The Philip K. Dick Anthology

by Philip K. Dick

Philip K. Dick was a very influential science fiction writer. More than a dozen of his stories or novels have been adapted for the screen including 'Blade Runner', 'Total Recall', 'Minority Report', and 'The Adjustment Bureau'. His work questioned the nature of reality and was often set against the backdrop of corporate power and greed. The editors of www.fantasticstoriesoftheimagination.com have compiled thirteen of Philip K. Dick's stories for this collection. Included are: 'The Eyes Have It'; 'Beyond the Door'; 'Beyond Lies the Wub'; 'Mr. Spaceship'; 'The Skull'; 'The Crystal Crypt'; 'The Defenders'; 'The Hanging Stranger'; 'The Gun'; 'Tony and the Beetles'; 'The Variable Man'; 'Piper in the Woods'; and 'Second Variety'.

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

413 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 28, 2013

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

[Jim · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read the Kindle version of this superb collection by Bybliotech. As one who has read about a dozen of Philip K. Dick's full length novels, but none of his short stories, I was amazed by the range of inventiveness displayed in this anthology, which ranged from Space fiction to horror. At one point in "The Defenders," in which all life above ground is destroyed by nuclear weapons, a robot says:

We found that human cultures pass through phases, each culture in its own time. As the culture ages and begins o lose its objectives, conflict arises within it between those who wish to cast it off and set up a new culture-pattern, and those who wish to retain the old with as little change as possible.

And this is from a story published in Galaxy Science Fiction magazine in January 1953!

One characteristic of just about all of the stories in The Philip K. Dick Anthology: 18 Classic Science Fiction Stories(except perhaps "The Variable Man") is that we are on the losing side. You just can't win in the Philip K. Dick Universe. The Terrans are going to lose to Proxima Centauri. The Wub is not all that helpless. The Gun will continue to bring down ships that land on their planet. An assassin goes back in time to discover that he himself is the victim. Again and again, Dick prevents any optimism: Rather, his paranoia always seems to win out.

Paranoia, perhaps, but also an incredible vitality. The last two stories, "Upon the Dull Earth" and "Of Withered Apples," belong in horror anthologies alongside the stories of Poe, Algernon Blackwood, M. R. James, Lovecraft, and Machen. "Tony and the Beetles" seems to be a story written for children, but it's about the momentum beginning to change in a long war between Earth and a buglike extraterrestrial enemy. (At the same time, it could just as well be about racism in America.) "Second Variety" is about another endless planetary war involving robots who, starting as weapons, become a force on their own -- and about the danger of not being paranoid enough.

[Dan]

Sometimes, you need some Dick.

Beyond Lies the Wub: A millitary crew picks up supplies for a trip from Mars to Earth and one of them buys a Wub for fifty cents. The Wub is an intelligent hog and objects to being eaten.

This one was a little twisted and seemed to be about morality. The Twilight Zone ending was a nice touch.

The Gun:

The Skull:

The Defenders:

The Eyes Have it:

The Hanging Stranger:

Mr Spaceship:

Piper in The Woods:

Second Variety:

The Variable Man:

Tony and the Beetles:

Adjustment Bureau:

Beyond the Door:

Exhibit Piece:

The Crystal Crypt:

Strange Eden:

Upon the Dull Earth:

Of Withered Apples:

[Hal Brodsky · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not the best example of PKD's writing, although it does contain the classics "Beyond Lies the wub" ,"The Hanging Stranger", and "The Skull".

[Donald · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lots of good, and some great, stories in this collection! It is kind of like a sci-fi version of the Twilight Zone! You've got people going back in time, people going forward in time, robots fighting wars, robots trying to make peace, a man hunting himself, people becoming trees, plants, or cats, and a world full of Silvias! But my favorite of the bunch may be "The Eyes Have It", which is pretty darn funny and almost out of place in this group! I enjoyed 17 of the 18 (sorry "Upon the Dull Earth") and highly recommend reading this anthology!

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thought-provoking

Philip K. Dick must have had one hell of an imagination, because these short stories are incredibly unorthodox. As a first time reader of his works, my recommendation is to give yourself a few paragraphs (or even pages) to figure out what's going on. But it's well worth the effort, trust me. A lot of these concepts will stay with you long after you've put the book down!

[Alan Thompson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Always fun to read some Dick.

Always fun to read some Dick. I had read only his longer stuff, but this collection of shorts are great and I like to think it's how many came to know his work as published in sci-fi rags other serials.

[Phil Trautman · Rating 3 out of 5]

Short review - Not as good as I had hoped. Some of the stories were pretty good, others seemed to be unfinished or not that great to begin with. Still glad I read it.

I would imagine if you are a Dick enthusiast (haha), this is a must read, but I have found other works by him more enjoyable...

[MIKE MATTIE · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great collection of science fiction short stories

Engaging short stories with philosophy born in science fiction. Characters are life like and have inventive plots. Could easily reread.

[sharon hertz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great sci fi

As long as you don't mind the outdated cultural references from when these stories were written, the stories are great.

[K. Counihan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice Short Story Collection

A few duds but otherwise a solid collection. For short stories these are quite clever. Some have to be around 50 years old.

[Annie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mediocre short stories, much better longer ones

I am an honest fan of the author's longer works, so I was excited to read a collection of shorter ones. Unfortunately most of the shorter works in this book fail to intrigue with highly predictable acts and little to no character development. The longer two stories are excellent and very intruiguing, although still predictable. Read at your own risk, but don't hype yourself too much.

[Petr Sedlacek · Rating 4 out of 5]

A captivating read, some very interesting ideas there. The downside for me is that too many novels - vast majority in fact - are about war. Very enjoyable nonetheless.

[Fernando Olea · Rating 5 out of 5]

Masterful

[Mrs Jane Common · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent Book

Really great read, good variety of stories, aliens, robots, other worlds, fantastic. Philip K Dick is an amazing story teller.

[Stuart C Gregory · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read

War in many forms, how destructive humans can be.

Loved the plant and wub stories.

I Will read more PKD.

[Michael Losasso · Rating 5 out of 5]

Philip K. Dick was a genius, there are no 2 ways about it.

[Thomas Otto · Rating 5 out of 5]

A collection of short stories and novellas from the 50s (copyright expired, therefore the low price). Philip K. Dick draws dystopian sketches of a post-nuclear-war world, in wich robots with what we would call AI start dominating humans, either by manipulating or more brutally, by exterminating them. In other stories, encounters with extraterrestrials are in the focus. Some are outright on path to conquer earth and revert humans to harmless dummies or slaves. In othr stories the extraterrestrials seem to be inferior to the humans, but in the last moment a twist shows that they will actually dominate. Few stories have an otptimistic final twist, most end dark and hopeless, for mankind.

Definitely wotrth the read, even if it is the first time ever you encounter Philp K. Dick, one of the Grandmasters of Classic SciFi.

[Ralf Grisard · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mixed bag

A few good stories, a few so-so stories, a few awful stories. That's all I have to say, but I had to lengthen my review to get it posted.