If There Were No Benny Cemoli
"If There Were No Benny Cemoli" is a science fiction short story by American writer Philip K. Dick, first published in the December, 1963 issue of Galaxy magazine with illustration by Lutjens.[1]
"The Proxmen rebuilding war-torn Earth want to prosecute its leaders for war crimes. Benny Cemoli would be the biggest catch of all, if they could just find him. -- Steven Owen Godersky[1]
Synopsis
On tenth anniversary of the devastating atomic war on Earth, more Proxima Centaurians arrive to continue the rebuilding of the planet. A war crimes tribunal is looking for names of war criminals and a surviving homeopape of The New York Times seems to provide an answer. Benny Cemoli.
Author quote
"I have always believed that at least half the famous people in history never existed. You invent what you need to invent. Perhaps even Karl Marx was invented, the product of some hack writer. In which case--" - Philip K. Dick[1]
References
- 1 2 3 Levack, Daniel (1981). PKD: A Philip K. Dick Bibliography, Underwood/Miller, p. 100. ISBN 0-934438-33-1
External links
- If There Were No Benny Cemoli title listing at the Internet Speculative Fiction Database