Where the Phph Pebbles Go

"Where the Phph Pebbles Go" by Miriam Allen De Ford is a science fiction short story published in the early 1960s. The narrative explores an alien world where two species interact, focusing particularly on a game called "phph," which involves throwing pebbles at a distant target. The underlying themes touch upon issues of intelligence, civilization, and the potential consequences of unintentionally contacting other life forms in the universe. The story revolves around two phph players, Gral and Hodnuth, who engage in a game watched by both their own people and the subservient Ground Dwellers. The excitement escalates when a revered Thinker, the intellectual elite of their society, attends the phph match, leading to unforeseen circumstances. As the plot unfolds, the Thinkers reveal they have been receiving peculiar signals from outside their world, prompting concerns about the existence of intelligent life elsewhere. The story delves into the implications of their phph game, where some pebbles may escape their planet and reach other civilizations, leading to a plan to create artificial pebbles to mislead any potential extraterrestrial observers. Ultimately, the narrative blends elements of humor and social commentary, highlighting the peculiar dynamics between the characters and their societies. (This is an automatically generated summary.)

Miriam Allen deFord was an American writer best known for her mysteries and science fiction. During the 1920s, she wrote for a number of left-wing magazines including The Masses, The Liberator, and the Federated Press Bulletin. Her short story, A Death in the Family, appeared on the second season, episode #2, segment one, of Night Gallery.