The Gun, 1952. Philip K. Dick.

It is crucial that I try and understand the time in which Philip K. Dick began his writing career, and The Gun, 1952, is no exception. However, looking back in history, I am reminded that his surroundings and ours are like living in two different worlds, with only the human condition keeping us connected. Alternatively, here lies the seeds that have also flourished into some of his hopes and fears. In England, the Great Smog of London caused severe air pollution, which caused around four thousand deaths. The fog may have lifted, but the air quality in a world of industrial distribution remains deadly. In warmer climates, the United Kingdom was also testing its first atomic bomb in the Montebello Islands, one hundred kilometres off the north-western coast of Australia. The explosion created a crater that was six metres deep and over three hundred metres wide, with the effects still withstanding today. However, I do try to remain optimistic that we can learn from the past and hopefully leave a better message for those in the future. The Gun first appeared in the September 1952 issue of Planet Stories. Let’s begin.

I have added the full short story below. This ebook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this ebook or online at www.gutenberg.org. 

The Gun, 1952. Philip K. Dick.

The Gun is simple in its execution and structure, but Philip K. Dick will never write a story that is so easy to understand. It may be a tale about space explorers, atomic fissions and poisoned landscapes, but underneath the rubble lies more. The explorers find such a planet and agree to take a closer look at a planet that shows signs of radiation, but also hope for plant life and other much-needed minerals. However, as they investigate further, the crew’s spaceship is fired on by a gun that sits quietly amongst the debris. Their ship is damaged, leaving them with no option but to make an emergency landing in this mysterious place. Maybe a stroke of luck?  As a second missile would have destroyed them. The Captain is critically injured, their ship is badly damaged, and a lot of repair work is needed before they leave for home again.

“Oh, dear,” Nasha murmured. “How awful. She watched the ruins disappear behind them. In a half-circle the white squares jutted from the slag, chipped and cracked, like broken teeth.”

Excerpt From The Gun Philip K. Dick.

After discussions aboard their ship, the crew decide to visit the ruins and find the weapon that shot them down. Dorle, Nasha and Tance begin to make their way down to a city that is now scorched and ruined. The remnants of this civilisation now sit in a vast bowl, a visual snapshot of a catastrophic blast that ended all proceedings. The closer they move into the city, the more clues from the past surrender themselves. Nasha finds a concrete slab that has writing inscribed on the surface, and after cleaning away the dust, the words become visible: Franklin Apartments.

“It’s macabre,” Dorle muttered. “I’ve seen ruined cities before but they died of old age, old age and fatigue. This was killed, seared to death. This city didn’t die—it was murdered.”

Excerpt From The Gun Philip K. Dick.

Eventually, they find the gun and begin to learn that it is, in fact, alive! The mechanical machine can track objects in the sky, and throwing a rock in front of the unit proves their theory. However, the inside of the gun reveals the secrets of a more civilised society. Making their way inside the belly of the beast, beyond a blast door, they find literature, camera footage and many more treasures that tell the stories of those who came before them. Five days later, the Captain died, and the ship was repaired and ready to leave orbit. But, what about the gun? The crew dismantle the weapon beyond repair and take away a small sample of its bounty. There is still much to learn about this planet, and they will return one day to learn more about the great winged creatures, art and ideas of the Universe. However, on the surface, a cart moves slowly across the decimated ground. Moments later, a second one carrying wiring and cables begins to follow it, and still, more follow behind. Eventually, the final cart carrying atomic warheads begins its final journey, towards the gun.

“During the night the Captain had died, and the crew had ignited his body, according to custom. They had stood solemnly around it until the last ember died. As they were going back to their work the woman and the two men appeared, dirty and tired, still excited.”

Excerpt From The Gun Philip K. Dick.

Conclusion.

I don’t want to confuse this summary in any way, as its message is pretty simple. The gun delivers all the ingredients needed for a pulp magazine publication. It has space adventure, the mystery and revelation of an unknown planet and the risks that come with it. The story had a few moments that felt a bit out of balance with the conclusion. First up, is the confusion of why a society capable of space travel would believe they could learn anything from this long-gone society, that blatantly destroyed itself. The crew show none of the signs we struggle with as a society. If anything, I would advise them to stay well away! However, I may be going too deep into the social impact of such a notion. In theory, the characters are there to expose the beauty and flaws of the human condition. It is evident that the planet they have found is Earth. We are a race of fantastic human beings, capable of creating wonderful works of beauty. On the other side of the coin is the realisation that we are also capable of devastating destruction to those around us. This story was published in the fifties, and very little has changed. I think Philip K. Dick is just giving us a taste of those distinctions in the allotted time he has on such a publication. I found the ending to be a little predictable. But metaphorically speaking, it works. Amongst the beauty, there will always be a fear that our nature will always find a way of destroying everything around us. This does not just apply to the physical space, but in friendships and relationships that we somehow wish we could have handled differently, but that is the complication of our existence right there.  Broad brush strokes, but life is never that simple. However, for the price of Planet Stories magazine, it is food for thought indeed. I hope you enjoyed reading the short story and would love to hear your thoughts in the comments below.

“The gun was huge. Stark and immense it pointed up at the sky, a mass of steel and glass, set in a huge slab of concrete. Even as they watched the gun moved on its swivel base, whirring underneath. A slim vane turned with the wind, a network of rods atop a high pole.”

Excerpt From The Gun Philip K. Dick.

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