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The Commuter

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“The Commuter” was first published in Amazing in August-September 1953.

It tells the story of a railway station manager who encounters the eponymous commuter who testifies to the existence of a town that cannot be found on any normal map. There is clearly something amiss since the commuter exhibits a disconcerting tendency to literally vanish on close questioning about this ephemeral town. However, based on the information the manager manages to extract from the commuter, he undertakes an investigation and so boards the train the commuter swears is scheduled to stop at the town. Lo and behold, the station manager arrives at the non-existent town and further puzzling adventures ensue.

11 pages, Unknown Binding

First published August 1, 1953

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About the author

Philip K. Dick

2,006 books22.5k followers
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

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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
Profile Image for Bill Kerwin.
Author 2 books84.3k followers
March 27, 2019

First published in Amazing (August-September 1953), Commuter is the kind of thing Philip K. Dick does best: he explores the squirmy, ungraspable nature of alternate reality, demonstrates how we never know what’s really happening even at the moment when we are most closely paying close attention.

Transit supervisor Bob Paine learns that a little guy name Crichet has been asking to buy commuter tickets to Macon Heights and that, when is told that no such place exists, immediately disappeared. The next day, Paine sees Crichet disappear for himself. and decides it is time to investigate. What he finds out—and does not find out—makes for a disturbing and thought-provoking story.
Profile Image for Richard Derus.
4,194 reviews2,267 followers
January 26, 2018
Rating: 4.5* 0f five...four for the story, five for the episode of Electric Dreams

An interesting exercise in the wander-between-worlds genre of SF morphs into a meditation on happiness and the nature of reality, construct or absolute?, in the hands of the episode's writer Jack Thorne. I was absolutely mesmerized by the performance that Timothy Spall (Wormtail of the Harry Potter films) gave as the railway employee who just can't make out what the hell's going on when a lovely woman tries to buy a pass to Macon Heights, a nonexistent place. She's quite insistent, and then when he turns away for a moment to get a route map, she's vanished.

As in doesn't exist.

When he goes home to his wife and son, he finds the police there ahead of him. His son Sam has, not for the first time, acted out violently. The problem is affecting his marriage, the problem is ruining his life...he falls asleep.

When he wakes up, he encounters the mysterious Macon Heights woman again, and he decides to go to the exact place she says that Macon Heights, which doesn't exist, is. He sees other people jumping off the train at that point and joins them as they walk across a field to a fog-shrouded town.

Macon Heights.

And then everything gets weird. He goes back to his life and his son is gone. Never existed. For a moment, he remembers his son, but that passes and he comforts his wife for their failure to have kids.

Back in Macon Heights a second time.

Home to more changes. He confronts the absence of his son, the hole in his life that his son once filled.

Back in Macon Heights a third time, this time to demand of the tutelary spirit of the place that his proper reality be restored to him and be damned the specious, spurious ease of Macon Heights.

Have you experienced a pain so horrible, so grinding, so all-consuming, that you wish it and all the things associated with it away? I suspect most of us have. But would you be willing to trade in all the beauty and all the possibility that real life as you've lived it has brought you? No more pain...no more joy...but a chance to reset the game.

Are you going to take the deal?
Profile Image for [ J o ].
1,966 reviews551 followers
June 6, 2018
It's an enjoyable Dick piece but like his other shorts it merely left me wanting more, not satisfied.

Which, I suppose, is actually a better thing in the grand scheme of things. I am still waiting for Dick to show bad writing, but I'm happy to say I don't think it will ever happen.

It's a good, compelling story that reminds me of the way Lovecraft tells a story without delving in to everything all at once (or at all). Not the high-tech kind of sci-fi that one thinks of, but the human-tech kind of sci-fi that induces thought on society and what humans are, and where we fit in the world-and in all of time and space as well.

I rated low because I have read little but expect better compared to others I've read and enjoyed.
Profile Image for Bionic Jean.
1,384 reviews1,567 followers
February 11, 2020
The short story The Commuter was written in 1953, and is the second story in the collection “Philip K. Dick’s Electric Dreams”, compiled in 2017, after the television series of the same name. The Commuter was adapted for filming by Jack Thorne.

The story starts when a ticket clerk, Ed Jacobson, is stymied when a careworn passenger asks for a ticket to “Macon Heights”, a town which doesn’t exist in his guide. Before anything is explained, the passenger disappears into thin air. This happens more than once, and in front of his manager, Bob Paine. They even know the name of the shabby little man: Ernest Critchet. Intrigued, Bob Paine investigates for himself, working out the exact time elapsed on the journey as described by the commuter. .

The television drama is reasonably faithful, but expands the story quite a bit. Ed Jacobson, the railway worker’s son Sam has a more central part, as he has psychotic episodes. An additional character, a young woman called Linda, asks for a ticket to a non-existent destination.

