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]

"If There Were No Benny Cemoli"
Short story by Philip K. Dick
December 1963 issue of Galaxy Science Fiction
Country	United States
Language	English
Genre(s)	Science-fiction
Publication
Published in	Galaxy Science Fiction
Publication type	Magazine
Publication date	1963

"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]

Plot summary

On the tenth anniversary of a 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.

Themes

Per Darko Suvin, "If There Were No Benny Cemoli" has the theme of the "transformation or transubstantiation of classical European fascism into new American power".^[2]

Reception

Algis Budrys said that Dick's story "is, as usual, markedly individual, and distinguished for his ability to draw fine-line social caricatures paradoxically freighted with verisimilitude".^[3]