The Story to End All Stories for Harlan Ellison's Anthology Dangerous Visions

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

"The Story to End All Stories for Harlan Ellison's Anthology Dangerous Visions"
Short story by Philip K. Dick
LanguageEnglish
Genre(s)science fiction, horror, post-apocalyptic, dystopian, flash fiction
Publication
Published inNiekas
Publication typescience fiction fanzine
PublisherEd Meskys
Publication date1968

"The Story to End All Stories for Harlan Ellison's Anthology Dangerous Visions" (1968) is a 117-word short story by Philip K. Dick, written as an addendum, or spiritual sequel to "Faith of Our Fathers". It is a simply written account of a decadent, dystopian, post-apocalyptic society, characterised by inter-species sex, infanticide, and cannibalism. The story is symbolic and satirical, reflecting ideas of divinity and the consequences of war, themes which figure large in the author's writing.[1]

It was first published in the science-fiction fanzine Niekas, before finding its way into Dick's own The Eye of the Sibyl. The latter portion of the story's title refers to the sci-fi anthology Dangerous Visions (1967), edited by Harlan Ellison, in which "Faith of Our Fathers" first appeared. Dangerous Visions has been credited as a milestone of sex and sexuality in speculative fiction;[2] sex is a major motif in "Stories", especially the non-mainstream varieties.

References[edit]

  1. ^ Dick, Philip K. (1995). "How to Build a Universe That Doesn't Fall Apart Two Days Later". In Lawrence Sutin (ed.). The Shifting Realities of Philip K. Dick: Selected Literary and Philosophical Writings. New York: Vintage/Random House. p. 271.
  2. ^ Sarrantonio, Al, editor. 999: New Stories of Horror and Suspense. 1999. Avon Books. ISBN 0-380-97740-0