Sci Fi | "The Defenders" by Philip K. Dick, Full Audiobook Short Story + Animatic - Audiobooky

"The Defenders" by Philip K. Dick (Creator of "Blade Runner" and "Man In The High Castle")
An @audiobooky Production
audiobooky.co
Facebook - / audiobooky
Instagram - / audiobooky_
Twitter - / audiobooky_
Like, Subscribe and Share
to help spread literary greatness to the world!
**********
SYNOPSIS
"The Defenders" is a Philip K. Dick short story that depicts mankind living underground to escape the irradiated ruins of the surface after a nuclear exchange between the United States and the Soviet Union. Above ground, AI-driven robots known as "leadys" have been developed to continue the war in man's stead. The leadys do the work of fighting in place of troops, delivering regular reports to their human counterparts underground.
Don Taylor, an engineer responsible for planning the American war effort, receives a call from Agent Moss. After meeting Security Officer Franks, the three men discover that not everything regarding the war with Russia is what it appears...
*****
THE FIRST PAGE
TAYLOR sat back in his chair reading the morning newspaper. The warm kitchen and the smell of coffee blended with the comfort of not having to go to work. This was his Rest Period, the first for a long time, and he was glad of it. He folded the second section back, sighing with contentment.
"What is it?" Mary said, from the stove.
"They pasted Moscow again last night." Taylor nodded his head in approval. "Gave it a real pounding. One of those R-H bombs. It's about time."
He nodded again, feeling the full comfort of the kitchen, the presence of his plump, attractive wife, the breakfast dishes and coffee. This was relaxation. And the war news was good, good and satisfying. He could feel a justifiable glow at the news, a sense of pride and personal accomplishment. After all, he was an integral part of the war program, not just another factory worker lugging a cart of scrap, but a technician, one of those who designed and planned the nerve-trunk of the war.
"It says they have the new subs almost perfected. Wait until they get those going." He smacked his lips with anticipation. "When they start shelling from underwater, the Soviets are sure going to be surprised."
"They're doing a wonderful job," Mary agreed vaguely. "Do you know what we saw today? Our team is getting a leady to show to the school children. I saw the leady, but only for a moment. It's good for the children to see what their contributions are going for, don't you think?"
She looked around at him.
"A leady," Taylor murmured. He put the newspaper slowly down. "Well, make sure it's decontaminated properly. We don't want to take any chances."
"Oh, they always bathe them when they're brought down from the surface," Mary said. "They wouldn't think of letting them down without the bath. Would they?" She hesitated, thinking back. "Don, you know, it makes me remember-"
He nodded. "I know."
*****
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Philip K. Dick (1928-1982) was an American science fiction author renowned for his visionary and thought-provoking works. Dick's writing explored themes of reality, identity, perception, and the nature of humanity in a world heavily influenced by technology. His works often featured dystopian societies, futuristic settings, and characters struggling with the boundaries of their own existence.
One of his most well-known novels, "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?" (1968), became the basis for the iconic film "Blade Runner." In this novel, he delved into the blurred line between humans and androids and raised questions about empathy and the essence of being human.
Philip K. Dick's unique blend of science fiction, philosophy, and psychological exploration continues to resonate with readers, reminding us to question our perceptions of reality and the nature of what it means to be human. His visionary work has left an indelible mark on the genre and remains as relevant and thought-provoking today as it was during his lifetime.
**********
ATTRIBUTIONS
Jumpin Boogie Woogie by Audionautix is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. creativecommons.org/licenses/...
Artist: audionautix.com/
**********
CHAPTERS
Start - 0:00
When It Was Written: 1953 - 0:10
Feature Presentation - 1:01
Part 1 - 1:07
Part 2 - 3:03
Part 3 - 6:36
Part 4 - 7:10
Part 5 - 11:18
Part 6 - 13:13
Part 7 - 16:24
Part 8 - 18:34
Part 9 - 21:16
Part 10 - 23:40
Part 11 - 25:51
Part 12 - 28:19
Part 13 - 30:46
Part 14 - 33:22
Part 15 - 36:34
Part 16 - 39:30
Part 17 - 42:17
Part 18 - 45:19
Part 19 - 48:09
Outro - 51:40

[@donkalzone6671]

I like the design of these leadys

[@dianejensen3420]

I just read his Penultimate Truth. This story as an entire book. Thanks for this!

[@ImeldaFagin]

Love the illustrations. Got to be AI generated, no? That couple probably go to the gym a lot.

[@MelvilleG]

Thanks for your work. An amazingly clear voice. An Philip Dick mesmerizingly unpredictable as always. Maybe he's right and it takes a robotic dictatorship to bring peace to this world.

[@manasbose8817]

read this story many years ago. Nice narration Thanks

[@escapefelicity2913]

I like the backgrounds but PLEASE lose the zoom

[@pedroserrano7387]

The zooming is very distracting.

[@audiobooky]

I appreciate this feedback, since then we've definitely decreased the amount of zooming based on yours and others feedback, thank you!

[@onespicyrn3873]

“Enjoying the presence of his plump, attractive wife”. What?? lol That gal is gorgeous, star-worthy…but she AIN’T plump in ANY sense of the word! Lolol

[@timmy18135]

great althistory

[@kennergauthier3461]

I gotta admit, thiz iz AWESOME, and it's nice to see that AI is bringing the sexy back to sci fi 6:52 😉

[@Hooptyc]

Okay. I realize this is read and illustrated by AI, but I for one welcome my new artificially intelligent overlords!

[@ImeldaFagin]

Ok, I didn’t believe you about the voice. But sometimes he says leadies, sometimes leedies and sometimes ladies.

[@alexnovak2669]

They shall be defeated! All hail our insect overlords!

[@johnavast5939]

​@@alexnovak2669quick. Everyone follow Kent Brockman

[@ds29912]

All HAIL our new overlords. Whoever or whatever they may be.

[@jackdare]

​​​@@ds29912 Thank you, we have arrived. p.s. we're the best overlords in the supercluster so let's make this power transfer real quick and easy, eh?

[@knotsochice]

Ha! Too familiar! 'Shoulders of giants', & sheeit! How to make people stay in apocalypse bunkers until they're ready? Hugh Howey expanded on Dick's inspiration with Silo. The display is a lie. It takes five hundred years.