The Commuter is an exploration of the boundary of existence. As Jack Thorne points out, Philip K. Dick’s stories are often about an “Ordinary Joe” who has been given a glimpse of something else, and respond accordingly. They don’t suddenly become superheroes, but as their world changes, they transform within it. We are invited to consider places which don’t exist, but could exist. I shall leave the final thought about this one to Jack Thorne:

“As always with PKD’s work it ends up asking profound questions about what as humans we want. And what we should get.”
Profile Image for Tristram Shandy.
877 reviews265 followers
January 2, 2018
For All We Know It Could Already Have Happened

The Commuter is not exactly a very dramatic story because nobody is faced with far-reaching decisions, or left with hankerings or remorse in their hearts, or overcomes danger and emerges a better person. In fact, its characters are left none the wiser in the end, and this is actually why the story is so thought-provoking and fascinating.

PKD here explores the question what would happen if through whatever agency or coincidence a decision made in the past is undone, and another option that was not realized at the time came, or had come, into being. What consequences might arise, even for people who were not involved into that decision, which is a very mundane decision at that, and how might their lives change?

Maybe, through the character of Ernest Critchet, the commuter, who makes a both tired and yet impatient impression, and is generally in a very bad mood, Dick also wants to voice some criticism of modern working conditions.
Profile Image for Marian.
287 reviews5 followers
February 18, 2018
Are we sure our reality is real?...read and see for yourself.
Profile Image for Amanda Benson.
41 reviews
March 20, 2025
"Maybe certain parts of the past were unstable...the past changing, after it had already happened."

"Maybe it had always been there. Maybe, and maybe not. Everything was shifting. New things were coming into existence, others going away. The past was altering, and memory was tied to the past. How could he trust his memory? How could he be sure?"
Profile Image for Philip.
628 reviews5 followers
October 16, 2022
Not quite as good as I remember. I think this could have focussed more on the mundane life of the titular ‘commuter’ and how he’s bleeds into and affects our reality, rather than showing a more transitional protagonist investigating what’s going on. A nice premise but I didn’t like how it turned out in the end. Maybe I should watch the Timothy Small version to see what they do with it. 3 stars.
Profile Image for Verba Non Res.
495 reviews124 followers
October 24, 2019
Lo propio de las ficciones de Philip K. Dick, iba pensando mientras leía las historias de Electric Dreams, es el conflicto entre realidades, o entre versiones de la realidad. Ahora, que ya terminé el libro, reformularía esta impresión para darle un poco más de altura teórica (con lo que quiero decir, hacerla al mismo tiempo más elegante y menos accountable). Lo propio de la ficción de Dick son las realidades inestables. Sus mundos se acomodan como pueden, unos dentro de otros, o en sucesión, y muchas veces siguiendo algún tipo de jerarquía. Se inscriben no en la lógica del conflicto, sino en la de la conmutación.

Las ciudades son, en sí mismas, realidades inestables. Sus fisonomías cambian continuamente. Podemos vivir en cierta parte de una determinada metrópolis y desconocer casi todo el resto de su geografía. Descubrir un nuevo barrio puede ser tan extraño como llegar a una ciudad distinta; porque todo es nuevo y al mismo tiempo da la impresión de haber estado ahí siempre (como, sin duda, siempre estuvo, ¿o no?). Para acceder a nuevas zonas también necesitamos llaves de acceso, rutas extrañas o nuevos trenes y colectivos que hacen las veces de puentes entre realidades.

Este cuento de Dick, como muchos otros de este autor, empieza con una impresión cotidiana y la convierte a los términos más puros y duros de la ciencia ficción. No ocurre mucho en esta historia, no mucho más que la idea principal de Dick. En una estación de trenes, empiezan a aparecer pasajeros que, con convicción, quieren comprar boletos para un pueblo que no figura en los mapas. El director de la estación acaba por descubrir que el pueblo existe, pero es efímero, o mejor dicho que existe solo de manera intermitente. Hace años, en una votación muy pareja, se decidió no construir ese pueblo, pero ese dictamen que parece definitivo coexiste de alguna manera con otros resultados posibles, como en la interpretación de Everett de la mecánica cuántica.

Las realidades inestables de Dick permiten una lectura en clave de ciencia ficción sin matices, pero también nos permiten caminar en sentido inverso, y volver, quizás con un entendimiento muy profundo, a las experiencias cotidianas que las inspiraron. “The Commuter” habla de lo fragmentado de las urbes modernas, tras su aparente abundancia de conexiones y de hiperconcentración de los espacios. Vivimos en una ciudad repleta de calles que nunca vimos; con gente que forma, en los papeles, parte de la misma experiencia, pero con la que nunca vamos a cruzarnos, y eso es algo extraño y vertiginoso.

A mí me parece que se trata de esto.


