New Releases by Philip K Dick

The Variable Man by Philip K. Dick is a thought-provoking short story that delves into the intricate relationship between humanity and technology, exploring themes of identity, free will, and the repercussions of a highly mechanized society. Set in a dystopian future where human lives are overshadowed by corporate interests and cold efficiency, this story unravels the profound implications of a world governed by predictive technology and machines. The narrative revolves around the titular Variable Man, a seemingly ordinary individual named Thomas, whose unique ability to affect time and events sets him apart from the deterministic world around him. When he inadvertently disrupts the rigid schedules and predetermined outcomes set by the omnipotent Time Control Corporation, he shatters the illusion of predictability that defines this futuristic society. As the corporation grapples with the chaos caused by Thomas’s unpredictability, themes of alienation and the struggle for personal agency emerge, highlighting the tensions between human creativity and the cold logic of machines. Philip K. Dick’s signature style shines through in this narrative, employing complex characterizations and engaging philosophical questions that prompt readers to reflect on the nature of reality and existence. As Thomas navigates through a world that seeks to confine him, readers are taken on a wild journey through time and space, challenging conventional notions of causality and control. Dick deftly raises questions about the consequences of technological advancement and the impact it has on human identity, autonomy, and the meaning of existence. The story is emblematic of Dick's exploration of the human psyche and the absurdities of societal structures, as he creates a striking juxtaposition between the protagonist’s chaotic nature and the rigid frameworks imposed by the corporation. Thomas's struggle becomes a powerful metaphor for the individual’s quest for purpose and self-definition in a world increasingly dominated by machines and corporate entities. This conflict resonates deeply in the context of today’s technology-driven society, where the lines between human and machine continue to blur. The Variable Man serves as not only a captivating science fiction tale but also a nuanced critique of the potential dangers of technological dependence and the loss of individual agency. Philip K. Dick's exploration of these themes remains relevant, encouraging readers to engage with the ongoing conversation surrounding human identity and the ethical implications of our treatment of technology. As with many of Dick’s works, the narrative teems with unexpected twists and psychological depth, ensuring that it resonates with both science fiction enthusiasts and those interested in the philosophical underpinnings of human existence.

"Mr. Spaceship" is a science fiction short story by American writer Philip K. Dick, first published in Imagination in January 1953, and later in The Collected Stories of Philip K. Dick. The story is set in the distant future, where humanity is at war with "Yuks", an alien life form which does not use mechanical spaceships nor constructions but instead relies on life forms to power their technology. The war has been going on for a long time and humanity has not been able to come up with a solution against the life-form based ships and mines that the Yuks use. One day a team of researchers led by Philip Kramer decide to build a spaceship which is powered by a human brain and they find the ideal candidate in Kramer's old professor, a dying man who volunteers to donate his brain to the project.

Philip K. Dick ponders the very nature of humanity in this anthology of five gripping short stories and novellas. Includes “The Defenders,” “Foster, You’re Dead,” “Piper in the Woods,” “Second Variety,” and “The Variable Man.”

World War Terminus devastated the Earth. Through its ruins, bounty hunter Rick Deckard searches for the renegade replicants he is sent to 'retire', while he dreams of owning a live animal - the ultimate status symbol in a world all but bereft of natural life. The opportunity of a lifetime: kill six Nexus-6 targets, for a huge reward. But in Deckard's world things aren't that simple, and his assignment turns into a nightmare kaleidoscope of subterfuge and deceit - and the hunter becomes the hunted . . . Voted in a Locus poll as one of the 100 pre-1990 SF Novels, Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep spawned two blockbuster movies. Philip K. Dick won multiple awards for his works, examining human identity, psychology, conspiracy and paranoia, challenging the idea of objective truth in a manner that remains relevant today. 'A masterclass in sci-fi wonderment' - Empire 'One of the most original practitioners writing any kind of fiction' - The Sunday Times Welcome to The Best Of The Masterworks: a selection of the finest in science fiction

Philip K. Dick's 'Beyond Lies the Wub' is a short science fiction story. This story was first published in the year 1952 in a magazine named the Planet Stories.

Mr. Spaceship is a science fiction short story by American writer Philip K. Dick, first published in 1953 in Imagination in January 1953, and later in The Collected Stories of Philip K. Dick. It has since been republished several times, including in Beyond Lies the Wub in 1988.

