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The Selected Stories of Philip K. Dick, Volume 1
This collection of nine of Philip K. Dick's outstanding short works includes ""Autofac,"" ""Progeny,"" ""The Exit Door Leads In,"" and more.
1 pages, Audio CD
First published February 1, 2008
64 people are currently reading
177 people want to read
About the author
Philip K. Dick
2,010 books22.5k followersPhilip Kindred Dick was a prolific American science fiction author whose work has had a lasting impact on literature, cinema, and popular culture. Known for his imaginative narratives and profound philosophical themes, Dick explored the nature of reality, the boundaries of human identity, and the impact of technology and authoritarianism on society. His stories often blurred the line between the real and the artificial, challenging readers to question their perceptions and beliefs.
Raised in California, Dick began writing professionally in the early 1950s, publishing short stories in various science fiction magazines. He quickly developed a distinctive voice within the genre, marked by a fusion of science fiction concepts with deep existential and psychological inquiry. Over his career, he authored 44 novels and more than 100 short stories, many of which have become classics in the field.
Recurring themes in Dick's work include alternate realities, simulations, corporate and government control, mental illness, and the nature of consciousness. His protagonists are frequently everyday individuals—often paranoid, uncertain, or troubled—caught in surreal and often dangerous circumstances that force them to question their environment and themselves. Works such as Ubik, The Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldritch, and A Scanner Darkly reflect his fascination with perception and altered states of consciousness, often drawing from his own experiences with mental health struggles and drug use.
One of Dick’s most influential novels is Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?, which served as the basis for Ridley Scott’s iconic film Blade Runner. The novel deals with the distinction between humans and artificial beings and asks profound questions about empathy, identity, and what it means to be alive. Other adaptations of his work include Total Recall, Minority Report, A Scanner Darkly, and The Man in the High Castle, each reflecting key elements of his storytelling—uncertain realities, oppressive systems, and the search for truth. These adaptations have introduced his complex ideas to audiences well beyond the traditional readership of science fiction.
In the 1970s, Dick underwent a series of visionary and mystical experiences that had a significant influence on his later writings. He described receiving profound knowledge from an external, possibly divine, source and documented these events extensively in what became known as The Exegesis, a massive and often fragmented journal. These experiences inspired his later novels, most notably the VALIS trilogy, which mixes autobiography, theology, and metaphysics in a narrative that defies conventional structure and genre boundaries.
Throughout his life, Dick faced financial instability, health issues, and periods of personal turmoil, yet he remained a dedicated and relentless writer. Despite limited commercial success during his lifetime, his reputation grew steadily, and he came to be regarded as one of the most original voices in speculative fiction. His work has been celebrated for its ability to fuse philosophical depth with gripping storytelling and has influenced not only science fiction writers but also philosophers, filmmakers, and futurists.
Dick’s legacy continues to thrive in both literary and cinematic spheres. The themes he explored remain urgently relevant in the modern world, particularly as technology increasingly intersects with human identity and governance. The Philip K. Dick Award, named in his honor, is presented annually to distinguished works of science fiction published in paperback original form in the United States. His writings have also inspired television series, academic studies, and countless homages across media.
Through his vivid imagination and unflinching inquiry into the nature of existence, Philip K. Dick redefined what science fiction could achieve. His work continues to challenge and inspire, offering timeless insights into the human condition a
Raised in California, Dick began writing professionally in the early 1950s, publishing short stories in various science fiction magazines. He quickly developed a distinctive voice within the genre, marked by a fusion of science fiction concepts with deep existential and psychological inquiry. Over his career, he authored 44 novels and more than 100 short stories, many of which have become classics in the field.
Recurring themes in Dick's work include alternate realities, simulations, corporate and government control, mental illness, and the nature of consciousness. His protagonists are frequently everyday individuals—often paranoid, uncertain, or troubled—caught in surreal and often dangerous circumstances that force them to question their environment and themselves. Works such as Ubik, The Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldritch, and A Scanner Darkly reflect his fascination with perception and altered states of consciousness, often drawing from his own experiences with mental health struggles and drug use.
One of Dick’s most influential novels is Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?, which served as the basis for Ridley Scott’s iconic film Blade Runner. The novel deals with the distinction between humans and artificial beings and asks profound questions about empathy, identity, and what it means to be alive. Other adaptations of his work include Total Recall, Minority Report, A Scanner Darkly, and The Man in the High Castle, each reflecting key elements of his storytelling—uncertain realities, oppressive systems, and the search for truth. These adaptations have introduced his complex ideas to audiences well beyond the traditional readership of science fiction.
