The Defenders
'The Defenders' Summary
Eight years ago a nuclear war began between the United States and the Soviet Union. American survivors evacuated to gigantic bunkers miles under ground. Sophisticated, radioactivity-immune robots called "leadys" continue fighting the war on the devastated surface that is too dangerous for humans. The Soviets have similarly evacuated underground, and each side builds powerful weapons and vehicles for the remote-controlled war they only see from film that the robots deliver.
The security department asks Taylor, an American war planner, to observe the interrogation of a leady regarding the progress of the war. Although the robot reports that lethal radioactivity and sophisticated new Soviet weapons continue to make the surface dangerous for humans, the observers find that the leady is not radioactive. Taylor learns that this is the second such robot the security department has found; it assigns him to an expedition, wearing lead suits, to investigate the truth about surface conditions.
Taylor's group surprises the leadys at the surface and demands to see the outside. Although the robots attempt to delay the humans as long as possible, the group discovers outside the bunker an undamaged valley with forests, animals, and a farm. The leadys reveal that the war ended as soon as the humans evacuated because the robots could not see a rational purpose for it. Analyzing history, they found that groups of humans warred with each other until they matured to overcome conflict. Humanity is almost ready for a single culture, the current worldwide division into American and Soviet sides being the final step. The leadys create counterfeit photographs of the devastated planet to fool humans, while destroying weapons they received and rebuilding the world for their creators' return.
The Americans believe that because the Soviets do not know that they were also tricked, the United States can quickly win the war. The robots reveal, however, that during their explanation they sealed all tubes to under ground. Although this prevents the expedition from leaving, the leadys expect that by the time their countrymen dig new tunnels, humanity will be ready for the truth. The robots invite Taylor and the others to join a group of Soviets who were similarly stranded after visiting the surface. "The working out of daily problems of existence", the leadys suggest, "will teach you how to get along in the same world. It will not be easy, but it will be done."
Book Details
Language
EnglishOriginal Language
EnglishPublished In
1953Author
Philip K. Dick
United States
Philip Kindred Dick was an American science fiction writer. He wrote 44 novels and about 121 short stories, most of which appeared in science fiction magazines during his lifetime. His fiction explore...
More on Philip K. DickDownload eBooks
Listen/Download Audiobook
- Select Speed
Related books
The Four Feathers by A. E. W. Mason
The Four Feathers is a 1902 adventure novel by British writer A. E. W. Mason that has inspired many films of the same title. In December 1901, Cornhil...
The Parasite by Arthur Conan Doyle
The Parasite is an 1894 novelette by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. The Parasite makes use of a form of mind control similar to the mesmerism of the Victoria...
Mr. Midshipman Easy by Frederick Marryat
Mr. Midshipman Easy is an 1836 novel by Frederick Marryat, a retired captain in the Royal Navy. The novel is set during the Napoleonic Wars, in which...
The Virginians by William Makepeace Thackeray
The Virginians: A Tale of the Last Century is a historical novel by William Makepeace Thackeray which forms a sequel to his Henry Esmond and is also l...
The Last Day of a Condemned by Victor Hugo
The Last Day of a Condemned Man is a short novel by Victor Hugo first published in 1829. The novel recounts the thoughts of a man condemned to die. Vi...
The Mystery of the Sea by Bram Stoker
The Mystery of the Sea contains supernatural elements, but is in many respects a political thriller. Stoker draws from personal experience and incorpo...
The Radio Beasts by Ralph Milne Farley
This is the second book of a fanciful series written by Ralph Milne Farley, pen name for Roger Sherman Hoar. It is an interplanetary adventure in the...
The Fates of the Princes of Dyfed by Cenydd Morus
Step into a world of medieval chivalry, where the fate of kingdoms hangs in the balance and the destinies of princes intertwine with the threads of ti...
The War in the Air by H. G. Wells
The War in the Air: And Particularly How Mr. Bert Smallways Fared While It Lasted is a military science fiction novel written by H. G. Wells. The nov...
Collaboration by Henry James
It is Paris sometime after the Franco-Prussian War. A French poet and a German composer come to admire one another's work and decide to collaborate on...
Reviews for The Defenders
No reviews posted or approved, yet...