Beyond Lies the Wub

by Philip K. Dick

"Beyond Lies the Wub" by Philip K. Dick is a science fiction short story published in 1952. When a spaceship crew member purchases an enormous pig-like alien called a wub on Mars, the captain sees only a meal to supplement their dwindling food supply. But the creature proves unexpectedly intelligent, capable of telepathy and philosophical conversation. As the captain grows increasingly paranoid and determined to slaughter the wub, the crew faces a troubling question: what happens when you consume something that might be more conscious than yourself?