In the 1970s, Dick underwent a series of visionary and mystical experiences that had a significant influence on his later writings. He described receiving profound knowledge from an external, possibly divine, source and documented these events extensively in what became known as The Exegesis, a massive and often fragmented journal. These experiences inspired his later novels, most notably the VALIS trilogy, which mixes autobiography, theology, and metaphysics in a narrative that defies conventional structure and genre boundaries.
Throughout his life, Dick faced financial instability, health issues, and periods of personal turmoil, yet he remained a dedicated and relentless writer. Despite limited commercial success during his lifetime, his reputation grew steadily, and he came to be regarded as one of the most original voices in speculative fiction. His work has been celebrated for its ability to fuse philosophical depth with gripping storytelling and has influenced not only science fiction writers but also philosophers, filmmakers, and futurists.
Dick’s legacy continues to thrive in both literary and cinematic spheres. The themes he explored remain urgently relevant in the modern world, particularly as technology increasingly intersects with human identity and governance. The Philip K. Dick Award, named in his honor, is presented annually to distinguished works of science fiction published in paperback original form in the United States. His writings have also inspired television series, academic studies, and countless homages across media.
Through his vivid imagination and unflinching inquiry into the nature of existence, Philip K. Dick redefined what science fiction could achieve. His work continues to challenge and inspire, offering timeless insights into the human condition a
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 45 reviews
April 3, 2025
4.1 stars
Stability - 3 stars
Roog - 5 stars
The Little Movement - 5 stars
Beyond Lies the Wub - 5 stars
The Gun - 5 stars
The Skull - 3 stars
The Defenders - 4 stars
Mr Spaceship - 4 stars
Piper in the Woods - 4 stars
The Infinites - 3 stars
The Preserving Machine - 5 stars
Expendable - 4 stars
The Variable Man - 3 stars
The Indefatigable Frog - 5 stars
The Crystal Crypt - 3 stars
The Short Happy Life of the Brown Oxford - 5 stars
The Builder - 3 stars
Meddler - 4 stars
Paycheck - 3 stars
The Great C - 4 stars
Out in the Garden - 3 stars
The King of the Elves - 5 stars
Colony - 5 stars
Prize Ship - 4 stars
Nanny - 5 stars
The Cookie Lady - 5 stars
Beyond the Door - 4 stars
Second Variety - 3 stars
Jon’s World - 4 stars
Stability - 3 stars
Roog - 5 stars
The Little Movement - 5 stars
Beyond Lies the Wub - 5 stars
The Gun - 5 stars
The Skull - 3 stars
The Defenders - 4 stars
Mr Spaceship - 4 stars
Piper in the Woods - 4 stars
The Infinites - 3 stars
The Preserving Machine - 5 stars
Expendable - 4 stars
The Variable Man - 3 stars
The Indefatigable Frog - 5 stars
The Crystal Crypt - 3 stars
The Short Happy Life of the Brown Oxford - 5 stars
The Builder - 3 stars
Meddler - 4 stars
Paycheck - 3 stars
The Great C - 4 stars
Out in the Garden - 3 stars
The King of the Elves - 5 stars
Colony - 5 stars
Prize Ship - 4 stars
Nanny - 5 stars
The Cookie Lady - 5 stars
Beyond the Door - 4 stars
Second Variety - 3 stars
Jon’s World - 4 stars
February 4, 2018
(Original review date: 21 September 2011)
1. Autofac
I've read this story before as part of another collection - it's an early classic of environmental science fiction. A global network of fully automated factory systems chews through natural resources unstoppably, spitting out endless streams of unneeded consumer goods, while the humans desperately try to shut them down.
I like this story; I think it's creepy and effectively written. But the narrator in this audio version is terrible - he talks quickly, monotonously, and over-enunciates everything, like a newsreel narrator from the 30's. It was nearly impossible to pay attention to the story. I guess this is one of the hazards of audiobooks: if the reader sucks, it can ruin a perfectly good story.
Luckily this collection has multiple readers.
2. Progeny
Under the Freudian assumption that all children turn out screwed up because of parental neuroses, Earth has transitioned to a mandatory system where babies are turned over at birth to be raised by carefully trained robots. Once kids reach the age of nine, parents are allowed occasional, timed visits, but cannot really interact with their kids until they come of age. The robot-reared children are, as you might expect, creepily devoid of emotion and drive.
This story had its chilling moments, and I liked the character of the father, who tries desperately to get his son out of the system. Overall, though, it's pretty formulaic and predictable.
