Oh, to be a Blobel!
Encyclopedia
"Oh, to be a Blobel!" is a science fiction short story by Philip K. Dick
. It was first published in Galaxy magazine, February 1964. The plot centers on the post-traumatic psychological state of former espionage agents on both sides of the Human-Blobel war. Blobels are presented as a single-cell, protoplasmic species prevalent in the outer solar system. Espionage agents on both sides of the conflict underwent irreversible physical modifications, enabling them to assume the form of the opposing species for a defined time period each day. The story deals with the ramifications for agents' personal and social identity from this alteration.
Philip K. Dick
Philip Kindred Dick was an American novelist, short story writer and essayist whose published work is almost entirely in the science fiction genre. Dick explored sociological, political and metaphysical themes in novels dominated by monopolistic corporations, authoritarian governments and altered...
. It was first published in Galaxy magazine, February 1964. The plot centers on the post-traumatic psychological state of former espionage agents on both sides of the Human-Blobel war. Blobels are presented as a single-cell, protoplasmic species prevalent in the outer solar system. Espionage agents on both sides of the conflict underwent irreversible physical modifications, enabling them to assume the form of the opposing species for a defined time period each day. The story deals with the ramifications for agents' personal and social identity from this alteration.