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vdarcangelo's review against another edition
5.0
Faves:
"The Hanging Stranger"
"The Last of the Masters"
"Strange Eden"
"Null-O"
"Exhibit Piece"
"Foster, You're Dead"
"The Chromium Fence"
"We Can Remember it for You Wholesale"
"The Hanging Stranger"
"The Last of the Masters"
"Strange Eden"
"Null-O"
"Exhibit Piece"
"Foster, You're Dead"
"The Chromium Fence"
"We Can Remember it for You Wholesale"
nightcrawler79's review against another edition
3.0
The main problem with this anthology is that too many of the stories are not especially interesting. They're not necessarily bad, just not very interesting. Some of the stories are excellent, though, and, for the most part they make up for the weak spots. Also, several of the stories have gone on to be movies (though you might not recognize them...) and will probably be of interest to many people irrespective of quality.
Most of the best stories are the ones that made it as films. They're often good for reasons other than the films that are based on them, though. Minority Report is good, though don't expect Tom Cruise's chief Anderton to show up. We Can Remember It For You Wholesale, which became Total Recall, is a long joke, though kind of a funny one. Paycheck is a real standout - just the premise makes it worth reading, and the rest isn't bad either. Second Variety, which became Screamers, has an okay premise but is missing something in execution.
Many of the remaining stories are fairly forgettable. The Hanging Man does stand out as a good Twilight Zone/Invasion of the Body Snatchers type story though. Most of the remaining stories split into rather generic humans-after-the-robots stories or enigmatic horror set pieces, with a couple good aliens-vs.-humans political pieces thrown in also.
Most of the best stories are the ones that made it as films. They're often good for reasons other than the films that are based on them, though. Minority Report is good, though don't expect Tom Cruise's chief Anderton to show up. We Can Remember It For You Wholesale, which became Total Recall, is a long joke, though kind of a funny one. Paycheck is a real standout - just the premise makes it worth reading, and the rest isn't bad either. Second Variety, which became Screamers, has an okay premise but is missing something in execution.
Many of the remaining stories are fairly forgettable. The Hanging Man does stand out as a good Twilight Zone/Invasion of the Body Snatchers type story though. Most of the remaining stories split into rather generic humans-after-the-robots stories or enigmatic horror set pieces, with a couple good aliens-vs.-humans political pieces thrown in also.
jandi's review against another edition
3.0
Lots of little science fiction stories, which have serves as basis for movies like Total Recall, Screamers, Paycheck, Minority Report. The stories are quite short, but entertaining, and their ideas are quite neat. I liked the one about the golden man.
yutsi's review against another edition
4.0
We Can Remember It For You Wholesale is my favorite story here.
__apf__'s review
4.0
I started this book to learn more about today's world. I have seen Philip K. Dick's influence in modern-day writing and media, and I wanted to learn more. The book serves this purpose well, showcasing his most famous works from the 50s and 60s alongside later works that provide breadth. I now feel like I understand PKD.
To my surprise, this collection of stories also taught me about yesterday's world. PKD's stories reflect the culture and fears of mid-century America (cold war, nuclear powers, communism, authority). I can almost feel the feeling of the mid-century, in a way that I never did before.
The drawback of PKD is that he remains a product of his time. Across 2o+ stories, all are narrated by men and there are extremely few women characters. The women characters that do exist are love interests for the male characters and have few spoken lines; they tend to hop right in bed with the male characters for little to no reason. This is disappointing to me as a modern female reader. However, PKD's writing is much easier for me to read than a contemporary like Heinlein.
To my surprise, this collection of stories also taught me about yesterday's world. PKD's stories reflect the culture and fears of mid-century America (cold war, nuclear powers, communism, authority). I can almost feel the feeling of the mid-century, in a way that I never did before.
