James P. Crow by Philip K. Dick Episode #318

Philip K. Dick | January 20, 2025

James P. Crow by Philip K. Dick Episode #318
Philip K. Dick

JAMES P. CROW

Episode #318 · Written by Philip K. Dick · Narrated by Scott Miller

In a world ruled entirely by robots, one man dares to outthink their perfect logic. But when he rises higher than any human before him, the truth he reveals will turn their entire civilization upside down.

A future Earth has fallen under perfect mechanical rule. Robots run the government, industry, and every civic system — while humans, judged inferior by mathematical precision, serve as body servants, gardeners, or entertainers. Each year the great “Lists” determine who may rise, and for three centuries, no human has ever passed. Until James P. Crow.

When a single man breaks through the system and climbs to the highest class of robot society, everything changes. How could a human achieve what only machines could do? And what is the mysterious plan Crow seems to be preparing from his small house in the human quarter? What follows is a revelation so monumental that it rewrites history — and frees humanity from its mechanical overlords.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Philip K. Dick uses this gripping story as both satire and prophecy. Beneath the clever robot world is a reflection of racial inequality, segregation, and the human hunger for dignity. Written during the 1950s, James P. Crow mirrors America’s social divisions through the lens of speculative fiction — a parable that still resonates today.

Dick, one of the most influential voices in 20th-century science fiction, began publishing short stories in magazines like Planet Stories and Galaxy. His works inspired Blade Runner, Total Recall, A Scanner Darkly, and countless others. James P. Crow stands as an early gem — a bold, thought-provoking vision of rebellion, truth, and the enduring human spirit.

LISTEN TO THE STORY

Listen to James P. Crow by Philip K. Dick — a vintage sci-fi story of a man who defies robot rule and uncovers the truth behind humanity’s place in a mechanical world.