Everand Logo

Welcome to Everand!

  • Discover millions of ebooks, audiobooks, and so much more with a free trial

    Only $11.99/month after trial. Cancel anytime.

    Tony And The Beetles: Short Story
    Tony And The Beetles: Short Story
    Tony And The Beetles: Short Story
    Ebook25 pages18 minutes

    Tony And The Beetles: Short Story

    By Philip K. Dick

    4/5

    ()

    Read preview

    About this ebook

    A commentary on racism, “Tony and the Beetles” takes place in a colony world where Terra has been oppressing the Beetles of Orion for decades. But when Terra suffers a major defeat at the hands of the Beetles, Tony, a small boy, is surprised to discover the Beetles he believed to be his friends aren’t so friendly after all.

    Philip K. Dick was an American science-fiction novelist, short-story writer and essayist. His first short story, “Beyond Lies the Wub,” was published shortly after his high school graduation. Some of his most famous short stories were adapted for film, including “The Minority Report,” “Paycheck,” “Second Variety” (adapted into the film Screamers) and “We Can Remember It For You Wholesale” (adapted into the film Total Recall).

    HarperCollins brings great works of literature to life in digital format, upholding the highest standards in ebook production and celebrating reading in all its forms. Look for more titles in the HarperCollins short-stories collection to build your digital library.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherHarperCollins
    Release dateJan 7, 2014
    ISBN9781443433273
    Tony And The Beetles: Short Story
    Author

    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.

    Read more from Philip K. Dick

    Related to Tony And The Beetles

    Related ebooks

    Science Fiction For You

    View More
    View More

    Related podcast episodes

    Related articles

    • Article

      In the Event

      Sep 1, 2019

      In the Event
      28 min read

    • Article

      Death

      Mar 1, 2020

      Kids already asleep, the grownups sit out on the deck,a few empty cans, an open bottle of wine on the table, I’m sure, and stacked paper plates with half-eaten buns and dirty napkins.From my backyard next door, I can hear them, the living, chatting.

      3 min read

    • Article

      Two Poems

      Sep 1, 2022

      Are you ready? I nodded. She slid the needle inand the sick cat, who only a moment before had tried toleap to the floor closed his eyes and exhaled. Andthat’s it, she said a little too brightly, pulling the needle out.That’s it? I asked. That’s all t

      3 min read

    • Article

      Beasts Of The Fields

      Feb 19, 2020

      Family heartache on the northern New York border, and the creatures that bore witness to it.

      12 min read

    • Article

      Creatures Of Habit

      Mar 8, 2021

      Creatures Of Habit
      3 min read

    • Article

      ‘Where Do We Find Hope?’

      Sep 18, 2023

      ‘Where Do We Find Hope?’
      8 min read

    • Article

      Across The Whited Fields

      Oct 13, 2019

      In a twilight streeta small girl laughing. The red and yellow flowersprofuse, inhale the air. We want to hold your name,Polly, dancing in the rain Polly, skipping down the street.Sometimes the world bequeaths then takes away the one to whomou

      14 min read

    • Article

      It’s All A Can Of…

      Aug 15, 2019

      I HAVE decided to stop worrying about life anymore. There is no point. Everything has gone completely bonkers. Prime Minister Boris, President Trump, Corbyn and Farage in the wings, not to mention Ann Widdecombe and climate change. And are the latter

      2 min read

    • Article

      Letters

      Nov 5, 2020

      Sadly, the wonderfully prescient quotation from Samuel Pepys [FT397:70], “A dram in exchange for the pox is an ill bargain indeed,” is not by the great diarist, but from a spoof Twitter account. (https://londonist.com/london/books-and-poetry/samuel-p

      13 min read

    • Article

      Four Poems

      May 1, 2020

      1. Stop the action. 1a. Does that include apologizing? 1b. Because I’m sorry about this poem. I’m so embarrassed. Please forgive me. 3. Tape pictures of policemen all around the house, especially on the refrigerator. 7. Cheap tops. 49. Cheap tops. ii

      3 min read

    • Article

      Great Shakes

      Jun 18, 2023

      Such a benign word, glimpse. A flash, an impression, a glimmer of light. Not so for Christchurch teen Jonah, five years out from the first Christchurch quakes. Jonah can see quakes before they happen. “It charged up his body from the ground and nearl