“The Commuter” es el cuento #2 de Electric Dreams

Anterior: “Exhibit Piece”

Siguiente: “The Impossible Planet”
Profile Image for Bremer.
Author 20 books34 followers
Read
June 7, 2022
There are realms of the possible, of what could have been, but never were.

We exist in this particular timeline, but not in another. So much of our lives is based on a certain probability of events, a confluence of favorable conditions. But what if, underlying what we know as reality, there are other existences, hidden, lurking in the shadows of our reality, waiting to get out? And if these other potential realities became capital-R real, would that alter the fabric of all that we know?

What if our pasts, which we believe to be so solid and stable and unalterable, can change our present timeline? If they do change, would our memories adapt later on to fit that change? If our memories edit themselves to fit an alternative past, one that seems alien to the one that we knew before, would we even know it?
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Катерина Майковська.
Author 1 book18 followers
January 4, 2024
Типовий Філіп К. Дік, який завжди мав круті ідеї та концепції, але трагічно не вмів писати цікаві тексти. Персонажі пласкі, нецікаві, ба більше — просто нелогічні. Жінки виконують функцію безмозкої прислуги-тла. Мотивація персонажа не ясна. Сюжет передбачуваний. Але ж ідеї круті! Дуже круті і дуже шкода, що чарівник та ретранслятор електричних снів Філіп К. Дік не вмів цікаво свої ідеї виписати.

Profile Image for Samuel.
23 reviews
January 24, 2024
"The Commuter" by Philip K. Dick presents an intriguing narrative that, while captivating, differs from other works by the author in its openness to interpretation. Unlike some of Dick's more directive storytelling, this short story leaves a significant portion to the reader's imagination and discernment. While this approach offers a unique and thought-provoking experience, some readers, like myself, might appreciate a bit more authorial guidance for a deeper understanding of the narrative. Nevertheless, "The Commuter" remains a solid addition to Dick's body of work, showcasing his ability to craft compelling and enigmatic tales. Despite the preference for a more guided narrative, the story's inherent intrigue and Dick's skillful storytelling make it a worthwhile read, ultimately leaving the reader glad to have explored its mysterious depths.
Profile Image for Andy Hickman.
7,393 reviews51 followers
August 19, 2018
“The Commuter”: His life, work and family subtly change after having visited the new 'non-existent' town. ****

A railway station manager encounters the eponymous commuter, who speaks of a town that cannot be found on any normal map. The commuter literally vanishes on close questioning about this ephemeral town. Based on the information the manager extracts from the commuter, he undertakes an investigation and boards the train the commuter says is scheduled to stop at the town. The station manager finds himself arriving at the non-existent town.
Subsequent investigation reveals that the town nearly existed. It was narrowly voted out of existence during a planning meeting, and the narrowness of this vote is directly reflected in the ephemeral nature of the town.
Profile Image for Rosaleen Lynch.
157 reviews5 followers
April 8, 2018
Another story from PKD about life chances and opportunities people may not have otherwise. Where we start from and where we can get to. Is this pre-destined? Are our destinations decided in our DNA or the station we start our journey from? Can we go off on another track? Decide on our own destinations? Should we just accept our baggage and take the ticket we've been given?
Profile Image for Dianne.
244 reviews
November 29, 2017
Let's just say the T.V. show did a way better job on this and updated it to be a lot more palatable in terms of feminism.
The main character is very unlikable in this, has nothing to lose, doesn't do any of the leg work and suffers no consequences.
Profile Image for Austin Wright.
1,187 reviews26 followers
April 4, 2018
PKD's short stories, almost all in that length of 20-pages, are really novels that only were given 20-pages of space.

This story is your standard two-possible-futures-merged-into-one, sprinkled with PKD-magic. :)
Profile Image for Campbell McKercher.
13 reviews
September 27, 2024
Absolutely loved this one. Reminded me so much of the Twilight Zone and just found out there's an anthology series called "Phillip K Dick's Electric Dreams" and this story is one of the episodes! Will definitely be watching that soon.
Profile Image for Rob.
878 reviews38 followers
September 24, 2017
When two worlds overlap, strange things occur
Profile Image for Stijn.
Author 11 books8 followers
June 28, 2020
That's just completely my cup of tea. Mind-bending stuff happening and little or no explanation on anything that's happening in the pseudo-realities PKD put us in.
Profile Image for John Esse.
376 reviews20 followers
January 24, 2024
Very creepy and uncanny little story for anyone who is into the Mandela Effect
Profile Image for Lenke K..
32 reviews
November 4, 2025
Első novellám az írótól.
Megfogott a stílusa, lassan építi fel a feszültséget és az utolsó pillanatban rád bízza, hogy milyen következtetéssel maradj.
Felteheted a kérdést: szerinted mi történt?
Profile Image for Deni.
380 reviews61 followers
January 11, 2016
atraviesa una de las temáticas que más problematizan a Dick: el continuo temporal.
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews

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