The Pre-persons

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"The Pre-persons" is a science fiction short story by American writer Philip K. Dick. It was first published in Fantasy and Science Fiction magazine, October 1974. [1]

The story was an anti-abortion response to Roe v. Wade . [2] Dick imagines a future where the United States Congress has decided that abortion is legal until the soul enters the body. The specific instant is defined by the administration, at present the moment a person has the ability to perform simple algebraic calculations (around the age of 12).

The main protester — a former Stanford mathematics major — demands to be taken to the abortion center, since he claims to have forgotten all his algebra.

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References

  1. Dick, Philip K[indred] (1974). ""The Pre-Persons"". openpublishing.psu.edu. Retrieved 2024-01-04.
  2. "Phillip K. Dick's FORGOTTEN Pro-Life Short Story… "The Pre-Persons"". Cultural Revue. 2022-06-26. Retrieved 2024-01-04.