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FIRST PUBLICATION

•    Fantastic Universe, Jul 1955.

 HISTORY:

  After arriving at the SMLA on Dec 2, 1952 – the last submission of the year -- "A Surface Raid" apparently went round and round in the offices of the sf magazines of the day, landing at Fantastic Universe on its twelfth trip. After initial publication in July 1955 the story dropped from sight until the second volume of THE COLLECTED STORIES in 1987. No commentary on it has been found other than the opinion of the agents at the SMLA. For "A Surface Raid" the comment was ‘Another of Dick’s Weirdies."

    Human is as human does, the saying goes. But what is human? That depends on who’s doing the defining. In this post-apocalypse tale underground dwellers raid the surface for slaves and a youth cons his way along for the trip. He sees a beautiful girl but she sees him too and what she sees is not attractive..

    "A Surface Raid" rates ô ô ô

"A Surface Raid" is included only in the various editions of THE COLLECTED STORIES OF PKD

NOTES:

TTHC 263:

    Dick's sub-agents at Scott Meredith felt free to comment on Dick's work as they received it. Some of the stories are rated: "G" for "Good," "G plus" for better. Sometimes there are just comments, {...}
    The readers' opinions had some effect on where a story was marketed {...} Many of the stories went through several spins of the wheel before being sold. "Surface Raid" ("Another of Dick's weirdies," reads the card) sold on its twelfth try.

 Collector’s Notes

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