press Collection 106
June 2010 Philip K. Dick Resurrected: The Early Works of Philip K. Dick Resurrected Press Collection 155
September 2011 Second Variety Aegypan Chapbook
October 2011 Adjustment Team Subterranean Press Collection 25
October 2011 Second Variety Aegypan Chapbook
November 2011 Adjustment Team Subterranean Press Collection 25
November 2011 The Best of Philip K. Dick Halcyon Press Collection
January 2013 Second Variety LibriVox Chapbook
February 2013 The Best of Philip K. Dick Echo Point Books & Media Collection 54
April 2013 Second Variety Spastic Cat Press Chapbook
April 2013 The Philip K. Dick Megapack: 15 Classic Science Fiction Stories Wildside Press Collection 76
April 2013 Selected Stories of Philip K. Dick Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Collection 51
April 2013 Selected Stories of Philip K. Dick Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Collection
May 2013 Second Variety Read Books Chapbook
June 2013 Future War Baen Books Anthology
July 2013 The Early Science Fiction of Philip K. Dick Dover Publications Collection
August 2013 The Early Science Fiction of Philip K. Dick Dover Publications Collection 62
June 2014 The Philip K. Dick Short Story Collection CreateSpace Collection
2015 Science Fiction: Stories and Contexts Bedford Books of St. Martin's Press Anthology 155
March 2015 Second Variety Positronic Publishing Chapbook
December 2015 Adjustment Team Brilliance Audio Collection |25
January 2016 The Philip K. Dick Reader Citadel Press / Kensington Publishing Collection 385
February 2016 Space Science Fiction Super Pack Positronic Publishing Anthology |1
April 2016 Space Science Fiction Super Pack Start Publishing Anthology |1
April 2017 Second Variety and Other Classic Stories Citadel Press / Kensington Publishing Collection 373
2018 The Greatest Science Fiction Works of Phiip K. Dick OK Publishing Collection |1
April 2018 Space Science Fiction Super Pack Positronic Publishing Anthology |1
December 2018 Sci-Fi Ultimate Collection Musaicum Books / OK Publishing Omnibus |134
December 2018 Sci-Fi Boxed Set: 160+ Space Adventures, Lost Worlds, Dystopian Novels & Apocalyptic Tales Musaicum Books Omnibus |134
2020 Humanoid Horrors Sam Teddy Publishing Anthology 175
March 2021 Black Infinity, Summer 2021 Dead Letter Press MAGAZINE 17
January 2022 The Collected Stories of Philip K. Dick Collection |31
July 2023 Robots Through the Ages Blackstone Publishing Anthology |7
July 2023 Robots Through the Ages Blackstone Audio Anthology |7
July 2023 Robots Through the Ages Blackstone Publishing Anthology 157
July 2023 Robots Through the Ages Blackstone Publishing Anthology |7
July 2023 Robots Through the Ages Blackstone Publishing Anthology |7
July 2023 Robots Through the Ages Blackstone Publishing Anthology |7
July 2023 Robots Through the Ages Blackstone Publishing Anthology |7
September 2023 The Collected Stories of Philip K. Dick: Volume One Gollancz / Orion Collection 520
September 2023 The Collected Stories of Philip K. Dick: Volume One Gollancz / Orion Collection |520