Many thousands of readers worldwide consider Philip K. Dick to have been the greatest science fiction writer on any planet. Since his untimely death in 1982, interest in Dick's work has continued to mount and his reputation has been enhanced by a growing body of critical attention. This collection draws from the writer's earliest short and medium-length fiction (including several previously unpublished stories) during the years 1952-1955.
Includes the stories that inspired the movies Total Recall, Screamers, Minority Report, Paycheck, and Next "More than anyone else in the field, Mr. Dick really puts you inside people's minds." --The Wall Street Journal The Philip K. Dick Reader Many thousands of readers consider Philip K. Dick the greatest science fiction mind on any planet. Since his untimely death in 1982, interest in Dick's works has continued to mount, and his reputation has been further enhanced by a growing body of critical attention. The Philip K. Dick Award is now given annually to a distinguished work of science fiction, and the Philip K. Dick Society is devoted to the study and promulgation of his works. Dick won the prestigious Hugo Award for the best novel of 1963 for The Man in the High Castle. In the last year of his life, the film Blade Runner was made from his novel Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? This collection includes some of Dick's earliest short and medium-length fiction, including We Can Remember It for You Wholesale (the story that inspired the motion picture Total Recall), Second Variety (which inspired the motion picture Screamers), Paycheck, The Minority Report, and twenty more.
In a world torn apart by endless warfare between the Soviet Union and the United Nations, humanity struggles to survive amidst the desolation of a nuclear wasteland. Philip K. Dick's captivating short story, Second Variety, delves deep into the consequences of war and the relentless pursuit of power. Originally published in 1953, this chilling science fiction masterpiece has inspired blockbuster films like Screamers and its sequel Screamers: The Hunting. From the author that brought you timeless cinematic classics such as Blade Runner, Total Recall, and Minority Report, comes an unforgettable adventure that will leave you questioning the boundaries of trust and the cost of destruction. As Russia pushes the United States to the brink, the UN devises a last-ditch effort to win the war-- an arsenal of deadly, self-replicating assassin machines known as "claws". Equipped with the ability to evolve and the sole objective to exterminate all living organisms, the claws are programmed to recognize and spare those who wear designated badges. But when the machines begin to uncover unexpected ways to outsmart their creators, the very existence of life on Earth is threatened. Second Variety presents a gripping and thought-provoking story that challenges the nature of humanity and the ramifications of technology gone awry. With unforgettable characters, nail-biting suspense, and an unsettling take on a dystopian future, this is one book you won't be able to put down.
Imagine a future where crimes can be detected before they are committed, and criminals are convicted and sentenced for crimes before committing them. This is the scenario of Philip K. Dick's classic story, now filmed by Steven Spielberg, starring Tom Cruise. In addition to 'Minority Report' this exclusive collection includes nine other outstanding short stories by the twentieth century's outstanding sf master, three of which have been made into feature films.
Influential American science fiction writer Philip K. Dick was fascinated by the idea of nuclear warfare and the dire aftermath of such an event. This scenario preoccupied Dick throughout much of his career and served as the backdrop to many of his stories and novels. In the short story "Second Variety," the human population has been decimated by nuclear war, and small tribes of survivors are forced to battle a species of lethal robot soldiers.
A collection of stories by the celebrated science fiction writer includes never-before-published selections as well as the author's standards--``The Little Black Box'' and ``The Pre-Person'' among them. By the author of The Man in the High Castle. Original.
Imagine a future where crimes can be detected before they are committed, and criminals are convicted and sentenced for crimes before committing them. This is the scenario of Philip K. Dick's classic story, now filmed by Steven Spielberg, starring Tom Cruise. In addition to MINORITY REPORT this exclusive collection includes nine other outstanding short stories by the twentieth century's outstanding SF master, three of which have been made into feature films.
Countless readers worldwide consider Philip K. Dick the greatest science fiction writer on any planet. Since his death in 1982, interest in Dick's work has continued to mount and his reputation has been enhanced by a growing body of critical attention as well as films based on his stories. Featuring the story 'We Can Remember It for You Wholesale', which inspired the film Total Recall, this collection draws from the writer's earliest fiction, written in 1952-55. Also included are The Adjustment Team (basis of the film The Adjustment Bureau), Impostor (basis of the 2001 movie), and many others.
"Aside from its perfect fit of critic and subject, Laurence A. Rickels's book provides the most thorough and exhaustive reading of Philip K. Dick's literary work that exists. He goes through all the novels literally, both the science fiction works and the so-called mainstream novels Dick did not publish in his lifetime. The reader of science fiction should welcome a book like this, which is both knowledgeable of the SF tradition tradition and creatively analytical. I could not put this book down once I began to read it".---George Slusser, University of California, Riverside --
