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The Short Stories Of Phillip K. Dick - Volume 1: "Reality is whatever refuses to go away when I stop believing in it."
Philip Kindred Dick was born in 1928. Widely considered one of the greatest science fiction writers, his talents were immense but he lived almost his whole life on the edge of poverty. Born prematurely on December 16, 1928 his twin sister died which caused a shadow over the rest of his life. Many of his works would refer to the ‘phantom twin’. Bizarrely her tiny body was buried in Colorado where her parents also had Phillips name inscribed on the tombstone. Eventually upon his death in 1982 he too was interred in the same plot. Phillip sold his first short story in 1951 and then became a full time writer selling his first novel in 1955. He wrote continually and whilst considered a genius of the science fiction genre he was ignored by the mainstream. Now of course much of his work is turned into films and he is rightly lauded. All his work is at times visionary, and haunting dealing with many themes. Dick wrote of his work. "In my writing I even question the universe; I wonder out loud if it is real, and I wonder out loud if all of us are real." In this collection we deal with short stories he wrote for various science fiction magazines.
253 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 23, 2014
55 people are currently reading
172 people want to read
About the author
Philip K. Dick
1,442 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 - 6 of 6 reviews
September 17, 2023
The Good: Thought-provoking and clever psychological science fiction
The Bad: Less-developed early-career stories
The Literary: Short stories from one of the greatest science fiction writers
Widely considered one of the greatest science fiction writers, Philip Kindred Dick sold his first short story in 1951 but found little recognition until his novel The Man in the High Castle earned him a Hugo Award for Best Novel in 1962. He is known for his imaginative paranoid fiction, self-identity, and fragile realities, inspired by his own mental states, attempted suicides, and drug abuse.
THE EYES HAVE IT — 5 STARS
One of the funniest PKD stories I've read, based entirely on a misunderstanding of English phrasing. Literally interpreting a line in a novel that reads, "his eyes roved around the room", the protagonist believes he's found evidence that aliens have invaded Earth and are living among us. Humans cannot remove their eyes from their heads after all. The story continues, one phrase after another, "he put his arm around her", and "she gave him her heart and hand," with a fun punchline at the end. It's almost as if PKD is poking fun at his own tendency to question reality.
SECOND VARIETY — 5 STARS
In the aftermath of nuclear war between Russia and the United Nations, UN troops fight among the devastation while most of the government live on a Moon base. The tide turns once the UN develops robots that seek warm bodies and kill with a churning sphere of blades. With a few years, the "claws" devastate the Soviet forces, and learn to repair and redesign themselves in automated factories. This story feels very much like later PKD, with a small group of people surviving against a backdrop of what feels to be a doomed war. But the real story is in the robots, and the robot models they self-create.
BEYOND THE DOOR — 4 STARS
Larry Thomas brings home a cuckoo clock for his wife Doris, who loves it. But Larry is a thoughtless man who doesn't seem to love his wife and ruins the moment by announcing he bought the clock wholesale. Doris fawns over the clock, talking to the cuckoo sweetly. Larry becomes jealous and kicks his wife out. But he keeps the clock though he hates it and eventually threatens to smash it with a hammer, upon which, Bob mysteriously dies. I love that wholesale is a bad word for PKD, symbolizing the loss of individuality and the worst of consumerism. The cuckoo seems to be alive, something suspected by nearly everyone in the story at some point, and I wonder if it would have been more powerful if only Larry suspected it's autonomy.
THE VARIABLE MAN — 5 STARS
The human race is in a cold war with the Centauran Empire, which won't allow humans to expand beyond our solar system despite mastering space travel. As the war progresses, a probability machine re-calculates the outcome of the war. Everything seems grand with the theoretical invention of a faster-than-light bomb, but a man from the past who travels to the present through a time bubble becomes the unknown variable, confusing the probability machine. Thomas Cole, the variable man, is from 1913, highly capable, and a "fixer of things". He evades the authorities and goes on the run. Surprisingly twisty, this story is satisfying in its homage to the idea of "the renaissance man".
BEYOND LIES THE WUB — 4 STARS
Loading up a spaceship with food animals from Mars, Peterson buys an enormous pig. The captain comments on how good he'll taste, but eventually the pig speaks up, introduced himself as "wub", and asks not to be discussed in that fashion. Peterson and wub discuss mythology, but the captain only becomes more obsessed with eating wub. There's a nice twist at the end, but I'm unclear exactly what this story is about, other than a talking creature who looks like a pig.
TONY AND THE BEETLES — 4 STARS
Tony is only 10 years old and hasn't ever thought about the long-standing subjugation of the insect-like Pac-udeti by the human race. He lives on a planet in the Betelgeuse system with his parents. And though he plays with his best friends, most of whom are Pac-udeti, he accepts the world as it is. When the war takes a turn, his best friends turn on him, call him a "white-grub", and Tony only then recognizes that he's on the side of the oppressors. I love that this story is told from the POV of a child who doesn't question or see his privilege. Bleak and tragic, and quite a way to end a short story collection.
While the editing of this particular collection isn't great, the stories themselves are. Highly recommended for fans of PKD. If you're new, I'd recommend reading his most famous novels first.
