- Paperback: 480 pages
- Publisher: Voyager; (Reissue) edition (5 May 1998)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0586207678
- ISBN-13: 978-0586207673
- Product Dimensions: 18.8 x 12.8 x 2.4 cm
- Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 791,643 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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Product Description
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 --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.
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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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Format: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.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Format: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.
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
Format: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.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
Great short stories
Philip K Dick's short stories are some of his very best work. As a writer whose talent was in crafting imaginative stories filled with mend-bending ideas rather than developing... Read more
Published 5 months ago by David Clarke
pretty sound
I read this while i was at school. I had already read the previous 2 collections of short stories in the collection: starting with @beyond lies the Wub'. Read more
Published on 24 July 2007 by A. CRAIG
Brilliant
Another amazing collection of short stories by one of the best in the business. Full of twists, humour and tension.
Published on 4 Jan 2006 by Matt Gibson
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