3. The Exit Door Leads In
A man wins a "contest" where first prize is admission to college. But nothing is as it seems. Is he being set up? Or is he being tested? I liked this one, because it's like the beginning of a really interesting, longer story, only it follows the wrong protagonist. Certainly, someone else made different choices and is now off learning fascinating things, perhaps having interesting adventures. Our guy? Well, every group has its winners and its losers...
4. A Little Something For Us Tempunauts
Three American tempunauts - as part of a time-travel program similar to the US space program - arrive only a week in the future rather than the century they were shooting for. Worse, they arrive to find that their time machine has imploded upon return, killing all of them inside. Now they must decide whether to attempt to avert this fate and change the past/their future, or determine whether they are locked in a constantly-repeating time-loop that they can only escape by sacrificing their lives in the exploding time machine.
Dick has said that this story was conceived as kind of an externalization of mental illness, and it's definitely effective that way. A depressed person may feel that their life is an endlessly repeating loop of misery with no escape except, perhaps, suicide. Despite how dark it is, I think this is my favorite story so far. Even the return of that crappy reader from the first story couldn't ruin it.
5. The Last of the Masters
Meh, this one was stupid. So 200 years ago, people around the world rose up as one and tore down every government across the globe, establishing instead a (*snort*) "Anarchist League", which now goes around quashing any little town mayor or city council that springs up. Because, you know, even anarchists want to force their way of life on other people. Blah.
Meanwhile, the last of the old "governing robots", saved from the destruction, has been running a small, hidden, well-guarded society in a remote valley. The (*snort*) "Anarchist League" hears about it and sends out some well-armed scouts to shut it down, despite the fact that the people living there aren't harming anyone and seem to like living under a government.
The dumbest part of this whole story, though, is that when the anarchists destroy the governing robot it's like... welp, that's it! I guess this whole society is done for! Because, of course, no mere HUMAN could ever figure out how to run a government, even for a relatively small city-state. Whaaaaaaat ever.
6. The Preserving Machine
Okay, I'll come right out and admit that I didn't get this one at all. There's this scientist who's obsessively worried that modern society is about to meet its downfall, and is particularly freaked out that music is just going to... vanish. Like, every copy of Mozart is going to be lost or something. So he decides that music will be more likely to survive if... he transforms it into animals? What? Uh, okay.
So he builds this machine, which allows him to insert a musical score, and the machine transforms it into an animal. Mozart becomes a bird, Beethoven becomes a beetle, and so forth.
And I... don't get it. These animals don't make music themselves; they're just animals. Also, the scientist made them all sterile, so his original plan for this to be a way to preserve music for future generations is pretty much foiled right there. And even if the animals WERE to survive and breed - what's more likely? That every single written and recorded copy of classical music will be obliterated in society's downfall? Or that the ONE machine capable of turning these animals BACK into musical scores will break down or be smashed or be forgotten?
Makey no sensey.
7. Novelty Act
So, this one was weird. It takes place in a future USA, where the Democratic and Republican parties have merged and the office of First Lady has taken primary importance. Every four years, the electorate votes in a new president/husband for their beloved FLOTUS, the incredibly creepy Nicole, whose every whim, interest, and minor illness dominates the lives of her obsessed subjects... er... citizens. The basic political structure is the apartment building, for some reason, and if you can't pass the constant tests to be admitted and remain in a building, you basically live a life of indentured servitude.
The main character is a guy named Ian Duncan, whose life is a complete mess. He's convinced that if only he can be selected to perform in front of Nicole (he and his brother play classical music on the jugs), everything in his life will get better.
It's a very weird story. Not good weird, not bad weird, just.... what the fuck.
next day
Whoops - this story continues on the next disc! No wonder it made so little sense. Let's see if the rest of it clears anything up. (It's Dick, so it's not like that's a given.)
later
Okay, the rest of the story certainly makes it more complete, but not any less insane. The Duncan brothers get an audience with Nicole, which of course doesn't go as planned and she turns out to be not what she seems, although her creepiness was certainly not an act. I don't know. I think the story is a commentary on our culture's obsession with celebrity, how we develop these weird sort of fucked-up one-sided relationships with the celebrities we like, and how fake and disturbing it all is at its core.
But this story is just so odd, almost dreamlike in that way that dreams can be so vague and strange and baselessly ominous. I can't say I liked it very much.
8. The War with the Fnools
This one had some very funny moments. Earth has been repeatedly invaded by aliens who are able to disguise themselves perfectly as humans - appearing in various invasion attempts as auto mechanics or real estate salesmen or folk musicians. The humans are repeatedly successful in driving them out, though, and the fnools can't figure out why they're not able to blend in. Finally, one human helpfully clues them in: they stand 2 feet tall.
