Publisher's Summary
When an interviewer asked Phillip K. Dick “What is the most important quality for a writer to have?” he replied “A sense of indignation... A writer writes because it's his response to the world. It's a natural process, like respiration... The capacity for indignation is the most important thing for a creative person.
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Community Reviews
It is about a young woman named Sylvia who can see and communicate with otherworldly creatures who are a little like angels, a lot like fairies (the semi-sinister, not the Tinkerbell kind), and also—given their questionable appetite for lamb’s blood—a little like vampires too.
When was upon the dull earth published?
Upon the Dull Earth. "Upon the Dull Earth" was originally published in the November 1954 issue of Beyond. "Upon the Dull Earth" is a science fiction short story by American writer Philip K. Dick, first published in November 1954 in Beyond Fantasy Fiction .
What happens at the end of the story?
At the end of the story, after a useless flight, after he has seen service-station attendants, waitresses and common people change into Silvia before his very eyes, Rick looks at himself in a mirror and sees his face slowly becoming Silvia's. Suddenly, the man is gone and only Silvia remains.
What happens to Rick and Silvia?
Unable to control their power, the angel-like giants burn Silvia's body and leave only "a brittle burned-out husk". Unable to accept his lover's death, Rick tries to bring Silvia back, but in doing so he causes the degeneration and destruction of the world he lives in.
What does Rick think of Silvia's behavior?
Their behavior and their relation with Silvia scare the girl's relatives and Rick, her boyfriend. Rick thinks that Silvia's behavior is very dangerous, as "the white-winged giants ... can sear [her] to ash". During a quarrel with Rick, the girl accidentally cuts herself.