Thirteen short stories by the legendary author of The Man in the High Castle and other science fiction classics. Philip K. Dick didn't predict the future―he summoned the desperate bleakness of our present directly from his fevered paranoia. Dick didn't predict the Internet or iPhones or email or 3D printers, but rather he so thoroughly understood human nature that he could already see, even at the advent of the transistor, the way technology would alienate us from each other and from ourselves. He could see us isolated and drifting in our own private realities even before we had plugged in our ear buds. He could see, even in the earliest days of space exploration, how much of our own existence remained unexplored, and how the great black spaces between people were growing even as our universe was shrinking. Philip K. Dick spent his first three years as a science fiction author writing shorter fiction, and in his lifetime he composed almost 150 short stories, many of which have gone on to be adapted into (slightly watered down) Hollywood blockbusters. Collected here are thirteen of his most Dickian tales, funhouse realities with trap doors and hidden compartments.

Tony and the Beetles is a science fiction short story by American writer Philip K. Dick, first published 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 like creatures called the Pas-udenti, some of whom Tony has befriended. He loses his innocence when they turn against him after news reaches the planet that the war has turned against the humans.A Ten-Year-Old Boy Grows Up Fast When History Catches Up With The Human Race.Reddish-yellow sunlight filtered through the thick quartz windows into the sleep-compartment. Tony Rossi yawned, stirred a little, then opened his black eyes and sat up quickly. With one motion he tossed the covers back and slid to the warm metal floor. He clicked off his alarm clock and hurried to the closet.It looked like a nice day. The landscape outside was motionless, undisturbed by winds or dust-shift. The boy's heart pounded excitedly. He pulled his trousers on, zipped up the reinforced mesh, struggled into his heavy canvas shirt, and then sat down on the edge of the cot to tug on his boots. He closed the seams around their tops and then did the same with his gloves. Next he adjusted the pressure on his pump unit and strapped it between his shoulder blades. He grabbed his helmet from the dresser, and he was ready for the day.In the dining-compartment his mother and father had finished breakfast. Their voices drifted to him as he clattered down the ramp. A disturbed murmur; he paused to listen. What were they talking about? Had he done something wrong, again?And then he caught it. Behind their voices was another voice. Static and crackling pops. The all-system audio signal from Rigel IV. They had it turned up full blast; the dull thunder of the monitor's voice boomed loudly. The war. Always the war. He sighed, and stepped out into the dining-compartment."Morning," his father muttered.AuthorPhilip Kindred Dick (December 16, 1928 - March 2, 1982) was an American writer known for his influential work in science fiction. His work explored philosophical, social, and political themes, with stories dominated by monopolistic corporations, alternative universes, authoritarian governments, and altered states of consciousness. His writing also reflected his interest in metaphysics and theology, and often drew upon his life experiences in addressing the nature of reality, identity, drug abuse, schizophrenia, and transcendental experiences.Born in Illinois, he eventually moved to California and began publishing science fiction stories in the 1950s. His stories initially found little commercial success. His 1962 alternative history novel The Man in the High Castle earned Dick early acclaim, including a Hugo Award for Best Novel. He followed with science fiction novels such as Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? (1968) and Ubik (1969). His 1974 novel Flow My Tears, the Policeman Said won the John W. Campbell Memorial Award for best novel. Following a series of religious experiences in February-March 1974, Dick's work engaged more explicitly with issues of theology, philosophy, and the nature of reality, as in such novels as A Scanner Darkly (1977) and VALIS (1981). A collection of his non-fiction writing on these themes was published posthumously as The Exegesis of Philip K. Dick (2011). He died in 1982, at age 53, due to complications from a stroke.

"Second Variety" is a science fiction short story by American writer Philip K. Dick, first published in Space Science Fiction magazine, in May 1953. A nuclear war between the Soviet Union and the West has reduced much of the world to a barren wasteland. The war continues, however, among the scattered remains of humanity. The Western forces have developed "claws", which are autonomous self-replicating robots to fight on their side. It is one of Dick's many stories in which nuclear war has rendered the Earth's surface uninhabitable. The story was adapted into the movie Screamers in 1995.The short story "Jon's World" written in 1954 revisited the claw-infested world of "Second Variety".

From the visionary mind of Philip K. Dick, author of acclaimed sci-fi adaptations such as Blade Runner, Total Recall, and Minority Report, comes Beyond the Door, a chilling tale of paranoia, suspense, and the unsettling presence of the supernatural. In this masterful study of deception and obsession, Larry Thomas, a man plagued by jealousy and suspicion, buys a mysterious vintage cuckoo clock for his wife Doris, evoking memories of her childhood. Unbeknownst to Larry, a hidden danger lies dormant within the clock, a force that blurs the lines between reality and fantasy. As Doris reignites a forbidden affair with antique connoisseur Bob Chambers, the cuckoo clock seems to come alive, feeding on Larry's increasing paranoia. Faced with his own unravelling sanity, Larry finds himself locked in a tense battle with the sinister cuckoo dwelling inside the ancient timepiece. Will Larry be able to withstand the presence of the dark force entwined with the clock, or will the cuckoo's menacing grip seal his fate? Delve into the world of Beyond the Door and experience the classic blend of speculative fiction and low fantasy that has solidified Philip K. Dick's reputation as a pioneer in pulp fiction.

