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Second Variety (1991 Collection)
''Second Variety'' is a collection of science fiction stories by American writer Philip K. Dick. It was first published by Citadel Twilight in 1991 and reprints Volume III of ''The Collected Stories of Philip K. Dick'' with the addition of the story "Second Variety". Many of the stories had originally appeared in the magazines '' If'', ''Science Fiction Adventures'', ''Science Fiction Stories'', ''Orbit'', ''Fantasy and Science Fiction'', ''Imagination'', ''Future'', ''Galaxy Science Fiction'', ''Beyond Fantasy Fiction'', ''Satellite'', ''Science Fiction Quarterly'', ''Imaginative Tales'' and ''Space Science Fiction''. There is huge overlap with the 1997 ''The Philip K. Dick Reader'': stories 1–20 and 24 are identical. Contents * Introduction, by John Brunner * " Fair Game" * "The Hanging Stranger" * " The Eyes Have It" * "The Golden Man" * "The Turning Wheel" * "The Last of the Masters" * "The Father-Thing" * "Strange Eden" * "Tony and the Beetles" * "Null-O" * " To Serve the ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Philip K
Philip, also Phillip, is a male given name, derived from the Greek (''Philippos'', lit. "horse-loving" or "fond of horses"), from a compound of (''philos'', "dear", "loved", "loving") and (''hippos'', "horse"). Prominent Philips who popularized the name include kings of Macedonia and one of the apostles of early Christianity. ''Philip'' has many alternative spellings. One derivation often used as a surname is Phillips. It was also found during ancient Greek times with two Ps as Philippides and Philippos. It has many diminutive (or even hypocoristic) forms including Phil, Philly, Lip, Pip, Pep or Peps. There are also feminine forms such as Philippine and Philippa. Antiquity Kings of Macedon * Philip I of Macedon * Philip II of Macedon, father of Alexander the Great * Philip III of Macedon, half-brother of Alexander the Great * Philip IV of Macedon * Philip V of Macedon New Testament * Philip the Apostle * Philip the Evangelist Others * Philippus of Croton (c. 6th centur ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
The Turning Wheel
"The Turning Wheel" is a novelette by American science fiction writer Philip K. Dick. It was published in ''Science Fiction Stories No. 2'', 1954. Plot The story is set in a post-apocalyptic future where global civilization is governed by a hierarchical, religious society centered on belief in karmic based reincarnation metaphorically viewed as moving forward or backward on a turning wheel. The society presented is class driven, apparently with Caucasians ("Caucs") at the bottom, and Asians and Indians at the top. Above all is the god/messiah, the Bard "Elron Hu" (that is to say, "Elron Hu, Bard"), whose spiritual plan involves one becoming "clear" - an obvious jab at L. Ron Hubbard's ''Dianetics'', the self-help book that had been released a few years before. Publication This was the second of two digest size issues published by Columbia Publishing under this title to test the market for magazines in digest size. Both'' Science Fiction Stories'' No. 2, 1954 and'' Science Fict ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Pay For The Printer
"Pay for the Printer" is a science fiction short story by American writer Philip K. Dick. It was first published in ''Satellite Science Fiction'', in October 1956. Manuscript dated January 28, 1954. Plot In a war-ravaged future, humanity has come to depend on an alien species known as the Biltongs, possessed of the ability to replicate items identically – although the copies only last for a short time. When the Biltongs become decrepit, the humans are forced to rediscover the skill of building. Synopsis The earth is devastated after a conflict involving the explosion of H-bombs There are very few remnants of civilization and the lands are devastated due to the fact it doesn't rain anymore. Allen Fergesson is a member of the Pittsburgh colony, the story begins in his car where he's with Charlotte, a member of a decaying colony where the Biltong is sick, and a mysterious man they picked up on the road. When they arrive at the colony everything is falling apart, they meet ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Foster, You're Dead!