      2 min read

    • Article

      Searching For Tommy And Rosie

      Mar 1, 2022

      Searching For Tommy And Rosie
      22 min read

    • Article

      The Birds at Rikers Island

      May 16, 2018

      The Birds at Rikers Island
      4 min read

    • Article

      GINETTE McDONALD

      Jul 11, 2021

      GINETTE McDONALD
      1 min read

    • Article

      The Ferris wheel

      Jan 16, 2022

      The Ferris wheel
      4 min read

    • Article

      May You Be Safe

      Jul 19, 2022

      May You Be Safe
      9 min read

    • Article

      Have You Hugged A Rhino Today?

      Jul 29, 2022

      Have You Hugged A Rhino Today?
      5 min read

    • Article

      Roger’s Profanisaurus

      Jan 4, 2024

      Roger’s Profanisaurus
      7 min read

    • Article

      Meet The Metal Meowlisha

      Feb 2, 2023

      Meet The Metal Meowlisha
      4 min read

    • Article

      “Really?”

      Jun 2, 2022

      “Really?”
      6 min read

    • Article

      Lost In Time

      Oct 5, 2022

      Lost In Time
      5 min read

    • Article

      Quantum Radio

      Feb 22, 2023

      Quantum Radio
      5 min read

    • Article

      Four Poems

      May 1, 2022

      —after Gerrit van Honthorst’s “Samson and Delilah,” c. 1621 They’ve made a monster of me, marring my namefor eternity. I’m not Delilah,but Laila. I loved him. Each night, in bed, after our bodies became one body, he would succumb to sleep, resting hi

      3 min read

    • Article

      One Coyote

      Sep 29, 2020

      One Coyote
      9 min read

    Related categories

    Reviews for Tony And The Beetles

    4/5

    8 ratings2 reviews

    What did you think?

    Tap to rate

    Review must be at least 10 words

    • 5/5
      This one takes race relations to distant planetary systems, while also addressing the innocence of a child's world view.
    • 5/5
      A short story about a boy and his family, who lives on a colonised planet orbiting Betelgeuse in the Orion system. This planet was originally inhabited by a race called the Pas-udeti, and like many other planets they inhabited, the terrans invaded and colonised those too. Each day Tony's parents listen to the radio about news of the ongoing war.The story explores the theme of xenophobia, and by association, racism. It also highlights the effect that war has on societies, particularly when the war spans multiple generations across multiple worlds. The story does not aspire to explain these themes, it only poses them in a context we can identify with, and leaves the reader to ponder their own conclusions.Tony and the Beetles is a quick yet satisfying read. Highly recommended!

    Book preview

    Tony And The Beetles - Philip K. Dick

    Tony_and_the_Beetles_cover_resized.jpg

    TONY AND THE BEETLES

    Philip K. Dick

    HarperPerennialClassicsLogo.jpg

    CONTENTS

    Tony and the Beetles

    About the Author

    About the Series

    Copyright

    About the Publisher

    Tony and the Beetles

    Reddish-yellow sunlight filtered through the thick quartz windows into the sleep-compartment. Tony Rossi yawned, stirred a little, then opened his black eyes and sat up quickly. With one motion he tossed the covers back and slid to the warm metal floor. He clicked off his alarm clock and hurried to the closet.

    It looked like a nice day. The landscape outside was motionless, undisturbed by winds or dust-shift. The boy’s heart pounded excitedly. He pulled his trousers on, zipped up the reinforced mesh, struggled into his heavy canvas shirt, and then sat down on the edge of the cot to tug on his boots. He closed the seams around their tops and then did the same with his gloves. Next he adjusted the pressure on his pump unit and strapped it between his shoulder blades. He grabbed his helmet from the dresser, and he was ready for the day.

    In the dining-compartment his mother and father had finished breakfast. Their voices drifted to him as he clattered down the ramp. A disturbed murmur; he paused to listen. What were they talking about? Had he done something wrong, again?

    And then he caught it. Behind their voices was another voice. Static and crackling pops. The all-system audio signal from Rigel IV.

    Enjoying the preview?
    Page 1 of 1