a review by Antony, in the genre(s) science fiction
The Defenders is a science fiction short story by Philip K Dick and was first featured in the January 1953 issue of the US magazine Galaxy Science. The Defenders was the basis for Philip K Dicks 1964 novel The Penultimate Truth.
The novel is set in a post holocaust future after a devastating Nuclear war between the USA and Soviet Union. The surviving American people are living underground to avoid the lethal doses of radiation that pollute the surface. These survivors are told that the war still rages above their heads, fought on their behalf by an army of robot soldiers.
The plot essentially deals with the cold war and is a message of humanities (or more specifically Americas) immaturity to grasp the futility of War. A powerful message is masterfully delivered by one of the great science fiction authors of the 20th century.
