"Meddler" 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 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. It was first published in ''

Future Science Fiction ''Future Science Fiction'' and ''Science Fiction Stories'' were two American science fiction magazines that were published under various names between 1939 and 1943 and again from 1950 to 1960. Both publications were edited by Charles Hornig fo ...

'', October 1954 with illustration by

Virgil Finlay Virgil Finlay (July 23, 1914 – January 18, 1971) was an American pulp fantasy, science fiction and horror illustrator. He has been called "part of the pulp magazine history ... one of the foremost contributors of original and imagi ...

. Levack, Daniel (1981). PKD: A Philip K. Dick Bibliography, Underwood/Miller, pp. 108-109. Dick had submitted many short stories to magazines and made approximately fifteen sales before becoming a client of the

Scott Meredith Literary Agency Scott Meredith, born Arthur Scott Feldman (1923, New York City, NY – 1 July 1992, Manhasset, NY) was a prominent American literary agent, and founder of the Scott Meredith Literary Agency. His clients included famous and successful writers ...

. This was his second SMLA submission, received by SMLA on July 24, 1952. His first SMLA submission was ''The Builder'', received by SMLA on July 23, 1952.Rickman, Gregg (1989), '' To The High Castle: Philip K. Dick: A Life 1928-1963'', Long Beach, Ca.: Fragments West/The Valentine Press, p.388

Synopsis

A government Council illegally makes Time Dips into the future with escalation of adverse consequences following each time-dip. The protagonist, Hasten, is sent in a Time Car as a last-ditch attempt to learn how this meddling worked its destructive force and how to correct the problem. Hasten eventually learns his return trip is apparently the ultimate cause.

About the story

In 1978, Dick said about "Meddler":

References

External links

* Short stories by Philip K. Dick Works originally published in Future Science Fiction and Science Fiction Stories 1954 short stories {{1950s-sf-story-stub