The Bad: Less-developed early-career stories
The Literary: Short stories from one of the greatest science fiction writers
Widely considered one of the greatest science fiction writers, Philip Kindred Dick sold his first short story in 1951 but found little recognition until his novel The Man in the High Castle earned him a Hugo Award for Best Novel in 1962. He is known for his imaginative paranoid fiction, self-identity, and fragile realities, inspired by his own mental states, attempted suicides, and drug abuse.
THE EYES HAVE IT — 5 STARS
One of the funniest PKD stories I've read, based entirely on a misunderstanding of English phrasing. Literally interpreting a line in a novel that reads, "his eyes roved around the room", the protagonist believes he's found evidence that aliens have invaded Earth and are living among us. Humans cannot remove their eyes from their heads after all. The story continues, one phrase after another, "he put his arm around her", and "she gave him her heart and hand," with a fun punchline at the end. It's almost as if PKD is poking fun at his own tendency to question reality.
SECOND VARIETY — 5 STARS
In the aftermath of nuclear war between Russia and the United Nations, UN troops fight among the devastation while most of the government live on a Moon base. The tide turns once the UN develops robots that seek warm bodies and kill with a churning sphere of blades. With a few years, the "claws" devastate the Soviet forces, and learn to repair and redesign themselves in automated factories. This story feels very much like later PKD, with a small group of people surviving against a backdrop of what feels to be a doomed war. But the real story is in the robots, and the robot models they self-create.
BEYOND THE DOOR — 4 STARS
Larry Thomas brings home a cuckoo clock for his wife Doris, who loves it. But Larry is a thoughtless man who doesn't seem to love his wife and ruins the moment by announcing he bought the clock wholesale. Doris fawns over the clock, talking to the cuckoo sweetly. Larry becomes jealous and kicks his wife out. But he keeps the clock though he hates it and eventually threatens to smash it with a hammer, upon which, Bob mysteriously dies. I love that wholesale is a bad word for PKD, symbolizing the loss of individuality and the worst of consumerism. The cuckoo seems to be alive, something suspected by nearly everyone in the story at some point, and I wonder if it would have been more powerful if only Larry suspected it's autonomy.
THE VARIABLE MAN — 5 STARS
The human race is in a cold war with the Centauran Empire, which won't allow humans to expand beyond our solar system despite mastering space travel. As the war progresses, a probability machine re-calculates the outcome of the war. Everything seems grand with the theoretical invention of a faster-than-light bomb, but a man from the past who travels to the present through a time bubble becomes the unknown variable, confusing the probability machine. Thomas Cole, the variable man, is from 1913, highly capable, and a "fixer of things". He evades the authorities and goes on the run. Surprisingly twisty, this story is satisfying in its homage to the idea of "the renaissance man".
BEYOND LIES THE WUB — 4 STARS
Loading up a spaceship with food animals from Mars, Peterson buys an enormous pig. The captain comments on how good he'll taste, but eventually the pig speaks up, introduced himself as "wub", and asks not to be discussed in that fashion. Peterson and wub discuss mythology, but the captain only becomes more obsessed with eating wub. There's a nice twist at the end, but I'm unclear exactly what this story is about, other than a talking creature who looks like a pig.
TONY AND THE BEETLES — 4 STARS
Tony is only 10 years old and hasn't ever thought about the long-standing subjugation of the insect-like Pac-udeti by the human race. He lives on a planet in the Betelgeuse system with his parents. And though he plays with his best friends, most of whom are Pac-udeti, he accepts the world as it is. When the war takes a turn, his best friends turn on him, call him a "white-grub", and Tony only then recognizes that he's on the side of the oppressors. I love that this story is told from the POV of a child who doesn't question or see his privilege. Bleak and tragic, and quite a way to end a short story collection.
While the editing of this particular collection isn't great, the stories themselves are. Highly recommended for fans of PKD. If you're new, I'd recommend reading his most famous novels first.
July 9, 2024
As a long time "Dick-head", I enjoyed this collection. His novels were better, but the short stories are hardly bad. In this collection I really enjoyed "Second Variety" "Beyond lies the Wub" and "The Veritable Man", which is more of a novella. Still, I would not say any of these stories are bad per se.
I want a complete collection of PKD's short fiction. Unfortunately, he wrote around 200 shorts, thus only two complete collections exist; both are too pricey for my blood. The newest being around $700!
Fans of PKD and those wishing to explore his work could do worse than this collection, and there is still at least one other volume.
The price is right as well, so bonus... I guess.
I want a complete collection of PKD's short fiction. Unfortunately, he wrote around 200 shorts, thus only two complete collections exist; both are too pricey for my blood. The newest being around $700!
Fans of PKD and those wishing to explore his work could do worse than this collection, and there is still at least one other volume.
The price is right as well, so bonus... I guess.
September 15, 2017
I'm very glad Jordan recommended this to me. I love short stories but this science fiction genre is not one I would normally pick for myself. They were captivating.
March 5, 2024
One of my favorite authors. Great stories@
August 26, 2018
Nice Collection
Very nice collection of short stories. A good introduction to the works of Phillip K. Dick. Bleak, but what did you expect?
Very nice collection of short stories. A good introduction to the works of Phillip K. Dick. Bleak, but what did you expect?
February 19, 2024
Fun, clever little short stories. Some classics, with good twists…occasional cheesy/a little bit predictable moments. But I had never heard of this author ‘till a friend recommended him, and definitely worth it!
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews