Shell Game (short story)
Encyclopedia
"Shell Game" is a science fiction
short story by Philip K. Dick
. "Shell Game" was submitted to the Scott Meredith Literary Agency and received by SMLA on December 12, 1953. First published in Galaxy Science Fiction
Sept. 1954 "Shell Game" forms an interesting early examination of extreme paranoia
and group attempts to empirically distinguish delusion
from accurate perception
of real events. A group of paranoid mental patients long stranded on an alien planet by shipwreck of the robot controlled hospital
spaceship
transporting them to a mental hospital believing themselves to be constantly under attack by aliens or Terrans discover the damaged ship in a bog. From recorded tapes they learn their condition and the circumstances of the shipwreck. Even when they discover this evidence of the truth and attempt to verify or disprove the information on the ship's tapes, they construct sophisticated explanations to explain the "attacks" as a plot by the enemy who they now regard as definitely Terrans. After much internal dispute and sometimes violent conflict at the end of the story the survivors of the infighting are unsure if they are paranoid or victims of a plot. As one of them states they are like rulers who are all 12 inches long or 13 inches long so have no basis for comparison. How would people determine whether they suffer from paranoia when they agree they have evidence all or none of them are paranoid is a central question of the story.
This story was later expanded in the novel Clans of the Alphane Moon
.
protection for Galaxy Science Fiction
Sept. 1954 and its contents was created under Registration Number B00000485846. "Shell Game" is in the public domain
in the United States
because it was published in the United States between January 1, 1950 and December 31, 1963 with copyright notice but copyright was not renewed with the US Copyright Office within a year period beginning on December 31 of the 27th year of the copyright and running through December 31 of the following year. When renewal registration was not made within the statutory time limit copyright expired at the end of its first term and protection was lost permanently.
Ironically, after the author's death a nonexistent work with the same title was falsely included in renewal Registration Number RE0000190631 (1983-11-22) War veteran, and other contributions by Philip K. Dick, as "(In Galaxy science fiction, Mar. 1955) Shell game. Pub. 1955-01-21; B00000515180" This created the deceptive appearance "Shell Game" is still under United States copyright protection.
"Shell Game" appears in the following Philip K. Dick collections:
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
short story by Philip K. Dick
Philip K. Dick
Philip Kindred Dick was an American novelist, short story writer and essayist whose published work is almost entirely in the science fiction genre. Dick explored sociological, political and metaphysical themes in novels dominated by monopolistic corporations, authoritarian governments and altered...
. "Shell Game" was submitted to the Scott Meredith Literary Agency and received by SMLA on December 12, 1953. First published in Galaxy Science Fiction
Galaxy Science Fiction
Galaxy Science Fiction was an American digest-size science fiction magazine, published from 1950 to 1980. It was founded by an Italian company, World Editions, which was looking to break in to the American market. World Editions hired as editor H. L...
Sept. 1954 "Shell Game" forms an interesting early examination of extreme paranoia
Paranoia
Paranoia [] is a thought process believed to be heavily influenced by anxiety or fear, often to the point of irrationality and delusion. Paranoid thinking typically includes persecutory beliefs, or beliefs of conspiracy concerning a perceived threat towards oneself...
and group attempts to empirically distinguish delusion
Delusion
A delusion is a false belief held with absolute conviction despite superior evidence. Unlike hallucinations, delusions are always pathological...
from accurate perception
Perception
Perception is the process of attaining awareness or understanding of the environment by organizing and interpreting sensory information. All perception involves signals in the nervous system, which in turn result from physical stimulation of the sense organs...
of real events. A group of paranoid mental patients long stranded on an alien planet by shipwreck of the robot controlled hospital
Hospital
A hospital is a health care institution providing patient treatment by specialized staff and equipment. Hospitals often, but not always, provide for inpatient care or longer-term patient stays....
spaceship
Spacecraft
A spacecraft or spaceship is a craft or machine designed for spaceflight. Spacecraft are used for a variety of purposes, including communications, earth observation, meteorology, navigation, planetary exploration and transportation of humans and cargo....
transporting them to a mental hospital believing themselves to be constantly under attack by aliens or Terrans discover the damaged ship in a bog. From recorded tapes they learn their condition and the circumstances of the shipwreck. Even when they discover this evidence of the truth and attempt to verify or disprove the information on the ship's tapes, they construct sophisticated explanations to explain the "attacks" as a plot by the enemy who they now regard as definitely Terrans. After much internal dispute and sometimes violent conflict at the end of the story the survivors of the infighting are unsure if they are paranoid or victims of a plot. As one of them states they are like rulers who are all 12 inches long or 13 inches long so have no basis for comparison. How would people determine whether they suffer from paranoia when they agree they have evidence all or none of them are paranoid is a central question of the story.
This story was later expanded in the novel Clans of the Alphane Moon
Clans of the Alphane Moon
Clans of the Alphane Moon is a 1964 science fiction novel by Philip K. Dick. It is based on his 1954 short story Shell Game, first published in Galaxy Science Fiction magazine.-Plot summary:...
.
Copyright status and copyfraud
CopyrightCopyright
Copyright is a legal concept, enacted by most governments, giving the creator of an original work exclusive rights to it, usually for a limited time...
protection for Galaxy Science Fiction
Galaxy Science Fiction
Galaxy Science Fiction was an American digest-size science fiction magazine, published from 1950 to 1980. It was founded by an Italian company, World Editions, which was looking to break in to the American market. World Editions hired as editor H. L...
Sept. 1954 and its contents was created under Registration Number B00000485846. "Shell Game" is in the public domain
Public domain
Works are in the public domain if the intellectual property rights have expired, if the intellectual property rights are forfeited, or if they are not covered by intellectual property rights at all...
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
because it was published in the United States between January 1, 1950 and December 31, 1963 with copyright notice but copyright was not renewed with the US Copyright Office within a year period beginning on December 31 of the 27th year of the copyright and running through December 31 of the following year. When renewal registration was not made within the statutory time limit copyright expired at the end of its first term and protection was lost permanently.
Ironically, after the author's death a nonexistent work with the same title was falsely included in renewal Registration Number RE0000190631 (1983-11-22) War veteran, and other contributions by Philip K. Dick, as "(In Galaxy science fiction, Mar. 1955) Shell game. Pub. 1955-01-21; B00000515180" This created the deceptive appearance "Shell Game" is still under United States copyright protection.
"Shell Game" appears in the following Philip K. Dick collections:
- The Book of Philip K. DickThe Book of Philip K. DickThe Book of Philip K. Dick is a collection of science fiction stories by Philip K. Dick. It was first published by DAW Books in 1973. The book was subsequently published in the United Kingdom by Coronet in 1977 under the title The Turning Wheel and Other Stories...
(1973) - The Collected Stories of Philip K. Dick, Vol. 3: The Father-ThingThe Father-Thing (collection)The Father-Thing is a collection of science fiction stories by Philip K. Dick. It was first published by Gollancz in 1989 and reprints Volume III of The Collected Stories of Philip K. Dick. It had not previously been published as a stand-alone volume...
(1987) - The Philip K. Dick ReaderThe Philip K. Dick ReaderThe Philip K. Dick Reader is a collection of science fiction stories by Philip K. Dick. It was first published by Citadel Twilight in 1997...
(1997)