Critical Analysis
Reviewing the story, critic Zack Handlen wrote, "'Second Variety' is grim, violent, and suspenseful. There’s enough characterization to keep the protagonists from being indistinguishable, but not much beyond that. While most of the twists are easy to spot once you discover the main plot—basically 'Are you or aren’t you a machine' deal—they still have an impact, and Dick makes his point quite clearly. Which isn’t something you can say for much of his other work— is the most user-friendly piece of his I’ve read. There’s enough uncertainty to know it’s Dick; questions of identity keep popping up, and the good guys/bad guys line is pretty well obliterated by the end. But the plot is logical, and there is a point A to point B to point C evolution that you can follow without too much trouble."
He also remarked on the similarities between "Second Variety" and the Terminator films, writing: "When the claws/screamers start changing, their newest models take human forms for much the same reasons the T-800 was created."
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