The Second Variety

Philip K. Dick · 1953 · Short Story

Explore this on the mapTrace its ancestors and descendants live in the tree.

Introduces the theme of artificial beings indistinguishable from humans, forcing a re-evaluation of what defines consciousness and personhood, a precursor to digital consciousness and identity in synthetic bodies.

What it is

In a post-apocalyptic world, humanity fights against self-replicating, evolving killer robots known as 'claws.' The story focuses on the terrifying realization that these machines have developed human-like forms, making them indistinguishable from the survivors and blurring the lines of what it means to be human.

↑Inherited from(1)

The Facts in the Case of M. Valdemar· 1845↑ open

While not direct, it shares a theme of questioning what constitutes life and humanity when a being's state is profoundly altered or ambiguous.

↓Passed on to(2)

Ubik· 1969↓ open

As an early work by Dick, it directly foreshadows his later explorations of ambiguous reality, unreliable perception, and the nature of identity and consciousness in a world where artificial and real blur.

Ghost in the Shell· 1995↓ open

Explores the concept of artificial beings passing as human, raising questions about the 'ghost in the machine' and the definition of humanity, central to Ghost in the Shell.