The fnools then discover that engaging in certain human vices (smoking, drinking, sex) allows them to grow. At first I thought this was a pretty random plot development, but elsewhere on the internets it points out that these are all things humans associate with growing older, so I suppose it does make a sort of sense.
In any case, the fnools were amusing.
9. The Electric Ant
After a car accident leaves him injured, a man discovers he is not in fact a man, but a humanoid robot (called an electric ant). He learns that all of his sensations - his entire reality, really - are based on a punch-tape slowly cycling through a scanner in his chest. Discovering he can alter his own reality by messing with the tape - filling in holes, punching new holes, splicing in extra sections, or cutting out and reversing sections - the electric ant begins experimenting in a way similar to how a human might experiment with reality-warping drugs.
Finally, he becomes obsessed with cutting the tape entirely, believing that with nothing running through the scanner, he will experience all possible sensations at the same time.
This is by far the best and strangest story in the collection, and the most quintessentially Dick-ian. Nobody messes with reality quite like PKD.
1. Autofac
I've read this story before as part of another collection - it's an early classic of environmental science fiction. A global network of fully automated factory systems chews through natural resources unstoppably, spitting out endless streams of unneeded consumer goods, while the humans desperately try to shut them down.
I like this story; I think it's creepy and effectively written. But the narrator in this audio version is terrible - he talks quickly, monotonously, and over-enunciates everything, like a newsreel narrator from the 30's. It was nearly impossible to pay attention to the story. I guess this is one of the hazards of audiobooks: if the reader sucks, it can ruin a perfectly good story.
Luckily this collection has multiple readers.
2. Progeny
Under the Freudian assumption that all children turn out screwed up because of parental neuroses, Earth has transitioned to a mandatory system where babies are turned over at birth to be raised by carefully trained robots. Once kids reach the age of nine, parents are allowed occasional, timed visits, but cannot really interact with their kids until they come of age. The robot-reared children are, as you might expect, creepily devoid of emotion and drive.
This story had its chilling moments, and I liked the character of the father, who tries desperately to get his son out of the system. Overall, though, it's pretty formulaic and predictable.
3. The Exit Door Leads In
A man wins a "contest" where first prize is admission to college. But nothing is as it seems. Is he being set up? Or is he being tested? I liked this one, because it's like the beginning of a really interesting, longer story, only it follows the wrong protagonist. Certainly, someone else made different choices and is now off learning fascinating things, perhaps having interesting adventures. Our guy? Well, every group has its winners and its losers...
4. A Little Something For Us Tempunauts
Three American tempunauts - as part of a time-travel program similar to the US space program - arrive only a week in the future rather than the century they were shooting for. Worse, they arrive to find that their time machine has imploded upon return, killing all of them inside. Now they must decide whether to attempt to avert this fate and change the past/their future, or determine whether they are locked in a constantly-repeating time-loop that they can only escape by sacrificing their lives in the exploding time machine.
Dick has said that this story was conceived as kind of an externalization of mental illness, and it's definitely effective that way. A depressed person may feel that their life is an endlessly repeating loop of misery with no escape except, perhaps, suicide. Despite how dark it is, I think this is my favorite story so far. Even the return of that crappy reader from the first story couldn't ruin it.
5. The Last of the Masters
Meh, this one was stupid. So 200 years ago, people around the world rose up as one and tore down every government across the globe, establishing instead a (*snort*) "Anarchist League", which now goes around quashing any little town mayor or city council that springs up. Because, you know, even anarchists want to force their way of life on other people. Blah.
Meanwhile, the last of the old "governing robots", saved from the destruction, has been running a small, hidden, well-guarded society in a remote valley. The (*snort*) "Anarchist League" hears about it and sends out some well-armed scouts to shut it down, despite the fact that the people living there aren't harming anyone and seem to like living under a government.
The dumbest part of this whole story, though, is that when the anarchists destroy the governing robot it's like... welp, that's it! I guess this whole society is done for! Because, of course, no mere HUMAN could ever figure out how to run a government, even for a relatively small city-state. Whaaaaaaat ever.
6. The Preserving Machine
Okay, I'll come right out and admit that I didn't get this one at all. There's this scientist who's obsessively worried that modern society is about to meet its downfall, and is particularly freaked out that music is just going to... vanish. Like, every copy of Mozart is going to be lost or something. So he decides that music will be more likely to survive if... he transforms it into animals? What? Uh, okay.
