The Gun, Philip K. Dick
The Gun, Philip K. Dick
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The Gun

Author: Philip K. Dick

Narrator: Saethon Williams

Unabridged: 31 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 03/14/2025

Synopsis

Discover 'The Gun,' a haunting science fiction masterpiece by legendary author Philip K. Dick. When a space survey team encounters a mysterious automated weapon system on a seemingly abandoned planet, they're drawn into a tense confrontation that challenges their understanding of technology and survival. With his signature blend of philosophical insight and psychological suspense, Dick crafts a thought-provoking tale that resonates with readers decades after its publication. Explore the visionary mind behind 'Blade Runner' and 'The Man in the High Castle' in this compelling short story that showcases Dick's unparalleled ability to merge cutting-edge concepts with profound human questions. Perfect for science fiction enthusiasts and newcomers alike to one of literature's most influential voices.

About 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.

Reviews

Goodreads review by Bill on March 06, 2019

This early Dick effort first published in Planet Stories (1952) is remarkable both for its sobering theme of the dangers of automation--a theme Dick would return to again--and the playful way in which it develops its narrative. A spaceship is dispatched to a distant planet because of a powerful fissi......more

Goodreads review by Jamie on January 01, 2020

Eerie story of a mindless, automated weapon on a war ravaged alien planet. And like an abandoned minefield, it's still claiming victims long after the war has ended. It would seem like at least a few episodes of Star Trek TNG, and likely other series and films, were based on this concept.......more

Goodreads review by Angel on June 09, 2021

It's a good short story. It offers a good tale, but it doesn't offer anything new in it. I enjoyed it nonetheless.......more

Goodreads review by Ali on February 02, 2013

When it was first published, in 1952, this must be an interesting story about a weapon that outlived its creators, today, when wars started to be fought with semi-autonomous drones, and military are on the brink of making "The Gun" real, it is eerily close to the real life.......more

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