Cold War paranoia meets time-traveling assassins (well, just one) while exploring issues of fatalism, sadism, xenophobia, and the struggle for a better way. You pretty much see where this short story is heading early in, but it's interesting (particularly from a character development angle) to see how PKD arrives at the conclusion that he does. And really, I'm a sucker for strange mergers of science and religion. This is a very solid short story by PKD with his usual anti-war undertones. A convicted man is sent back in time to assassinate a "prophet" in order to eliminate the peace that sprang from the prophet's words. The only clue that the convict has to the prophet's true identity is a 200 year old skull. Is it possible to change the past, or are things destined to happen the way they already have?The story is very well written, and it does an excellent job or portraying the issues that are normally associated with time travel. The story does become a little predictable about half-way through, but it's a testament to PKD's ability that you want to read all the way to the end anyway. It's a short read that will twist your thoughts slightly and leave you thinking about it for a couple days. It's definitely worth the small amount of time it takes to read it.
What do You think about The Skull (2000)?
A murder mystery in reverse - and all the better for it.
—sravya