So he builds this machine, which allows him to insert a musical score, and the machine transforms it into an animal. Mozart becomes a bird, Beethoven becomes a beetle, and so forth.
And I... don't get it. These animals don't make music themselves; they're just animals. Also, the scientist made them all sterile, so his original plan for this to be a way to preserve music for future generations is pretty much foiled right there. And even if the animals WERE to survive and breed - what's more likely? That every single written and recorded copy of classical music will be obliterated in society's downfall? Or that the ONE machine capable of turning these animals BACK into musical scores will break down or be smashed or be forgotten?
Makey no sensey.
7. Novelty Act
So, this one was weird. It takes place in a future USA, where the Democratic and Republican parties have merged and the office of First Lady has taken primary importance. Every four years, the electorate votes in a new president/husband for their beloved FLOTUS, the incredibly creepy Nicole, whose every whim, interest, and minor illness dominates the lives of her obsessed subjects... er... citizens. The basic political structure is the apartment building, for some reason, and if you can't pass the constant tests to be admitted and remain in a building, you basically live a life of indentured servitude.
The main character is a guy named Ian Duncan, whose life is a complete mess. He's convinced that if only he can be selected to perform in front of Nicole (he and his brother play classical music on the jugs), everything in his life will get better.
It's a very weird story. Not good weird, not bad weird, just.... what the fuck.
next day
Whoops - this story continues on the next disc! No wonder it made so little sense. Let's see if the rest of it clears anything up. (It's Dick, so it's not like that's a given.)
later
Okay, the rest of the story certainly makes it more complete, but not any less insane. The Duncan brothers get an audience with Nicole, which of course doesn't go as planned and she turns out to be not what she seems, although her creepiness was certainly not an act. I don't know. I think the story is a commentary on our culture's obsession with celebrity, how we develop these weird sort of fucked-up one-sided relationships with the celebrities we like, and how fake and disturbing it all is at its core.
But this story is just so odd, almost dreamlike in that way that dreams can be so vague and strange and baselessly ominous. I can't say I liked it very much.
8. The War with the Fnools
This one had some very funny moments. Earth has been repeatedly invaded by aliens who are able to disguise themselves perfectly as humans - appearing in various invasion attempts as auto mechanics or real estate salesmen or folk musicians. The humans are repeatedly successful in driving them out, though, and the fnools can't figure out why they're not able to blend in. Finally, one human helpfully clues them in: they stand 2 feet tall.
The fnools then discover that engaging in certain human vices (smoking, drinking, sex) allows them to grow. At first I thought this was a pretty random plot development, but elsewhere on the internets it points out that these are all things humans associate with growing older, so I suppose it does make a sort of sense.
In any case, the fnools were amusing.
9. The Electric Ant
After a car accident leaves him injured, a man discovers he is not in fact a man, but a humanoid robot (called an electric ant). He learns that all of his sensations - his entire reality, really - are based on a punch-tape slowly cycling through a scanner in his chest. Discovering he can alter his own reality by messing with the tape - filling in holes, punching new holes, splicing in extra sections, or cutting out and reversing sections - the electric ant begins experimenting in a way similar to how a human might experiment with reality-warping drugs.
Finally, he becomes obsessed with cutting the tape entirely, believing that with nothing running through the scanner, he will experience all possible sensations at the same time.
This is by far the best and strangest story in the collection, and the most quintessentially Dick-ian. Nobody messes with reality quite like PKD.
February 23, 2015
I enjoyed this collection of short stories from Philip Dick, but there were some stories that I didn't care to invest much into. I particularly enjoyed Second Variety with its Battlestar-Galactica-esque story, The Exit Door Leads In with its wariness of conformism, and I Hope I Shall Arrive Soon with its insight into how early memories can change the way we perceive things in the present. Also, the stories that were the basis of the films Minority Report and Total Recall were included in this set so those were a nice surprise.
March 23, 2015
I'm not a huge fan of Philip K. Dick, even though a lot of people consider him to be some sort of science fiction god. He's often too heavy handed with nerd references for my taste. However, this selection was fun and quite a few of the stories were great. I did skip over a couple after losing interest in them, but that's the beauty of a short story compilation. I also think that the stories that were chosen were thoughtfully chosen to show the reader the breadth of P.K.D.'s writing.
April 25, 2018
Some good stories, my favourites being "The Electric Ant" and "Autofac". The others, I'm not as excited about, perhaps not having as strong concepts driving the stories.
April 24, 2025
Stability- ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Roog - ⭐️⭐️
The Little Movement- ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Beyond Lies the Wub - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The Gun - ⭐️⭐️⭐️
The Skull - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The Defenders - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Mr. Spaceship - ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Piper in the Woods - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The Infinites - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The Preserving Machine - ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Expendable - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The Variable Man - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The Indefatigable Frog - ⭐️⭐️⭐️
The Crystal Crypt - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The Short Happy Life of the Brown Oxford - ⭐️⭐️⭐️
The Builder - ⭐️⭐️⭐️
The Meddler - ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Paycheck - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The Great C - ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Out in the Garden - ⭐️⭐️
The King of the Elves - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The Colony - ⭐️⭐️
Prize Ship - ⭐️⭐️
Nanny - ⭐️⭐️⭐️
The Cookie Lady - ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Beyond the Door - ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Second Variety - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Jon’s World - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Roog - ⭐️⭐️
The Little Movement- ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Beyond Lies the Wub - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The Gun - ⭐️⭐️⭐️
The Skull - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The Defenders - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Mr. Spaceship - ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Piper in the Woods - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The Infinites - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The Preserving Machine - ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Expendable - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The Variable Man - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The Indefatigable Frog - ⭐️⭐️⭐️
The Crystal Crypt - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The Short Happy Life of the Brown Oxford - ⭐️⭐️⭐️
The Builder - ⭐️⭐️⭐️
The Meddler - ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Paycheck - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The Great C - ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Out in the Garden - ⭐️⭐️
The King of the Elves - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The Colony - ⭐️⭐️
Prize Ship - ⭐️⭐️
Nanny - ⭐️⭐️⭐️
The Cookie Lady - ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Beyond the Door - ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Second Variety - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Jon’s World - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
August 30, 2009
OMG THE MACHINES ARE TAKING OVER!
I'm usually not a big fan of short stories but I really enjoyed listening to these snippets of sci-fi what ifs in the car. Well, the first half anyway. Almost wish I'd never gotten it back from the library - the second half was pretty tedious. I ate up the stories which end in a satisfying cynical twist, like The Exit Door Leads In or Progeny. I enjoyed those that aren't exactly great works of fiction but leave you with cool thinky thoughts, like A Little Something for Us Tempunauts. And then... there are the stories that don't so much explore a point of philosophy as lead with it and beat it over the head for 20 minutes. (Last of the Masters was so painfully repetitious and plot-holey I spent the Whole. Time. yelling at my car stereo.) The Electric Ant kind of falls into that third category but it was fun to see his later psychadelic stuff in the mix.
In conclusion, more stories! But I'll probably be more choosy next time.
I'm usually not a big fan of short stories but I really enjoyed listening to these snippets of sci-fi what ifs in the car. Well, the first half anyway. Almost wish I'd never gotten it back from the library - the second half was pretty tedious. I ate up the stories which end in a satisfying cynical twist, like The Exit Door Leads In or Progeny. I enjoyed those that aren't exactly great works of fiction but leave you with cool thinky thoughts, like A Little Something for Us Tempunauts. And then... there are the stories that don't so much explore a point of philosophy as lead with it and beat it over the head for 20 minutes. (Last of the Masters was so painfully repetitious and plot-holey I spent the Whole. Time. yelling at my car stereo.) The Electric Ant kind of falls into that third category but it was fun to see his later psychadelic stuff in the mix.
In conclusion, more stories! But I'll probably be more choosy next time.
May 29, 2024
Overall, this collection is enjoyable and easy to read, featuring a variety of sci-fi and a couple of fantasy short stories.
1. Stability - 3/5
2. Roog - 3/5
3. The Little Movement - 2/5
4. Beyond Lies the Wub - 3/5
5. The Gun - 4/5
6. The Skull - 4/5
7. The Defenders - 4/5
8. Mr Spaceship - 3/5
9. Piper in the Woods - 4/5
10. The Infinites - 4/5
11. The Preserving Machine - 3/5
12. Expendable - 4/5
13. The Variable Man - 3/5
14. The Indefatigable Frog - 3/5
15. The Crystal Crypt - 3/5
16. The Short Happy Life of the Brown Oxford - 4/5
17. The Builder - 3/5
18. Meddler - 3/5
19. Paycheck - 4/5
20. The Great C - 4/5
21. Out in the Garden - 4/5
22. The King of the Elves - 4/5
23. Colony - 4/5
24. Prize Ship - 3/5
25. Nanny - 4/5
26. The Cookie Lady - 3/5
27. Beyond the Door - 3/5
28. Second Variety - 5/5. My favourite of the collection.
29. Jon's World - 4/5
1. Stability - 3/5
2. Roog - 3/5
3. The Little Movement - 2/5
4. Beyond Lies the Wub - 3/5
5. The Gun - 4/5
6. The Skull - 4/5
7. The Defenders - 4/5
8. Mr Spaceship - 3/5
9. Piper in the Woods - 4/5
10. The Infinites - 4/5
11. The Preserving Machine - 3/5
12. Expendable - 4/5
13. The Variable Man - 3/5
14. The Indefatigable Frog - 3/5
15. The Crystal Crypt - 3/5
16. The Short Happy Life of the Brown Oxford - 4/5
17. The Builder - 3/5
18. Meddler - 3/5
19. Paycheck - 4/5
20. The Great C - 4/5
21. Out in the Garden - 4/5
22. The King of the Elves - 4/5
23. Colony - 4/5
24. Prize Ship - 3/5
25. Nanny - 4/5
26. The Cookie Lady - 3/5
27. Beyond the Door - 3/5
28. Second Variety - 5/5. My favourite of the collection.
29. Jon's World - 4/5
September 9, 2010
Contains:
1. Autofac
2. Progeny
3. The Exit Door Leads In
4. A Little Something for Us Tempunauts
5. The Last of the Masters
6. The Preserving Machine
7. Novelty Act
8. The War with the Pfenulees (sp)
9. The Electric Ant
A good mix -- some seminal works (look for the seeds of Berserkers in "Autofac"), some hilarious, some prophetic. "The Electric Ant" seemed run of the mill, until the last page put an icicle around my spine.
1. Autofac
2. Progeny
3. The Exit Door Leads In
4. A Little Something for Us Tempunauts
5. The Last of the Masters
6. The Preserving Machine
7. Novelty Act
8. The War with the Pfenulees (sp)
9. The Electric Ant
A good mix -- some seminal works (look for the seeds of Berserkers in "Autofac"), some hilarious, some prophetic. "The Electric Ant" seemed run of the mill, until the last page put an icicle around my spine.
March 1, 2019
Over the past year or so, I have been going through a little phase of catching up on 1950s-1970s sci-fi authors that I've been neglecting. Most of what I've discovered is that I'm already familiar with authors whose writing I enjoy. A lot of what came out of the atomic age doesn't seem to, you know, age gracefully. Then we have the robot era, which Philip K. Dick mostly belongs to. While I appreciate his contribution to the sci-fi world (we all know and love Blade Runner, but how many people realize it's Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?), I have a hard time with his books. They're just not all that interesting, to be perfectly honest. Cool concepts, but boring and don't age well.
So, thanks... But I think I'll stick with authors like Heinlein, who, if nothing else, I can count on to always be weird and entertaining.
So, thanks... But I think I'll stick with authors like Heinlein, who, if nothing else, I can count on to always be weird and entertaining.
April 24, 2025
Rating this for audiobook quality as well as story quality. As an anthology, the stories ranged from "fine" to "really good". This was my first experience with PKD and a pretty good one I feel. Lots of his stories are products of his time (LOTS of smoking, even in the "futuristic" 1990s or early 2000s) and some low key / unconscious sexism. But the stories were mostly pretty entertaining and often delightfully weird.
The audiobook readers did a very nice job. I really enjoyed them.
I'm giving this 5 stars, which to me means "better than 80% of other material like it". It's probably on the lower end of that, but that's still pretty good!
The audiobook readers did a very nice job. I really enjoyed them.
I'm giving this 5 stars, which to me means "better than 80% of other material like it". It's probably on the lower end of that, but that's still pretty good!
December 26, 2020
PKD is a talented author and explores some interesting themes but most of the short stories just couldn't quite grab me. I think it's really difficult to write amazing short stories because of the speed at which you have to develop characters. However, there were some stories worth reading:
Minority Report
Precious Artifact
We Can Remember It For You WholeSale (Total Recall)
The Electric Ant (Potentially the best in the book)
The Exit Door Leads In
I Hope I Shall Arrive Soon (2nd Best)
Minority Report
Precious Artifact
We Can Remember It For You WholeSale (Total Recall)
The Electric Ant (Potentially the best in the book)
The Exit Door Leads In
I Hope I Shall Arrive Soon (2nd Best)
March 2, 2018
As this was my first book by Philip K. Dick, I'm not sure whether it was because these were short stories, or whether it is just his style, but they all seemed a bit rough in their finishes. There are a lot of interesting ideas here, it just seems better when they're filled out by someone basing a story on Dick's writings. (Could also lose the bits of sexism that regularly crept in)
April 16, 2021
This is a collection of some of the authors lesser-known short stories. While he is definitely a visionary of his time, these stories don’t quite have the same impact or sense of timelessness that his others half. Some feel a little dated and we’re tough for me to follow or understand based on their wording and terminology. I did enjoy a couple of them though. Very classic sci-fi.
