A review by itsmelaurenc
The Defenders by Philip K. Dick

fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

Leaving this for my reference later since I’m binging all Dick’s short stories:

Basically these people are in this bunker because of nuclear war with Russia. They built robots called leadys who could withstand the radiation and continue the war. They built them with the ability to build and fix themselves and they discovered the human race needs a set amount of years to forget their issues and live peacefully. But the people in the bunker didn’t know, so 3 dudes they went up and forced the leadys to let them out. The leadys kept trying to tell them life wasn’t viable but it was a lie, nuclear war ended years ago and the physical land had healed. The leadys sealed the entrance to the bunker so the 3 dudes were trapped outside. The leadys said the Russians figured it out earlier than they did and were already on their way but only a small group because the Russian leadys also sealed them out from their bunker to keep the rest of the population safe from war. Everyone on the surface was unarmed and told to find a way to live in peace. The book ends with the Russians and Americans finding common ground to rebuild civilization, hoping when the time came for the bunker populations to be released they would have an example of a peaceful society to live by.