From the mind of Philip K. Dick, the influential and visionary author behind blockbuster films like Blade Runner, Total Recall, and Minority Report, comes a captivating and suspenseful sci-fi short story, Human Is. Originally published in 1955, this masterful tale of paranoia and psychological horror explores the consequences of space travel and the thin line between human and alien. Venture into the heart of an interstellar mystery as we follow an emotionally battered wife, trapped in an abusive marriage. Her husband, a cold and cruel scientist, returns from a mission to the dying planet Rexor IV, seemingly changed for the better. Unbeknownst to her, an oppressed Rexorian has replaced her husband's psyche. Struggling with this newfound kindness, she is forced to confront her own humanity and unearth the truth behind her husband's transformation. In this evocative and chilling story, Philip K. Dick expertly weaves together themes of identity, empathy, and alienation, drawing readers into a thrilling tale crafted with his trademark speculative fiction flair. Human Is is a must-read for any sci-fi enthusiast and a testament to Dick's status as a prolific master of pulp fiction, compelling readers to question what truly makes us human.

An electric collection of interviews--including the first and the last—with one of the 20th century's most prolific, influential, and dazzlingly original writers of science fiction Long before Ridley Scott transformed Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? into Blade Runner, Philip K. Dick was banging away at his typewriter in relative obscurity, ostracized by the literary establishment. Today he is widely considered one of the most influential writers of the 20th century. These interviews reveal a man plagued by bouts of manic paranoia and failed suicide attempts; a career fuelled by alcohol, amphetamines, and mystical inspiration; and, above all, a magnificent and generous imagination at work.

Philip Kindred Dick was an American novelist, short story writer, essayist and philosopher whose published work is almost entirely accepted as being in the science fiction genre. Philip K. Dick published 44 novels and 121 stories during his short lifetime, solidifying his position as one of America's top sci-fi writers. If you're not intimately familiar with his novels, then you almost certainly know major films based on Dick's work - Blade Runner, Total Recall, A Scanner Darkly and Minority Report. The thirteen stories in this volume appeared in various Sci-Fi magazines during the mid 50's. They are now all collected and reprinted in this volume for your Sci-Fi collection.

From the author of Solar Lottery, in a future where death is embraced, a time-traveling doctor is the only one who can save a wounded resistance leader. When Dr. Jim Parsons wakes up from a car accident, he finds himself in a future populated almost entirely by the young. But to keep the world run by the young, death is fetishized, and those who survive to old age are put down. In such a world, Parsons—with his innate desire to save lives—is a criminal and outcast. But for one revolutionary group, he may be just the savior they need to heal and revive their cryogenically frozen leader. And when he and the group journey to 1500s California, what they find causes them to question what they know about history and the underpinnings of their society. With the jarring immediacy of a car crash, Philip K. Dick throws both the reader and protagonist of Dr. Futurity into a bizarre future where healing is a crime and youth rules.

A smart play on common English idioms, “The Eyes Have It” tells of a narrator who discovers hidden references to an invading alien race between the covers of his paperback book. Philip K. Dick was an American science-fiction novelist, short-story writer and essayist. His first short story, “Beyond Lies the Wub,” was published shortly after his high school graduation. Some of his most famous short stories were adapted for film, including “The Minority Report,” “Paycheck,” “Second Variety” (adapted into the film Screamers) and “We Can Remember It For You Wholesale” (adapted into the film Total Recall). HarperCollins brings great works of literature to life in digital format, upholding the highest standards in ebook production and celebrating reading in all its forms. Look for more titles in the HarperCollins short-stories collection to build your digital library.

This collection contains twenty-one stories that span the iconoclastic science fiction writer's entire career.

