"Autofac" is a 1955

science fiction Science fiction (sometimes shortened to Sci-Fi or SF) is a genre of speculative fiction which typically deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts such as advanced science and technology, space exploration, time travel, parallel uni ...

short story A short story is a piece of prose fiction that typically can be read in one sitting and focuses on a self-contained incident or series of linked incidents, with the intent of evoking a single effect or mood. The short story is one of the oldest ...

by American writer Philip K. Dick that features one of the earliest treatments of

self-replicating machines A self-replicating machine is a type of autonomous robot that is capable of reproducing itself autonomously using raw materials found in the environment, thus exhibiting self-replication in a way analogous to that found in nature. The concept of ...

(and Dick's second, after his 1953 short story ''

Second Variety "Second Variety" is a science fiction novelette by American writer Philip K. Dick, first published in ''Space Science Fiction'' magazine, in May 1953. Set in a world where war between the Soviet Union and United Nations has reduced most of the ...

''). It appeared originally in ''

Galaxy Science Fiction ''Galaxy Science Fiction'' was an American digest-size science fiction magazine, published in Boston from 1950 to 1980. It was founded by a French-Italian company, World Editions, which was looking to break into the American market. World Edit ...

'' of November 1955, and was reprinted in several collections, including '' The Variable Man'' published in 1957, and '' Robots, Androids, and Mechanical Oddities'' published in 1984. The story was adapted by

Travis Beacham Travis Beacham (born 1980) is an American screenwriter, best known for writing and co-writing the films '' Dog Days of Summer'' (2005), ''Pacific Rim'' (2013), '' Clash of the Titans'' (2010), and proposing the concept for the Amazon Prime fanta ...

for an episode of the 2017 TV series, '' Philip K. Dick's Electric Dreams''.

Plot summary

Three men wait outside their settlement for an automated delivery truck. Five years earlier, during the Total Global Conflict, a network of hardened automatic factories ("autofacs") had been set up with cybernetic controls that determine what food and consumer goods to manufacture and deliver. Human input had been lost, and the men planned disruption to try to establish communication and take over control. They destroy the delivery, but the truck radios the autofac and unloads an identical replacement, then prevents them from reloading items. They act out being disgusted with the milk delivery and are given a complaints checklist. In a blank space, they write improvised semantic garble—"the product is thoroughly pizzled". The autofac sends a humanoid data collector that communicates on an oral basis, but is not capable of conceptual thought, and they are unable to persuade the network to shut down before it consumes all resources. Their next strategy sets neighbouring autofacs in competition with each other for rare resources and seemingly succeeds, but there is a hidden level.

Translations

*French: "Le Règne des robots", anonymous, August 1956, in "Galaxie Anticipation" issue 33

Television version

The TV series '' Philip K. Dick's Electric Dreams'' includes a one-hour episode based on the story, with considerable differences in the plot and outcome.Autofac (TV)
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References

External links

Autofac
at the

Internet Archive The Internet Archive is an American digital library with the stated mission of "universal access to all knowledge". It provides free public access to collections of digitized materials, including websites, software applications/games, music, ...

* Short stories by Philip K. Dick 1955 short stories Self-replicating machines in fiction Post-apocalyptic short stories Short stories about robots {{1950s-sf-story-stub