The Skull
Written by Philip K. Dick
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“The Skull” is a scifi, short story written by Philip K. Dick that was first published in 1952 and then subsequently published several times after in various publications. Some put it in the category of speculative fiction and it can be found online at various free websites like the Project Gutenberg. It remains one of the most unique stories in a genre that few authors can succeed in, the time travel/ paradox genre.

The Skull Goodreads webpage

“The Skull” is the story of of a prisoner named Omar Conger who is offered the chance to get out of jail if he would kill someone. Omar is a man with the skillsets required to do the job. He is an accomplished hunter and trapper but above all he is a killer. The man he is sent to kill is the founder of The First Church religion whose rise began with a speech he gave 200 years in the past. So, Omar must travel 200 years in the past and kill the founder of a religion. He is sent back in time to April 5th, 1961 and the story takes some many weird twists with a completely unexpected ending.

Firstly, I don’t want to sound too vague when I discuss the tale but I do not want to give away any spoilers because this is a really good story with a great ending that is well worth the read. So there are NO spoilers in what I write.

Now to borrow part of a famous quote “Of all the gin joints …“. Of all the scifi literature out there why discuss this one? Well, consider that while it is true that there are so many of these types of stories most of the going-back-in-time stories are just terrible. “The Skull”, not only works it’s very good. It doesn’t try to explain how time works and fail. It doesn’t try to create a circuitous journey into the strange and then fail. What “The Skull” does is tell the story of how time travel technology can be used as a political tool and even a weapon. This story has a clean ending and all wrapped up in a kind of pseudo-paradox. I loved it. It doesn’t commit the terrible crime of telling us that we are witnessing strangeness instead we are shown the strange journey Omar is on. The ending is a cruel twist of fate for a killer.

This is also the story of how so many people can misinterpret events and replace objective observations with wishful ideas and cultural conditioning. And it isn’t until the end of the story that we the reader really see what has gone on. The strange twist at the end works perfectly and is what makes this tale an excellent story.

This is also a cautionary tale for writers who use time paradoxes to try to make their stories strange or interesting the same way some horror writer rely on violence and gore to attract readers. “Those elements in and of themselves do not a-great-story make.” (to quote what Yoda probably said.). especially since most time travel stories have the mechanics of time travel and time manipulation completely wrong.

At the very beginning of the story I was reminded of the film “Apocalypses Now” where a protagonist is sent to kill a kind of genius/ pseudo-messiah but that is not the case, at all. Another thing to keep in mind is the chilling implications of this time travel technology. The people of the Council who sent Omar back in time could have chosen anybody to do the job yet they chose him. I think this is so much more than a cruel jest. The people that control this time travel technology seem to have so much control over society and in particular the individual it is frightening. Now the author doesn’t delve into this subject in the story but it definitely is something to give a serious ponder.

The powerlessness of the individual in future societies is a common theme in Philip K. Dick stories and is more relevant today than ever before. So hat’s off.

If you have never read a story with a time travel element this is the one to read. It’s a very good story. It’s a little short but well worth it.

John Ink2Quill

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