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The Collected Stories of Philip K. Dick Volume 2
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.
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.
624 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2008
About the author
Philip K. Dick
1,934 books23k 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 wor
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 wor
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Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews
July 28, 2014
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.
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.
Want to Read
August 7, 2024813.54 Dic
August 26, 2024
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
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
September 14, 2018
Mostly good ideas for stories, so credit for creativity, but not great literary stuff.
March 15, 2026
this book covers 34 short stories written in the early fifties.
It seems to me that Phillip K.Dick kind of builds his own universe throughout his stories, where Earth is called "Terra" and most of them happen in the future, where Terra is often destroyed by war. Some people may still live there, but most have migrated into space or to another planet. Sometimes the stories happen right before the conflict starts.
The protagonists are very random much like in Lovecraft's tales and I love that in short stories. It's just about a normal person like you and me, without any superpowers or extraordinary skills, things will happen to this person and they need to find a way out, or a way back to normal- back to how it was before.
I don't know what it is, with K. Dick's writing style, but his books read like watching movies, very smooth, fast and vividly.
The movie Invasion of the body snatchers (1956) seems incredibly inspired by K. Dick's story The hanging stranger and you can possibly find a lot more of his stories in science fiction movies. Martians come in clouds , probably inspired mangaka Inio Asano's Dedede Destruction - it's so cool to see his influence even in manga, I love to imagine that Asano read his story and was inspired by that. So cool.
Some stories are about humans and other intelligent alien races, like arachnid ones, aliens impersonating people, intergalactic wars, post-apocalyptic settings, robots (ai), other futuristic technologies like teleportation or VR - but with a dark twist.
As I said before, the characters are very random, so it's less about the person and more about the things happening to them, so you won't feel very emotionally attached to them, but the author makes definitely up for it by building an eerie atmosphere so haunting that you sometimes feel watched as if you'd be the character in one of his stories. XD
It seems to me that Phillip K.Dick kind of builds his own universe throughout his stories, where Earth is called "Terra" and most of them happen in the future, where Terra is often destroyed by war. Some people may still live there, but most have migrated into space or to another planet. Sometimes the stories happen right before the conflict starts.
The protagonists are very random much like in Lovecraft's tales and I love that in short stories. It's just about a normal person like you and me, without any superpowers or extraordinary skills, things will happen to this person and they need to find a way out, or a way back to normal- back to how it was before.
I don't know what it is, with K. Dick's writing style, but his books read like watching movies, very smooth, fast and vividly.
The movie Invasion of the body snatchers (1956) seems incredibly inspired by K. Dick's story The hanging stranger and you can possibly find a lot more of his stories in science fiction movies. Martians come in clouds , probably inspired mangaka Inio Asano's Dedede Destruction - it's so cool to see his influence even in manga, I love to imagine that Asano read his story and was inspired by that. So cool.
Some stories are about humans and other intelligent alien races, like arachnid ones, aliens impersonating people, intergalactic wars, post-apocalyptic settings, robots (ai), other futuristic technologies like teleportation or VR - but with a dark twist.