June 11, 2017
Most of these short stories were unfamiliar to me even though I've read quite a bit of Philip K. Dick's work. All were were good and a few quite excellent. Although I'm not sure if the papoola had any influence on my reaction. Everyone LOVES the papoola!
January 8, 2018
I listened to this on audio. I really enjoyed most of the stories some started blending into each other and I would become confused as to whether or not a new story had begun. As far as science fiction I really enjoy Dick’s writing style and the suspense with which he kept his readers at.
July 5, 2019
Not bad. I enjoyed a few of the stories, but to be honest, I enjoy PKD's full stories much more than his short stories. Some of these feel a bit lost and don't really resonate. Some have a good sense humor, so they are worth the read, but others you just read past.
September 2, 2020
I don't think I'm in the right mood for this. I finished the 1st story (Autofac) & didn't love it. Maybe the audio version also isn't the best way to ingest the stories. I'm going to give this up for now & hope to return to it agin (perhaps in ebook form next time).
July 20, 2025
SF miniature masterworks
Captivating page turning stories from the mind bending philosophical king of SF. Keeps you hooked throughout and great variety from time travel to conspiratorial insects!
Captivating page turning stories from the mind bending philosophical king of SF. Keeps you hooked throughout and great variety from time travel to conspiratorial insects!
August 8, 2018
These are all good stories and from an author that has had so many of his stories turned into movies, See Minority Report, and Total Recall, This was a good read.
March 25, 2019
Lots to do with robots, which are usually viewed in the negative light by the human characters. Entertaining, for the most part.
September 6, 2020
Mix of quite good short stories, and him just playing with ideas on paper.
September 15, 2022
That PKD wrote "Autofac" in *1955*, forty years before Amazon dot com, is evidence enough to cement his status as the 20th century's greatest oracle.
January 31, 2024
Brilliant collection of short stories.
May 13, 2024
A bit of a mixed bag. Some great stories and some mediocre ones.
August 24, 2024
A festival of stories and ideas by one of the most talented authors of the golden era of science fiction. Some of the stories just top-notch even nowadays.
September 30, 2024
Overall was surprised at how well these stood the test of time.
July 17, 2025
Classic sci-fi, nothing wrong here.
December 13, 2025
Several great ones, some mediocre ones, engaging pacing overall. Will be interesting to read the rest of the volumes and follow the author's style progress as the stories are ordered chronologically.
May 13, 2016
Having read both A Scanner Darkly and Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep I was prepared for Dick’s stories to be dystopian rather than utopian but seeing the many different ways in which he foresaw humanity screwing itself up was still eye-opening. Though most of the stories in this collection precede Dick’s more famous novels by a decade or so, it I still evident that he already disagreed with the positive image that most science fiction writers had about the future.
In every one of these stories he gives us a humanity that has survived some apocalyptic disaster and that has retreated in either anarchy or authoritarianism and he shows how space exploration and further technologies have served only to further empower those already in command while subjecting everyone else. Similarly, while he shows some people fighting back it is always a losing battle and even when they believe they have won Dick shows us how they have simply played the part that those in power wanted them to play.
Another aspect that I found interesting was the way in which Dick saw the misogyny and racism of his own time continue unchanged throughout all the changes that befell mankind, whether he saw that as the natural order of things or as a cynical view of the lack of progress I was unable to gleam. Overall it is thought-provoking to wonder how Dick’s life through the nuclear powered escalation of the Cold War shaped his views of the coming decades and how focused he seemed to disprove the panacea of technological innovation.
In every one of these stories he gives us a humanity that has survived some apocalyptic disaster and that has retreated in either anarchy or authoritarianism and he shows how space exploration and further technologies have served only to further empower those already in command while subjecting everyone else. Similarly, while he shows some people fighting back it is always a losing battle and even when they believe they have won Dick shows us how they have simply played the part that those in power wanted them to play.
Another aspect that I found interesting was the way in which Dick saw the misogyny and racism of his own time continue unchanged throughout all the changes that befell mankind, whether he saw that as the natural order of things or as a cynical view of the lack of progress I was unable to gleam. Overall it is thought-provoking to wonder how Dick’s life through the nuclear powered escalation of the Cold War shaped his views of the coming decades and how focused he seemed to disprove the panacea of technological innovation.
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