Combining political intrigue, time travel, family drama, and all the perils that come with being the first at anything, Hugo Award–winning author Philip K. Dick's Martian Time-Slip follows a group of exiled colonists on Mars and the ten-year-old psychic among them, a boy so powerful he not only looks into the future, but can send people there. "The writing is humorous, painful, awesome in its effect on both mind and heart . . . There are few modern novels to match it."—Rolling Stone On an arid Mars, local bigwigs compete with Earth-bound interlopers to buy up land before the UN develops it and its value skyrockets. Martian Union leader Arnie Kott has an ace up his sleeve, though: an autistic boy named Manfred who seems to have the ability to see the future. In the hopes of gaining an advantage on a Martian real estate deal, powerful people force Manfred to send them into the future, where they can learn about development plans. But is Manfred sending them to the real future or one colored by his own dark and paranoid filter? As the time travelers are drawn into Manfred's dark worldview in both the future and present, the cost of doing business may drive them all insane.

From the Hugo Award–winning author of The Man in the High Castle, Philip K. Dick’s twisty and paranoid Time Out of Joint is "marvelous, terrifying fun, especially if you’ve ever suspected that the world is an unreal construct built solely to keep you from knowing who you really are. Which it is, of course" (Rolling Stone). "The time is out of joint; O curs'd spite, That ever I was born to set it right!" (William Shakespeare's Hamlet, Act I, Scene V) Ragle Gumm has a unique job: every day he wins a newspaper contest. And when he isn’t consulting his charts and tables, he enjoys his life in a small town in 1959. At least, that’s what he thinks. But then, in this mind-bending psychological thriller, strange things start happening. He finds a phone book where all the numbers have been disconnected, and a magazine article about a famous starlet he’s never heard of named Marilyn Monroe. Plus, everyday objects are beginning to disappear and are replaced by strips of paper with words written on them like "bowl of flowers" and "soft drink stand." When Ragle skips town to try to find the cause of these bizarre occurrences, his discovery could make him question everything he has ever known.

The discovery of mysterious gateway leads to a new world full of dangerous possibilities in this science fiction tale from an iconic author. When a repairman accidentally finds a parallel universe, everyone sees it as an opportunity, whether as a way to ease Earth's overcrowding, set up a personal kingdom, or hide an inconvenient mistress. But when a civilization is found already living there, the people on this side of the crack are sent scrambling to discover their motives. Will these parallel humans come in peace, or are they just as corrupt and ill-intentioned as the people of this world? "Dick's best books always describe a future that is both entirely recognizable and utterly unimaginable."— The New York Times Book Review

A mind-bending, classic Philip K. Dick novel about the perception of reality. Named as one of Time's 100 best books.

Altered reality, genetic enhancement and drugs combine to create one of the most popular and enduring science fiction novels from award-winning novelist Philip K. Dick.

A wry look at how different people see the world, told in the caustically fun style of award-winning science fiction novelist Philip K. Dick.

The universe is not nearly as random as it appears in this fun, pulpy early work from the award-winning science fiction novelist Philip K. Dick.

Two countries formerly at war must come together to protect their people in this biting satire on the military industrial complex from the critically acclaimed Philip K. Dick.

This e-book only edition brings together the three novels of Philip K. Dick's VALIS trilogy. VALIS What is VALIS? This question is at the heart of Philip K. Dick’s groundbreaking novel, the first book in his defining trilogy. When a beam of pink light begins giving a schizophrenic man named Horselover Fat (who just might also be known as Philip K. Dick) visions of an alternate Earth where the Roman Empire still reigns, he must decide whether he is crazy, or whether a godlike entity is showing him the true nature of the world. The Divine Invasion God is not dead, he has merely been exiled to an extraterrestrial planet. And it is on this planet that God meets Herb Asher and convinces him to help retake Earth from the demonic Belial. As the middlie novel of Dick's VALIS trilogy, The Divine Invasion plays a pivotal role in answering the questions raised by the first novel, expanding that world while exploring just how much anyone can really know -- even God himself. The Transmigration of Timothy Archer The final book in the VALIS trilogy, The Transmigration of Timothy Archer brings the author’s search for the identity and nature of God to a close. The novel follows Bishop Timothy Archer as he travels to Israel, ostensibly to examine ancient scrolls bearing the words of Christ. But, more importantly, this leads him to examine the decisions he made during his life and how they may have contributed to the suicide of his mistress and son.

