Review: Machines of War
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 07 30, 2011
This is a short Philip K. Dick story that takes place in a not too distant future where the world has been devastated by the almost total destruction wreaked on by the World War III. The war between the Soviet Union on one hand and the United states on the other has been going on for years, and most of the Earth's surface has been totally destroyed. Humans have been forced to live in artificial cities that are buried deep underground, far away from the lethal radiation that has engulfed all of the surface. Far from wanting to end the war, however, the warring parties have developed armies of humanoid robots that can withstand the conditions on the surface and have been waging the war as proxies.This story has many of the quintessential Philip K. Dick themes: preoccupation with nuclear war, obtuse functioning of the military, and humanoid robots that develop conscience that is not just a mare extension of the conscience of their creators. On the other hand, unlike many of his other stories, this one has a hopeful and a positive outlook. Also, the writing is well-crafted and the narrative relatively straightforward, which make this one of the more accessible of Philip K. Dick's stories. If you are new to this genius of sci-fi then this would be one of the best ways of getting introduced to his writing.