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Amazon.co.uk Review
The 23 stories here were written 1953-4 and show one of science fiction's finest writers in prolific mastery of his craft. While Dick's deep concerns with perception, reality and the nature of humanity frequently recur he rarely fails to bring a fresh idea, a new perspective, a different twist to these very varied stories. Humour is never far away, reflecting his compassion for ordinary people battling often bizarre cosmic conundrums. "Kids understand: they are wiser than adults--" Dick wrote of the title story in which eight-year-old Charles discovers that his father is something else.
Several of these stories are notably longer than his previous work, for Dick was developing his story-telling to the point where he would soon write his first novel, Solar Lottery. The writing is increasingly sophisticated: "Upon the Dull Earth" glitters with dark poetry, a chilling fantasy about a woman who summon angels and changes the world. It is a prelude to The Twilight Zone and the dreamscapes of Clive Barker and a revelation for anyone who thinks of Dick purely as an SF writer.
"The Golden Man", a compelling thriller about a mutant on the run, caused controversy on original publication, the implication that evolution will leave us behind provoking genuine anger. Clearly Dick was forging his own path, the antithesis of the bright shining SF of the American dream. The title of one story, "A World of Talent", is an apt description of the brilliance Dick poured into these amazing stories. --Gary S. Dalkin
Review
‘One of the most original practitioners writing any kind of fiction, Philip K Dick made most of the European avant-garde seem navel-gazers in a cul-de-sac’
Sunday Times
‘An elusive and incomparable artist’
Ursula Le Guin
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Truly outstanding,
By
This review is from: The Father-Thing: Volume Three Of The Collected Stories (Collected Short Stories of Philip K. Dick) (Paperback)
OK, not every single story is a brilliant satire on the state of the world, nor is every single story innovative or entirely original. BUT, even when Dick doesn't quite get it, he is usually entertaining, sometimes amusing and always completely paranoid! Buy it, read it and enjoy it. You will not be disappointed. For anyone who is looking for an entry point into the genre, this book comes VERY highly recommended. Certainly one of the best of the Dick's collections of short stories.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great Collection (Part 3),
By
This review is from: The Father-Thing: Volume Three Of The Collected Stories (Collected Short Stories of Philip K. Dick) (Paperback)
As a long time fan of the work of Philip K Dick, I love this complete collection of his short stories (of which this is the third of 5 volumes).
The stories contained within this volume were written in the 1950s. As with any collection of this kind, where all an authors short stories are collected, the quality can vary. However, to my mind even when PKD is not at his best he is still well worth a read (and at his best he is among the very best). As well as the stories you get some interesting introductory material and some helpful notes. The stories contained in this volume are: "Fair Game" "The Hanging Stranger" "The Eyes Have It" "The Golden Man" (which the movie Next is based on) "The Turning Wheel" "The Last of the Masters" "The Father-Thing" "Strange Eden" "Tony and the Beetles" "Null-O" "To Serve the Master" "Exhibit Piece" "The Crawlers" "Sales Pitch" "Shell Game" "Upon the Dull Earth" "Foster, You're Dead" "Pay for the Printer" "War Veteran" "The Chromium Fence" "Misadjustment" "A World of Talent" "Psi-Man Heal My Child!" "This is why I love SF. I love to read it; I love to write it. The SF writer sees not just possibilities but wild possibilities. It's not just 'What if...' It's 'My God; what if...' In frenzy and hysteria." -- Philip K Dick The other four volumes in this collection are: Beyond Lies The Wub: Volume One Of The Collected Short Stories Second Variety: Volume Two Of The Collected Short Stories Minority Report: Volume Four Of The Collected Short Stories We Can Remember It For You Wholesale: Volume Five of The Collected Short Stories If you are new to Philip K Dick's work I would also recommend the novels (which generally seem to be regarded as among his best): Ubik (S.F. Masterworks) A Scanner Darkly (S.F. Masterworks) The Man In The High Castle (S.F. Masterworks) The Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldritch (S.F. Masterworks) Do Androids Dream Of Electric Sheep?: The novel which became 'Blade Runner' (S.F. Masterworks) That said, as with the short stories, though some of PKD's works are better than others, to my mind they are all well worth reading.
3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Absorbing & thought provoking,
By
This review is from: The Father-Thing: Volume Three Of The Collected Stories (Collected Short Stories of Philip K. Dick) (Paperback)
Phillip K Dick's outlook on humanity is usually pessimistic and claustrophobic but not without hope, at least the hope that none of these things will actually happen. These short stories are so finely crafted and landscaped that the reader starts feeling the unease, paranoia and ennui of the charachters from the first page. The short story is the ideal instrument for his trade as he has so many ideas to express. I'm here at amazon looking for the other books in this fantastic collection.
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