The drawback of PKD is that he remains a product of his time. Across 2o+ stories, all are narrated by men and there are extremely few women characters. The women characters that do exist are love interests for the male characters and have few spoken lines; they tend to hop right in bed with the male characters for little to no reason. This is disappointing to me as a modern female reader. However, PKD's writing is much easier for me to read than a contemporary like Heinlein.
acaskoftroutwine's review
4.0
A pretty great collection of stories, starting from early in Philip K. Dick's career all they way to near the end. You really get to see his development as a writer as it goes along, and his transition from more classic sci-fi all the way to his later, more experimental works. Even from the beginning though you can see his themes of reality, personhood, and the nature of authority even from early on in his career.
Even if you aren't going into this as a starting point with Philip K. Dick's writing, it's a fun read and there was only one story I didn't like near the end. Be aware though, a lot of these stories were written on tight deadlines to keep the heating on and put food on the table, so the writing itself can be a bit rough at points, especially near the beginning. I never found it too distracting, and I don't feel that the stories suffer because of it. Dick's ideas are strong enough that even when the writing can be a bit overly terse or detached, the story itself is still a fascinating read.
I'd recommend Roog, Foster, You're Dead!, Autofac, The Days of Perky Pat, Faith of Our Fathers, The Exit Door Leads In, and I Hope I Shall Arrive Soon if you just want to flip through to a few of them, but all of them are great and are recommended.
Even if you aren't going into this as a starting point with Philip K. Dick's writing, it's a fun read and there was only one story I didn't like near the end. Be aware though, a lot of these stories were written on tight deadlines to keep the heating on and put food on the table, so the writing itself can be a bit rough at points, especially near the beginning. I never found it too distracting, and I don't feel that the stories suffer because of it. Dick's ideas are strong enough that even when the writing can be a bit overly terse or detached, the story itself is still a fascinating read.
I'd recommend Roog, Foster, You're Dead!, Autofac, The Days of Perky Pat, Faith of Our Fathers, The Exit Door Leads In, and I Hope I Shall Arrive Soon if you just want to flip through to a few of them, but all of them are great and are recommended.
meghanc303's review against another edition
5.0
The best assembled collection of PKD that I've found, featuring his greatest hits that led to movies like Minority Report and Total Recall, and then his other most seminal works. I miss The Tempunauts, a personal favorite, but some of the best in here include:
-The Golden Man
-The Hanging Stranger
-Exhibit Piece
-The Crawlers
Recommended to: Everyone starting out with PKD, anyone who cares at all about science fiction (most of the tropes and action movie moments we've come to know and love began here!)
-The Golden Man
-The Hanging Stranger
-Exhibit Piece
-The Crawlers
Recommended to: Everyone starting out with PKD, anyone who cares at all about science fiction (most of the tropes and action movie moments we've come to know and love began here!)
gregbrown's review
5.0
I loved PKD's short stories, just not quite as much as his novels.
Some of my favorite novels of his—UBIK, THREE STIGMATA, etc.—have multiple wild ideas banging around, causing an unexpected yet still suitably pulpy plot. His short stories seem to have room for just one big idea each, making them less personally satisfying. That said, the focus makes them better suited for cinematic adaptation, and you can even see some tropes here echoed in films NOT adapted from PKD stories, like THEY LIVE or SCANNERS.
Still, though, "Foster, You're Dead" is a stone-cold classic that still feels shockingly fresh. And the rest are shot through with enough brilliance to make this collection a very satisfying read.
Some of my favorite novels of his—UBIK, THREE STIGMATA, etc.—have multiple wild ideas banging around, causing an unexpected yet still suitably pulpy plot. His short stories seem to have room for just one big idea each, making them less personally satisfying. That said, the focus makes them better suited for cinematic adaptation, and you can even see some tropes here echoed in films NOT adapted from PKD stories, like THEY LIVE or SCANNERS.
Still, though, "Foster, You're Dead" is a stone-cold classic that still feels shockingly fresh. And the rest are shot through with enough brilliance to make this collection a very satisfying read.