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The Greatest SF Stories of Philip K. Dick: 34 Titles in One Volume
This carefully crafted "The Collected Short Stories of Philip K. Dick – 34 Tales in One Volume" is formatted for your eReader with a functional and detailed table of contents. Second Variety The Variable Man Adjustment Team The Hanging Stranger The Eyes Have It The Skull Mr. Spaceship Beyond the Door Beyond Lies the Wub The Golden Man The Gun The Defenders Tony and the Beetles The Crystal Crypt Upon the Dull Earth Piper in the Woods Of Withered Apples The Unreconstructed M The Turning Wheel The Last of the Masters James P. Crow Prominent Author Small Town Survey Team Sales Pitch Breakfast at Twilight The Crawlers Exhibit Piece Meddler Souvenir Progeny Strange Eden Human Is Foster, You're Dead
857 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 9, 2018
397 people are currently reading
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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 - 5 of 5 reviews
June 22, 2020
A regular guy thrust into future turmoil. The short stories of Philip K. Dick read together present a kaleidoscope of times and places seen through the eyes of a pretty hard-headed but good-hearted 20th century man. Dick's intellect was incredibly keen and resulted in a very prophetic view of future events that have unfolded in the 70 or so years since the earliest of these stories (1950's). He calls the communications and information technology routed by computers the Web. Score one for Dick, and there are plenty more, all of which are not lucky guesses, but testament to his scientific research, literary chops, his ability to project himself into the future. They made me think of the future yet to come, especially the role of Artificial Intelligence and robotic workforces. Plus they are just damn fun to read!
July 26, 2024
Very imaginative .We’ve ruined our world .
April 18, 2020
PKD was gradually recognized as one of the great scifi authors of the later 1950s and the 1960s (along with Stanislaw Lem, I might add). While I'm not usually a fan of short stories, I think most of those in this large collection are either very good or great. The fact that more than half a century has passed since their writing actually makes them better - they are a time capsule from the past (and several of the stories do deal with time travel in novel ways). They give snapshots of how people were thinking in those early days of the modern awakening (not woke!) of thought about humanity and its place in the greater picture. A good number of the stories reflect the then-overwhelming influence of the cold war, when children were taught "duck and cover" - training to hide under their schoolroom desks in case of an A-bomb attack. Sound stupid? - I remember it from my childhood back then. So for me, the book is a time-travel vehicle into my own past. People younger than me can also take the trip, hosted by one of the most innovative and talented writers of the time.
February 15, 2023
It was…fine. Just extremely long. 864 pages of old sci fi short stories. I would have done better in smaller doses. The stories are decent. All very Twilight Zone-esque. Morality tales, mostly about living among robots and losing your freedoms.
June 27, 2025
A nice collection. A few are A+ and a few are little too shallow. Worth it to see how an analog mind anticipated the digital world to come.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews