Radio Free Burrito Presents: Tony and the Beetles by Philip K. Dick

Wil Wheaton

The great Philip K. Dick wrote about the human condition as well as any speculative fiction writer of the 20th century, and I am incredibly lucky that this story of his is out of copyright. This was originally published in 1953. It's about racism and colonialism, about how the participants in a war see themselves and each other. In a lot of ways, it's about the original sin of America, a sin we have not yet reckoned with, to our great shame, with disastrous results for people of color and Native Americans. But it's also a fun science fiction story about a kid who just wants to play with his friends, and what happens instead. I talk a LOT before this one. I have a lot of thoughts in my head and I'm feeling a lot of feelings, so it may not be my best work. But it's honest, and we could use that right now, I think. https://www.gutenberg.org/files/40964/40964-h/40964-h.htm https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tony_and_the_Beetles