The Collected Stories of Philip K. Dick Volume 2

by Philip K. Dick

The definitive editions of Philip K. Dick's short stories, containing some of the most defining works in the Science Fiction genre.

This stunning new edition of Philip K Dick's work includes the influential 'Adjustment Team' and 'The Father Thing', as well as a litany of mind-expanding other works. Work your way through some of the most influential stories from the 20th century, which have had a massive impact on popular culture.

Genres: Science Fiction, Fiction, Audiobook, Short Stories, Anthologies

624 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2008

About the author

Philip 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

Reviews

[Dave · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a collection of short stories Dick wrote, all of them good, but I do not think any were adapted into movies, unlike the last two stories I read from him.

Dick is an excellent writer and is very good at capturing my imagination. However, his stories are often in bleak worlds, which can be draining. Reading his stories and reading Clancy really makes me think about what it was like for some people growing up in the height of the Cold War, and I can see why people like Dick often saw a messed up vision of our future.

The book contains good stories worth reading, and I'd suggest it to any sci-fi fan.

[ASC Library]

813.54 Dic

[Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another great collection, which is both enjoyable and easy to read.

1. The Cosmic Poachers - 3/5
2. Progeny - 4/5
3. Some Kinds of Life - 4/5
4. Martians Come in Clouds - 2/5
5. The Commuter - 3/5
6. The World She Wanted - 3/5
7. A Surface Raid - 4/5
8. Project: Earth - 3/5
9. The Trouble with Bubbles - 3/5
10. Breakfast at Twilight - 3/5
11. A Present for Pat - 4/5
12. The Hood Maker - 3/5
13. Of Withered Apples - 3/5
14. Human Is - 3/5
15. Adjustment Team - 4/5
16. The Impossible Planet - 3/5
17. Impostor - 4/5
18. James P. Crow - 3/5
19. Planet for Transients - 5/5
20. Small Town - 4/5
21. Souvenir - 4/5
22. Survey Team - 4/5
23. Prominent Author - 4/5
24. Fair Game - 4/5
25. The Hanging Stranger - 5/5
26. The Eyes Have It - 2/5
27. The Golden Man - 4/5
28. The Turning Wheel - 2/5
29. The Last of the Masters - 4/5
30. The Father-Thing - 5/5
31. Strange Eden - 4/5
32. Tony and the Beetles - 4/5
33. Null-O - 2/5
34. To Serve the Master - 4/5
35. Exhibit Piece - 4/5

[K · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mostly good ideas for stories, so credit for creativity, but not great literary stuff.

[Geoffrey van Dijk · Rating 5 out of 5]

For those new to Dick's retro-future, expect the familiar (salesmen, household appliances and secretaries) combined with the futuristic (off-world living, post-apocalyptic worlds and flying cars) and some weird tech (melting front doors, talking refrigerators and robot cab drivers).

It's always a pleasure, though some of his personal tropes tend to get repetitive - like male protagonists not engaging in meaningful conversation with their partners or the unfodly amount of references to breasts as a way to show the emotions of female characters (how does a matronly bosom flutter, exactly?).

All in all, another great short story collection for Dick lovers with two or three absolute stand-outs.

[Caerigna Lunalti · Rating 3 out of 5]

Similar to Volume 1 these short story ring out more as conceptualizing, than fully formed short tales. There are more completed thoughts and stories in this section, however. One to two fit the more general concept of complete short stories, and are very good.

[Todd Martin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another nice collection of Philip K. Dick short stories. I suspect only he could come up with something so weirdly surreal as Perky Pat ... genius!

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice collection. Faith of our Fathers is a delightfully twisty and dark tale.

(audiobook version is read well by the various readers)

[Rob · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked the stories in Volume 2 even more than I liked Volume 1, This was a good read.

[Dominic · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Variable Man is easily the weakest of the bunch. Otherwise 5/5.

[Joe · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not my favorite stories. The earlier ones (in the book) are better than the last two.

[Jason · Rating 4 out of 5]

More consistent than first volume. Some cool ideas, but still some half baked ones too.

[josé almeida · Rating 5 out of 5]

(segundo capítulo de uma maratona distópica...)

[Baptiste Delval · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mes préférées :
* Some Kinds of Life
* The Commuter
* Prominent Author
* The Hanging Stranger
* Tony and the Beetles

[Himi · Rating 3 out of 5]

There’s no such thing as a happy ending with him. Unfortunate? Sure. Ambiguous? Absolutely! Happy? What is that? This was a great collection of hopeless endings. My favorite from the first volume is “The Electric Ant”, a story about an android who doesn’t know that he is one and how he copes when he finds out. From the second volume, “The Days of Perky Pat” was probably the most familiar as it made me think of some of the nonsense that goes on on Tumblr in regards to fandoms. Altogether, “Hope I Shall Arrive Soon” is probably the saddest one for me–it’s either about a guy who loses the ability to tell the difference between virtual and actual reality or a guy who gets stuck reliving endless versions of the same virtual event.

Overall, I enjoyed it, but I’ve learned that I’m not fan of Tom Weiner’s readings. Entirely to stilted. Fortunately, he only read a few of the stories.

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Genius ... meet mentally unbalanced. I discovered Philip K Dick when my brother mentioned him once in a brief conversation. I was curious what my brother, a physics graduate who mostly digs anime and unconventional writings, would find in one I thought to be a scifi writer.

Now I get it. While Asimov and Bradbury were predecessors to Roddenberry, no doubt ... PKD is sort of a Matrix predecessor. Twisted reality mixed with scifi settings ... almost reminiscent of "The Lottery."

[Stacy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I watched the Lego episode of the Simpsons and then read an article about the writers' inside jokes. One was related to the block play set and the Philip K. Brick books as references to Dick's Perky Pat story. The next day, I was searching the library's available audiobooks and stumbled across this one. Had to read it. Thanks to the Simpsons' writers, I have another classic sci-fi author to enjoy!

[Josh]

Awesome. Stories got me to think about what God means by narrating the life of shoes and mundane objects, in ways Beckett never could. Not going to write a long review, but that's not for lack of material -- I cd write and write for hours if I had energy.

[William Thomas · Rating 5 out of 5]

No writer today matches the imagination and te only one that ever had was Bradbury.

[Katherine Friend · Rating 4 out of 5]

Master science fiction writer...enjoyable to listen to.

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a really good book, but a few of the stories were a little dated based on tapes and gears. The short stories were imaginative and fun.

[Jessica Woofter · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really liked the Perky Pat story, but the others just didn't do it for me. The women were all such weak characters, which made all the stories seem very dated.