Philip K. Dick 
Beyond Lies the Wub 

In Beyond Lies the Wub, the crew of a spaceship buys a wub, a large pig-like animal from a native martian to eat on the way home. The Wub turns out to be a sentient being capable of intelligent conversation, empathy, and possibly telepathy and mind control. When a crew member converses with the remarkable Wub, the captain makes a rash and violent decision that could put the return mission in danger.

About the author

Philip K. Dick (1928-1982) – was a prolific novelist, essayist and short story writer – having published approximately 44 novels and 121 short stories. His works have been turned into numerous popular films, including Total Recall, Minority Report, and The Adjustment Bureau. He won a Hugo Award in 1963 for his novel The Man in the High Castle and has been named as one of the hundred greatest English-language writers by Time magazine.