A glimpse into the mind of the bestselling science fiction author through a collection of his personal, metaphysical, religious, visionary writings. Based on thousands of pages of typed and handwritten notes, journal entries, letters, and story sketches, The Exegesis of Philip K. Dick is the magnificent and imaginative final work of an author who dedicated his life to questioning the nature of reality and perception, the malleability of space and time, and the relationship between the human and the divine. Edited and introduced by Pamela Jackson and Jonathan Lethem, this will be the definitive presentation of Dick's brilliant, and epic, final work. In The Exegesis, Dick documents his eight-year attempt to fathom what he called "2-3-74," a postmodern visionary experience of the entire universe "transformed into information." In entries that sometimes ran to hundreds of pages, Dick tried to write his way into the heart of a cosmic mystery that tested his powers of imagination and invention to the limit, adding to, revising, and discarding theory after theory, mixing in dreams and visionary experiences as they occurred, and pulling it all together in three late novels known as the VALIS trilogy. In this abridgment, Jackson and Lethem serve as guides, taking the reader through the Exegesis and establishing connections with moments in Dick's life and work. The e-book includes a sample chapter from A Scanner Darkly by Philip K. Dick. "A dyspeptic dystopian's mad secret notebooks, imposing order—at least of a kind—on a chaotic world...Fascinating and unsettling."— Kirkus Reviews

A Nebula Award–nominee from the Hugo Award–winning author of The Man in the High Castle, Philip K. Dick's The Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldritch explores the desolation of the minds, souls, and hearts of colonists on Mars in “a psychedelic odyssey of hallucinations-within-hallucinations from which no reader emerges unscathed” (Boston Globe). On Mars, the harsh climate could make any colonist turn to drugs to escape a dead-end existence. Especially when the drug is Can-D, which translates its users into the idyllic world of a Barbie-esque character named Perky Pat. When the mysterious Palmer Eldritch arrives with a new drug called Chew-Z, he offers a more addictive experience, one that might bring the user closer to God. But in a world where everyone is tripping, no promises can be taken at face value. The Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldritch is one of Philip K. Dick’s enduring classics, at once a deep character study, a dark mystery, and a tightrope walk along the edge of reality and illusion.

The solution to Earth's overpopulation holds a dark secret in this science fiction novel from the author of Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? When catastrophic overpopulation threatens Earth, one company offers to teleport citizens to Whale's Mouth, an allegedly pristine new home for happy and industrious émigrés. But there is one problem: the teleportation machine only works in one direction. When Rachmael ben Applebaum discovers that some of the footage of happy settlers may have been faked, he sets out on an eighteen-year journey to see if anyone wants to come back. Lies, Inc. is one of Philip K. Dick's final novels, which he expanded from his novella The Unteleported Man shortly before his death. In its examination of totalitarianism, reality, and hallucination, it encompasses everything that Dick's fans love about his oeuvre. "Philip K. Dick knew better than anyone how to recognize the disturbances of exile."—Roberto Bolaño, bestselling author of The Spirit of Science Fiction

Winner of the British Science Fiction Association Award for Best Novel, Philip K. Dick's A Scanner Darkly is a semi-autobiographical novel of drug addiction set in a future American dystopia — and the basis for the Hugo Award finalist film starring Keanu Reeves, Winona Ryder, and Robert Downey, Jr. "A Scanner Darkly is about a descent into the deep fears of our 24-hour consumer society: the twilight of intellectual and emotional collapse...A fascinating portrait of 70s Californian counter-culture."—The Guardian Bob Arctor is a junkie and a drug dealer, both using and selling the mind-altering Substance D. Fred is a law enforcement agent, tasked with bringing Bob down. It sounds like a standard case. The only problem is that Bob and Fred are the same person. Substance D doesn’t just alter the mind, it splits it in two, and neither side knows what the other is doing or that it even exists. Now, both sides are growing increasingly paranoid as Bob tries to evade Fred while Fred tries to evade his suspicious bosses. In this dystopian future, friends can become enemies, good trips can turn terrifying, and cops and criminals are two sides of the same coin. Caustically funny and somberly contemplative, Dick fashions a novel that is as unnerving as it is enthralling. “Dick is Thoreau plus the death of the American dream."—Roberto Bolaño

VALIS is the first novel in a mesmerizing, science-fiction philosophical trilogy by Philip K. Dick, the Hugo Award–winning author of The Man in the High Castle and Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?—the basis for the film Blade Runner. “Dick is one of the ten best American writers of the twentieth century, which is saying a lot. Dick was a kind of Kafka steeped in LSD and rage.”* What is VALIS? In this mind-bending work of autofiction, When a beam of pink light begins giving a schizophrenic man named Horselover Fat (who just might also be known as Philip K. Dick) visions of an alternate Earth where the Roman Empire still reigns, he must decide whether he is crazy, or whether a godlike entity is showing him the true nature of the world in a gripping story about divine intervention. “More disturbing than any novel by [Carson] McCullers,” (*Roberto Bolaño), by the end, like Dick himself, you will be left wondering what is real, what is fiction, and just what the price is for divine inspiration. Also in the VALIS Trilogy: The Divine Invasion The Transmigration of Timothy Archer