"Psi-man Heal My Child!" is a
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 unive ...
short story by American writer
Philip K. Dick
Philip Kindred Dick (December 16, 1928March 2, 1982), often referred to by his initials PKD, was an American science fiction writer. He wrote 44 novels and about 121 short stories, most of which appeared in science fiction magazines during his l ...
, originally published in the November 1955 issue of the magazine ''
Imaginative Tales
''Imaginative Tales'' was an American fantasy and science fiction magazine launched in September 1954 by William Hamling's Greenleaf Publishing Company. It was created as a sister magazine to ''Imagination'', which Hamling had acquired from Raym ...
''. It also has the alternative titles of "Psi-Man" and "Outside Consultant", and appeared, among the others, in Dick's short story collections ''
The Book of Philip K. Dick'' and ''
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 ...
''.
Plot summary
The story revolves around a group of "Talents", people with varying psychoactive powers in a
post-apocalyptic setting. The remaining survivors of humanity are hunkered down in isolated communities and can only leave with permission from their military leaders. The main plot of the story is of a family who chooses to have a Talent heal their daughter of cancer instead of the harsh treatments of their local hospital. A side plot involves one of the Talents, who has the power to traverse time, repeatedly attempting to change the present by returning to the past.
External links
Page at Internet Speculative Fiction Database
Short stories by Philip K. Dick
1955 short stories
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