0 - word ▁science ▁fiction ▁no ve lette ▁by ▁American ▁writer ▁Philip ▁K . ▁Dick . ▁It ▁was ▁received ▁by ▁the ▁Scott ▁Mer ed ith ▁Liter ary ▁Agency ▁on ▁June ▁ 2 4 , ▁ 1 9 5 3 , ▁and ▁first ▁published ▁in ▁the ▁April ▁ 1 9 5 4 ▁issue ▁of ▁If ▁magazine . ▁The ▁story ▁was ▁illustrated ▁by ▁Kelly ▁Fre as ▁in ▁its ▁original ▁publication . ▁The ▁story ▁is ▁set ▁in ▁a ▁post - ap oc aly ptic ▁future ▁where ▁the ▁existence ▁of ▁potentially ▁powerful ▁mut ants ▁has ▁become ▁a ▁reality . ▁The ▁mut ants ▁are ▁seen ▁as ▁dangerous ▁and ▁have ▁been ▁h unted ▁to ▁death ▁by ▁human ▁be ings ▁for ▁years . ▁A ▁golden - sk inned ▁mut ant ▁called ▁Cris ▁is ▁captured ▁by ▁the ▁government , ▁which ▁attempts ▁to ▁execute ▁him . ▁However , ▁his ▁appearance ▁and ▁ab ilities ▁to ▁see ▁into ▁the ▁future ▁allow ▁him ▁to ▁escape . ▁ ▁Plot ▁summary ▁The ▁protagon ists ▁of ▁the ▁story ▁are ▁a ▁government ▁agent ▁and ▁his ▁f ian c ée ▁who ▁are ▁members ▁of ▁a ▁government ▁ag ency ▁task ed ▁with ▁tracking ▁down ▁and ▁ster il izing ▁or ▁elimin ating ▁mut ants - ▁individuals ▁with ▁physical ▁ab normal ities ▁and ▁super human ▁powers ▁( such ▁as ▁the ▁ability ▁to ▁ste al ▁the ▁appearance ▁and ▁mem ories ▁of ▁others ) ▁that ▁make ▁them ▁a ▁threat ▁to ▁normal ▁humans . ▁The ▁e pon ym ous ▁" G old en ▁Man " ▁is ▁a ▁fer al ▁young ▁man ▁named ▁Cris ▁with ▁gold -