The Hanging Stranger
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"The Hanging Stranger" is a science fiction short story by American writer Philip K. Dick, originally published in December 1953 in the magazine ''Science Fiction Adventures (1952 magazine), Science Fiction Adventures''. It has been reprinted in several anthology, anthologies, and published in French language, French, Italian language, Italian and German language, German. It was adapted by Dee Rees into the episode "Kill All Others" or "K.A.O." for the 2017 television series ''Electric Dreams (2017 TV series), Philip K. Dick's Electric Dreams''. A book was also released to republish "The Hanging Stranger" along with the nine other stories on which the ''Electric Dreams'' episodes were based.


Plot

The protagonist, a store owner Ed Loyce, is disturbed when he sees a stranger hanging from a lamppost, but finds that other people consider the apparent lynching unremarkable. He finds evidence that alien insects have taken over, manages to get out of town, talks to the police commissioner, who believes him, and after getting all the information about what Ed knows, explains that the body was hung to see whether anyone reacted to it, anyone they didn't have control over. He then takes Ed outside and hangs him from a lamppost.


TV adaptation


Plot

The television Adaptation (arts), adaptation differs from the short story in having a more political focus. The protagonist, Philbert Noyce played by Mel Rodriguez, is a low-motivation quality-control worker in an automated factory. Noyce hears and sees the phrase "kill all others" used during a television appearance by the sole candidate for the presidency in the one-party state of MexUsCan. Few others acknowledge seeing or hearing the message, but many are affected by it. Only one of Noyce's co-workers seems to believe what he says about the message and the political system. He becomes increasingly agitated by this policy statement and his totalitarian society over the course of the episode. His wife, workmates, and fellow citizens remain unconcerned by the "kill all others" message and by their society's heavy-handed responses to his concerns. A new, large, illuminated "kill all others" billboard appears with what looks like a body hanging in front of it, which doesn't appear to bother anyone. Noyce, now evading the authorities, who have identified him as an "other" and having his flight being broadcast on live television, climbs up on the billboard. He yells "we're all others!" and verifies that it's a real person in the noose by jumping onto him before falling off the billboard. His body is eventually hung in the place of the previous one.


Cast

* Mel Rodriguez as Philbert Noyce * Sarah Baker (actress), Sarah Baker as Maggie Noyce * Jason Mitchell (actor), Jason Mitchell as Lenny * Glenn Morshower as Ed * Louis Herthum as Supervisor * DuShon Monique Brown as Peace Sergeant * Vera Farmiga as the Candidate


See also

* The Father-thing * Folie à Deux (The X-Files)


References


External links

* *
The Hanging Stranger
at the Internet Archive * *
"The Hanging Stranger"
at AmericanLiterature.com * {{DEFAULTSORT:Hanging Stranger Short stories by Philip K. Dick 1953 short stories