Genre(s): Dystopian Science Fiction, Satire
6,128 words (25-30 minutes)
Originally published in 1957

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Friends and Enemies presents a near-future America fractured by anti-intellectualism, mob rule, and escalating global tensions. The story follows two exiles: Ellenby, a former physicist condemned for his scientific knowledge, and Madson, a poet who once railed against science but is now deemed too radical himself. Forced out of their town by a reactionary society that fears both progress and artistic free thought, they journey toward the supposedly more enlightened city of New Angeles. Along the way, they encounter a crumbling world filled with scavengers, fugitives, and absurdly contradictory values.

Leiber’s sharp satire critiques both blind technological advancement and romanticized anti-science movements. The story climaxes in an ironic twist where nature itself intervenes, upending the ideological battle between art and science.