"Foster, You're Dead!" is a 1955 science fiction short story by American writer Philip K. Dick. It was first published in ''Star Science Fiction Stories No.3''. The story is a satire of two 1950s-era trends: consumerism and increasing Cold War anxiety. Dick wrote in a letter: "One day I saw a newspaper headline reporting that the President suggested that if Americans had to buy their bomb shelters, rather than being provided with them by the government, they'd take better care of them, an idea which made me furious. Logically, each of us should own a submarine, a jet fighter, and so forth." It was adapted by Kalen Egan and Travis Sentell for the episode "Safe and Sound" of the 2017 TV series '' Philip K. Dick's Electric Dreams''. Plot summary The story takes place in 1971 where the vast majority of citizens own private bomb shelters and financially support nuclear war Nuclear warfare, also known as atomic warfare, is a theoretical military conflict or prepared politi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Upon The Dull Earth
"Upon the Dull Earth" is a fantasy short story by American writer Philip K. Dick, first published in November 1954 in ''Beyond Fantasy Fiction''. Both the title and the protagonist's name are taken from Shakespeare's ''The Two Gentlemen of Verona'', Act IV, scene ii: Plot summary By offering up the blood of a lamb, Silvia, the protagonist of "Upon the Dull Earth," is able to summon creatures she identifies as angels. She thinks that the creatures are her ancestors, and she is sure that one day she will join them. At the same time, though, it is not clear whether the creatures are really good, as Silvia thinks, or wicked. Their behavior and their relation with Silvia scare the girl's relatives and Rick, her boyfriend. Rick thinks that Silvia's behavior is very dangerous, as "the white-winged giants ... can sear erto ash". During a quarrel with Rick, the girl accidentally cuts herself. Unwillingly, Silvia's blood summons the creatures. Unable to control their power, the angel-like ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Shell Game (short Story)
"Shell Game" is a science fiction short story by American writer Philip K. Dick. It was submitted to the Scott Meredith Literary Agency and received by SMLA on December 12, 1953. It was published in ''Galaxy Science Fiction'' in September 1954Levack, Daniel (1981) ''PKD: A Philip K. Dick Bibliography'', Underwood/Miller, p. 124, Plot summary A group of paranoid mental patients, long stranded on an alien planet by the shipwreck of the robot-controlled hospital spaceship transporting them to a mental hospital, believe themselves to be constantly under attack by aliens or other humans. They discover the damaged ship in a bog, and from recorded tapes they learn of their condition and the circumstances of the shipwreck. Even when they discover this evidence of the truth and attempt to verify or disprove the information on the ship's tapes, they construct sophisticated explanations of why the attacks are real despite contrary evidence. After much internal dispute, and sometimes violen ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sales Pitch (short Story)
"Sales Pitch" is a science fiction short story by American writer Philip K. Dick, first published in '' Future Science Fiction ''magazine, June 1954. The premise is the omnipresent, intrusive and even aggressive advertising and marketing. At the end of the story, the protagonist is driven mad by a robot who can forcefully market himself, and refuses to take no for an answer. The subject was of concern to Dick, and features in his early works such as ''The Man Who Japed''. Ending In 1978, Dick said of the story: For a 1989–1990 radio series, Sci Fi Radio produced an audio play version of this story which is now available for free download. The story was adapted by Tony Grisoni Tony Grisoni (born 28 October 1952) is a British screenwriter. He lives in London. His first feature film, ''Queen of Hearts'', directed by Jon Amiel, won the Grand Prix at the 1990 Festival du Film de Paris. Life and career He has co-written se ... for the episode "Crazy Diamond" of the 2017 T ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
The Crawlers (short Story)
"The Crawlers" is a science fiction short story by American writer Philip K. Dick. Submitted under the title "Foundling Home", it was first published as "The Crawlers" in ''Imagination ''magazine, July 1954. A film adaptation was announced for production by Edward R. Pressman Edward Rambach Pressman (April 11, 1943 – January 17, 2023) was an American film producer and founder of the production company Edward R. Pressman Film Corporation. Pressman was born to a Jewish family in New York City, the son of Lynn and J ... starting in 2014. Plot summary The story starts out from the point of view of a crawler constructing one of its curious hives. The crawler seems sentient and to genuinely enjoy building its odd dwelling. The story is set in a small Midwestern town, with references later in the story to mysterious "pools" which seem to cause mutations. Certain families in the area have begun to give birth to abnormal children – "crawlers" – with long, soft, pale, elongate ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Exhibit Piece
"Exhibit Piece" is a 1954 science fiction short story by American writer Philip K. Dick. The story is an early exploration of the concept of shifting realities, a common theme in Dick's subsequent works. The protagonist is a future historian of the 20th century who finds himself shifting in time from the future to that time period. At first, it is unclear whether he is merely a man from the past imagining a future life, or vice versa. The ending of the story remains ambiguous, as it is revealed that with the use of a "time gate", the man may have actually traveled through time. After a confrontation with his boss from the future through the time gate, they advise him that he needs to be euthanized and that they will deconstruct the exhibit, as they believe he has gone mad. The man, confident that they cannot travel via the time gate to get him and that destruction of the exhibit will simply close the time gate, returns to his home in the 20th century, only to read in the newspaper ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Null-O
"Null-O" is a 1958 science fiction short story by American writer Philip K. Dick. It examines the concept of totally unempathic and 'logical' humans ("Null-Os") in a parody of the plot and concepts of ''The Pawns of Null-A'' by A. E. van Vogt. These beings view individual collections of matter, i.e. any object, as subjective structures and see the true state of reality as an 'undifferentiated world of pure energy'. They can also move their ears independently, giving them excellent hearing. After attaining positions of power they proceed with a plan to ultimately return everything in the universe to this state. This is to be done by the construction of successively more powerful bombs, ultimately resulting in the rather improbable 'U-bomb' that will homogenise the whole universe. The Null-O plan is halted, however, when the 'ordinary' people of the world, who have survived the nuclear destruction of Earth's surface in the shelters built by their employers, rise up in drilling machi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Tony And The Beetles
"Tony and the Beetles" is a science fiction short story by American writer Philip K. Dick, first published in '' Orbit Science Fiction'', No.2, in 1953. The story is told from the point of view of a young boy, Tony, living on an alien world that humans have conquered. The native species are beetle Beetles are insects that form the order Coleoptera (), in the superorder Endopterygota. Their front pair of wings are hardened into wing-cases, elytra, distinguishing them from most other insects. The Coleoptera, with about 400,000 describ ... like creatures called the ''Pas-udeti'', some of whom Tony has befriended. As news reaches the planet that the war has turned against the humans, Tony attempts to carry on his daily life, to disastrous effect. External linksPage at Internet Speculative Fiction Database* Short stories by Philip K. Dick 1953 short stories {{1950s-sf-story-stub ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
