Second Variety

In a desolate future ravaged by nuclear war, humanity faces its own worst creation—machines that think, adapt, and kill. Second Variety by Philip K. Dick is a chilling sci-fi novella that explores the horrifying consequences of unchecked technological advancement. The United Nations and Soviet Union are locked in a cold, crumbling war, but the true enemy is no longer human.

Enter Major Joseph Hendricks, a weary soldier tasked with a final negotiation—but what he finds on the other side of the battlefield isn’t diplomacy. It’s evolution. The autonomous killing machines known as “claws” have begun to design themselves—mimicking humans, learning their behaviors, and infiltrating their ranks. What begins as a simple mission becomes a desperate fight for survival as Hendricks unravels the terrifying truth: the war machines are no longer under control... and they may already have won.

Narrated by Jason Mann, this gripping audiobook captures all the tension, paranoia, and brilliance of one of science fiction’s greatest minds.