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The Defenders

Philip K. Dick

First published January 1953
Type Short Fiction
Length Novelette

Synopsis

In the midst of nuclear war, humans have moved underground while weapons and robots battle on a radiation-filled Earth. When one robot is brought down for questioning, however, it is noticeably radiation-free.

Notes

PKD later expanded the theme of this story into The Penultimate Truth.

External Links

Publications (70)

Date Publication Publisher Type Page
January 1953 Galaxy Science Fiction, January 1953 Galaxy Publishing Corporation MAGAZINE 4
June 1953 Galaxy Science Fiction, Vol. 3 No. 5 Thorpe & Porter MAGAZINE 4
April 1965 Invasion of the Robots Paperback Library Anthology 90
March 1969 Invasion of the Robots Paperback Library Anthology 90
March 1969 Invasion of the Robots Paperback Library Anthology 90
February 1973 The Book of Philip K. Dick DAW Books Collection 46
February 1973 The Book of Philip K. Dick DAW Books / New American Library of Canada Collection 46
July 1977 The Turning Wheel and Other Stories Coronet Collection 47
January 1983 There Will Be War Tor Anthology 208
January 1984 There Will Be War Tor Anthology 208
June 1984 Robots, Androids, and Mechanical Oddities: The Science Fiction of Philip K. Dick Southern Illinois University Press Collection
1985 There Will Be War Tor Anthology 208
February 1986 Robots, Androids, and Mechanical Oddities: The Science Fiction of Philip K. Dick Southern Illinois University Press Collection 9
May 1987 Beyond Lies the Wub Underwood-Miller Collection 67
May 1987 Beyond Lies the Wub Underwood-Miller Collection 67
December 1987 Battlefields Beyond Tomorrow: Science Fiction War Stories Bonanza Books / Crown Publishers Anthology 509
November 1988 Beyond Lies the Wub Gollancz Collection 67
April 1990 The Short Happy Life of the Brown Oxford Citadel Twilight Collection 67
May 1990 Beyond Lies the Wub Grafton Collection 95
1993 Beyond Lies the Wub HarperCollins Science Fiction & Fantasy / HarperCollinsPublishers Collection 95
August 1999 Beyond Lies the Wub Millennium / Victor Gollancz Collection 67
July 2002 The Short Happy Life of the Brown Oxford Citadel Press Collection 67
September 2003 Paycheck and Other Classic Stories by Philip K. Dick Citadel Press / Kensington Publishing Collection 67
March 2007 Human Is? Gollancz Collection 9
September 2008 Human Is? Gollancz / Orion Collection |9
May 2009 The Defenders Project Gutenberg Chapbook
May 2009 Short Science Fiction Collection 17 LibriVox Anthology |4
August 2009 Short Science Fiction Collection 24 LibriVox Anthology |2
June 2010 StarShipSofa, No 139 StarShipSofa MAGAZINE
June 2010 The Defenders and Others: The Classic Short Fiction of Philip K. Dick Wildside Press Collection 68
June 2010 Philip K. Dick Resurrected: The Early Works of Philip K. Dick Resurrected Press Collection 125
August 2010 X Minus One Project LibriVox Anthology
January 2011 The King of the Elves Subterranean Press Collection 87
January 2011 The King of the Elves Subterranean Press Collection 87
May 2011 The Military Megapack: 25 Great Tales of War Wildside Press Anthology
May 2011 The Military Megapack: 25 Great Tales of War Wildside Press Anthology
June 2011 Sense of Wonder: A Century of Science Fiction Wildside Press Anthology |131
November 2011 The Best of Philip K. Dick Halcyon Press Collection
December 2011 Sense of Wonder: A Century of Science Fiction Wildside Press Anthology |131
February 2013 The Best of Philip K. Dick Echo Point Books & Media Collection 106
April 2013 Anthology of Sci-Fi V2: The Pulp Writers: Philip K. Dick Spastic Cat Press Collection
April 2013 The Philip K. Dick Megapack: 15 Classic Science Fiction Stories Wildside Press Collection 29
May 2013 The Defenders Read Books Chapbook
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 231
December 2013 The Defenders HarperPerennial Classics Chapbook
May 2014 Science Fiction Gems, Volume Seven Armchair Fiction Anthology 29
June 2014 The Philip K. Dick Short Story Collection CreateSpace Collection
June 2014 The Defenders Running Press Chapbook
August 2014 Beyond Lies the Wub Gateway / Orion Collection |67
February 2015 Fantastic Stories Present the Philip K. Dick Super Pack Positronic Publishing Collection 71
March 2015 The Defenders Positronic Publishing Chapbook
April 2015 There Will Be War Volume I Castalia House Anthology |18
June 2015 Fantastic Stories Present the Philip K. Dick Super Pack Positronic Publishing Collection |7
December 2015 The King of the Elves Brilliance Audio Collection |87
December 2015 The King of the Elves Brilliance Audio Collection |87
January 2016 The Defenders Moran Press Chapbook
April 2016 Fantastic Stories Presents the Galaxy Science Fiction Super Pack #2 Positronic Publishing Anthology |25
April 2016 Fantastic Stories Presents the Galaxy Science Fiction Super Pack #2 Positronic Publishing Anthology |25
July 2016 Paycheck and Other Classic Stories by Philip K. Dick Citadel Press / Kensington Publishing Collection
2018 The Greatest Science Fiction Works of Phiip K. Dick OK Publishing Collection |12
February 2018 Galaxy's Philip K. Dick Collection: A Compilation from Galaxy Science Fiction Issues 1953-1954 MDP Publishing Collection |1
April 2018 Fantastic Stories Present the Philip K. Dick Super Pack Positronic Publishing Collection 71
April 2018 Fantastic Stories Presents the Galaxy Science Fiction Super Pack #2 Positronic Publishing Anthology |25
December 2018 Sci-Fi Ultimate Collection Musaicum Books / OK Publishing Omnibus |141
December 2018 Sci-Fi Boxed Set: 160+ Space Adventures, Lost Worlds, Dystopian Novels & Apocalyptic Tales Musaicum Books Omnibus |141
March 2021 Black Infinity, Summer 2021 Dead Letter Press MAGAZINE 130
January 2022 The Collected Stories of Philip K. Dick Collection |8
September 2023 The Collected Stories of Philip K. Dick: Volume One Gollancz / Orion Collection 82
September 2023 The Collected Stories of Philip K. Dick: Volume One Gollancz / Orion Collection |67