As I said before, the characters are very random, so it's less about the person and more about the things happening to them, so you won't feel very emotionally attached to them, but the author makes definitely up for it by building an eerie atmosphere so haunting that you sometimes feel watched as if you'd be the character in one of his stories. XD
March 28, 2026
Overall: 3.9 stars, individual story ratings below:
The Cosmic Poachers - 3 stars
Progeny - 5 stars
Some Kinds of Life - 4 stars
Martians Come in Clouds - 3 stars
The Commuter - 4 stars
The World She Wanted - 4 stars
A Surface Raid - 4 stars
Project: Earth - 5 stars
The Trouble With Bubbles - 5 stars
Breakfast at Twilight - 3 stars
A Present for Pat - 4 stars
The Hood Maker - 5 stars
Of Withered Apples - 3 stars
Human Is - 4 stars
Adjustment Team - 4 stars
The Impossible Planet - 5 stars
Imposter - 3 stars
James P. Crow - 3 stars
Planet for Transients - 4 stars
Small Town - 4 stars
Souvenir - 3 stars
Survey Team - 4 stars
Prominent Author - 4 stars
Fair Game - 5 stars
The Hanging Stranger - 4 stars
The Eyes Have It - 5 stars
The Golden Man - 3 stars
The Turning Wheel - 3 stars
The Last of the Masters - 4 stars
The Father-Thing - 4 stars
Strange Eden - 3 stars
Tony and the Beetles - 4 stars
Null-O - 3 stars
To Serve the Master - 3 stars
Exhibit Piece - 4 stars
The Cosmic Poachers - 3 stars
Progeny - 5 stars
Some Kinds of Life - 4 stars
Martians Come in Clouds - 3 stars
The Commuter - 4 stars
The World She Wanted - 4 stars
A Surface Raid - 4 stars
Project: Earth - 5 stars
The Trouble With Bubbles - 5 stars
Breakfast at Twilight - 3 stars
A Present for Pat - 4 stars
The Hood Maker - 5 stars
Of Withered Apples - 3 stars
Human Is - 4 stars
Adjustment Team - 4 stars
The Impossible Planet - 5 stars
Imposter - 3 stars
James P. Crow - 3 stars
Planet for Transients - 4 stars
Small Town - 4 stars
Souvenir - 3 stars
Survey Team - 4 stars
Prominent Author - 4 stars
Fair Game - 5 stars
The Hanging Stranger - 4 stars
The Eyes Have It - 5 stars
The Golden Man - 3 stars
The Turning Wheel - 3 stars
The Last of the Masters - 4 stars
The Father-Thing - 4 stars
Strange Eden - 3 stars
Tony and the Beetles - 4 stars
Null-O - 3 stars
To Serve the Master - 3 stars
Exhibit Piece - 4 stars
April 19, 2025
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.
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.
May 20, 2026
Another great collection of stories. I really like the art for the covers of these volumes. Some great stories, Imposter, The World She Wanted, Exhibit Piece, and The Father Thing were among some of the standouts for me.
Yet, I would not call any of the stories bad as such. They are all interesting at least.
Many of these were also adapted into films and TV. Imposter, Adjustment Team, The Golden Man, and The Hanging Stranger among others.
I look forward to the next volume.
Yet, I would not call any of the stories bad as such. They are all interesting at least.
Many of these were also adapted into films and TV. Imposter, Adjustment Team, The Golden Man, and The Hanging Stranger among others.
I look forward to the next volume.
September 21, 2020
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.
June 15, 2017
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!
April 16, 2018
Nice collection. Faith of our Fathers is a delightfully twisty and dark tale.
(audiobook version is read well by the various readers)
(audiobook version is read well by the various readers)
August 8, 2018
I liked the stories in Volume 2 even more than I liked Volume 1, This was a good read.
October 16, 2018
The Variable Man is easily the weakest of the bunch. Otherwise 5/5.
May 20, 2022
Not my favorite stories. The earlier ones (in the book) are better than the last two.
May 16, 2024
More consistent than first volume. Some cool ideas, but still some half baked ones too.
January 25, 2025
(segundo capítulo de uma maratona distópica...)
February 10, 2026
Mes préférées :
* Some Kinds of Life
* The Commuter
* Prominent Author
* The Hanging Stranger
* Tony and the Beetles
* Some Kinds of Life
* The Commuter
* Prominent Author
* The Hanging Stranger
* Tony and the Beetles
October 31, 2016
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.
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.
March 14, 2014
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."
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."
May 8, 2014
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!
Read
April 26, 2014Awesome. 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.
June 5, 2010
No writer today matches the imagination and te only one that ever had was Bradbury.
April 6, 2012
Master science fiction writer...enjoyable to listen to.
May 29, 2012
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.
September 6, 2015
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.
Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews