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I Hope I Shall Arrive Soon
This volume brings together ten previously uncollected stories and a major unpublished essay, which span nearly thirty years of the career of the noted science fiction writer.
Contents:
- Introduction: How to Build a Universe That Doesn't Fall Apart Two Days Later by
Philip K. Dick
- The Short Happy Life of the Brown Oxford (1954)
- Explorers We (1959)
- Holy Quarrel (1966)
- What'll We Do with Ragland Park? (1963)
- Strange Memories of Death (1984)
- The Alien Mind (1981)
- The Exit Door Leads In (1979)
- Chains of Air, Web of Aether (1980)
- Rautavaara's Case (1980)
- I Hope I Shall Arrive Soon (1980, variant of Frozen Journey)
Contents:
- Introduction: How to Build a Universe That Doesn't Fall Apart Two Days Later by
Philip K. Dick
- The Short Happy Life of the Brown Oxford (1954)
- Explorers We (1959)
- Holy Quarrel (1966)
- What'll We Do with Ragland Park? (1963)
- Strange Memories of Death (1984)
- The Alien Mind (1981)
- The Exit Door Leads In (1979)
- Chains of Air, Web of Aether (1980)
- Rautavaara's Case (1980)
- I Hope I Shall Arrive Soon (1980, variant of Frozen Journey)
202 pages, Paperback
First published July 1, 1985
6 people are currently reading
1388 people want to read
About the author
Philip K. Dick
1,806 books22k 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 work continues to challenge and inspire, offering timeless insights into the human condition a
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 work continues to challenge and inspire, offering timeless insights into the human condition a
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 61 reviews
July 12, 2016
Here's a larger image of the 1987 St. Martin's Press mass-market paperback. I've read a few of these stories before, but surprisingly a majority are new to me, I believe. Most of them were also included in the 1991 retrospective, We Can Remember It for You Wholesale, which covers PKD's work from the mid-60s to the early 80s. The stories here are mostly from the late 70s/early 80s, though the first few are from earlier in his career.
May 21, 2018
Το βιβλίο αυτό είναι μια συλλογή από διηγήματα επιστημονικής φαντασίας.
Το εισαγωγικό σημείωμα του Philip Dick είχε γραφτεί για το διήγημα Χρυσαφένιος Άντρας. Όταν το διάβασα με έκανε να αγαπήσω ξανά από την αρχή τον philip Dick. Είναι ένας απ' τους πιο αγαπημένους μου συγγραφείς που πάντα θα αγαπώ και θα θαυμάζω. Θα ήθελα να συζητώ μαζί του με τις ώρες. Οι ιδέες του και ο τρόπος σκέψης του με εξιτάρουν όσο λίγων ανθρώπων.
Τα διηγήματα που ξεχώρισα είναι δύο. Το "Ένα δώρο για την Πατ" όπου ο Έρικ Μπλέικ επιστρέφοντας από ένα επαγγελματικό ταξίδι από το Γανυμήδη φέρνει ένα πολύ ιδιαίτερο δώρο στη σύζυγό του, Πατ. Και το "Υπόθεση Ραουταβαάρα" όπου τρία μέλη μιας διαστημικής αποστολής βρίσκουν τραγικό θάνατο και μια εξωγήινη μορφή ζωής προσπαθεί να επαναφέρει τις εγκεφαλικές λειτουργίες ενός από τα μέλη. Όταν η γήινοι και οι εξωγήινοι βλέπουν αυτό που βιώνει η Ραουταβαάρα είναι έκπληξη και για τις δύο πλευρές. Και οι δύο αυτές ιστορίες έχουν το χαρακτηριστικό χιούμορ του Dick, και ιδικά με τη δεύτερη γέλασα πάρα πολύ. Μέσα σε 13 σελίδες διάβασα πάνω από 10 προτάσεις που πίστευα ότι δε θα διαβάσω ποτέ.
Επιπλέον, σ' αυτό το βιβλίο θα βρείτε το διήγημα "Το πράγμα-Πατέρας" το οποίο ενέπνευσε το 7ο επεισόδιο της σειράς Philip K. Dick's Electric Dreams, την οποία συστήνω ανεπιφύλακτα στους λάτρεις το Philip Dick.
Το εισαγωγικό σημείωμα του Philip Dick είχε γραφτεί για το διήγημα Χρυσαφένιος Άντρας. Όταν το διάβασα με έκανε να αγαπήσω ξανά από την αρχή τον philip Dick. Είναι ένας απ' τους πιο αγαπημένους μου συγγραφείς που πάντα θα αγαπώ και θα θαυμάζω. Θα ήθελα να συζητώ μαζί του με τις ώρες. Οι ιδέες του και ο τρόπος σκέψης του με εξιτάρουν όσο λίγων ανθρώπων.
Τα διηγήματα που ξεχώρισα είναι δύο. Το "Ένα δώρο για την Πατ" όπου ο Έρικ Μπλέικ επιστρέφοντας από ένα επαγγελματικό ταξίδι από το Γανυμήδη φέρνει ένα πολύ ιδιαίτερο δώρο στη σύζυγό του, Πατ. Και το "Υπόθεση Ραουταβαάρα" όπου τρία μέλη μιας διαστημικής αποστολής βρίσκουν τραγικό θάνατο και μια εξωγήινη μορφή ζωής προσπαθεί να επαναφέρει τις εγκεφαλικές λειτουργίες ενός από τα μέλη. Όταν η γήινοι και οι εξωγήινοι βλέπουν αυτό που βιώνει η Ραουταβαάρα είναι έκπληξη και για τις δύο πλευρές. Και οι δύο αυτές ιστορίες έχουν το χαρακτηριστικό χιούμορ του Dick, και ιδικά με τη δεύτερη γέλασα πάρα πολύ. Μέσα σε 13 σελίδες διάβασα πάνω από 10 προτάσεις που πίστευα ότι δε θα διαβάσω ποτέ.
Επιπλέον, σ' αυτό το βιβλίο θα βρείτε το διήγημα "Το πράγμα-Πατέρας" το οποίο ενέπνευσε το 7ο επεισόδιο της σειράς Philip K. Dick's Electric Dreams, την οποία συστήνω ανεπιφύλακτα στους λάτρεις το Philip Dick.
December 17, 2019
The title story, I Hope I Shall Arrive Soon, is an brilliant archetypal PDK short story. Reading it, I can't help but think of Ubik, one of my favorite PKD stories. It features a man who must endure ten years of being mentally conscious while trapped inside his unconscious body, due to a faulty cryogenic suspension chamber aboard the interstellar ship he's travelling on. The ship's computer attempts to stimulate his memories, to keep his mind from deteriorating over such a prolonged period without any external stimulus. However, his own neuroses make re-living memories a challenge and generally unpleasant, and ultimately risk his ability to distinguish them from reality and thus his sanity.
May 1, 2020
I feel weird about giving two books in a two 5 stars but both were excellent.
I Hope I Shall Arrive Soon gains its five stars for the first essay alone. "How to Build A Universe That Doesn't Fall Apart Two Days Later" is the first truly life changing thing I have ever read. It changed me as a thinker, an artist, a student, a writer, it changed how I see the world as a whole and around me, and most importantly made me more spiritual. That's not to say it made me believe in a certain god or exactly what Philip K Dick believes but reading it made me no longer have boundaries of thought when it came to existence, the universe, and consciousness. For that I am eternally greatful to Mr. Dick who wrote such a rich, though- provoking, human essay that in its 25 pages does more than almost any other writer can do. That essay is essential reading for anyone, the rest of this collection is short stories which play off ideas explored in the essay. Many of them bring to mind Kafka if he were a science fiction writer. Dick's stories are made up of people trapped in reality. Mostly artificial realties created by those around them, but sometimes they can't escape their own past or perceptions of themselves. In comparison to the essay the short stories are much darker and the protagonist often doesn't see the light at the end of the tunnel, Dick clearly wants them to understand that your reality is what you make it to be and that no one person truly understands how the universe works. "Strange Memories of Death" is a standout as Philip K. Dick effortless explores the contradictions that exist in reality and what is true is only the things the masses have agreed upon and he does all of this simply trough the eyes of a man watching a woman get evicted from her apartment. Philip K. Dick was and still is an American treasure, he helped make science fiction a legitimate genre while transcending it completely to create work that is very much relatable. Losing the man at such a young age was a tragedy to the world of literature, R.I.P. PKD.
I Hope I Shall Arrive Soon gains its five stars for the first essay alone. "How to Build A Universe That Doesn't Fall Apart Two Days Later" is the first truly life changing thing I have ever read. It changed me as a thinker, an artist, a student, a writer, it changed how I see the world as a whole and around me, and most importantly made me more spiritual. That's not to say it made me believe in a certain god or exactly what Philip K Dick believes but reading it made me no longer have boundaries of thought when it came to existence, the universe, and consciousness. For that I am eternally greatful to Mr. Dick who wrote such a rich, though- provoking, human essay that in its 25 pages does more than almost any other writer can do. That essay is essential reading for anyone, the rest of this collection is short stories which play off ideas explored in the essay. Many of them bring to mind Kafka if he were a science fiction writer. Dick's stories are made up of people trapped in reality. Mostly artificial realties created by those around them, but sometimes they can't escape their own past or perceptions of themselves. In comparison to the essay the short stories are much darker and the protagonist often doesn't see the light at the end of the tunnel, Dick clearly wants them to understand that your reality is what you make it to be and that no one person truly understands how the universe works. "Strange Memories of Death" is a standout as Philip K. Dick effortless explores the contradictions that exist in reality and what is true is only the things the masses have agreed upon and he does all of this simply trough the eyes of a man watching a woman get evicted from her apartment. Philip K. Dick was and still is an American treasure, he helped make science fiction a legitimate genre while transcending it completely to create work that is very much relatable. Losing the man at such a young age was a tragedy to the world of literature, R.I.P. PKD.
November 17, 2017
Antologia postuma di racconti di Philip K. Dick, originariamente pubblicata nel 1985, dunque a tre anni dalla morte dell'Autore. L'arco temporale di produzione va dagli anni '50 agli anni '80, dunque presenta una certa disomogeneità, a mio avviso a favore dei racconti più recenti.
Si parte con una nota lieve, Breve vita felice di una scarpa marrone ( 1954 ), dimenticabile report dell'invenzione di un apparecchio per rendere animati gli oggetti inanimati, come la scarpa marrone del titolo. Brillante il concetto alla base della macchina, ovvero il Principio di irritazione Sufficiente: "l'origine della vita. Eoni fa, nel remoto passato, un pezzetto di materia inanimata si è talmente irritato per qualcosa da andarsene via, mosso dall'indignazione". Che Dick avesse previsto l'avvento di Di Maio? [ dling-dling, fine dello spazio satirico ]
Si prosegue con il più classico Tornando a casa ( 1959 ), tipico esempio di racconto incentrato sul pericolo della colonizzazione aliena tramite copie di esseri umani - molto à la Gli invasati/L'invasione degli ultracorpi di Jack Finney, pubblicato solo cinque anni prima.
Per rimanere in campo "temi classici", abbiamo i poteri psichici di un menestrello capace di comporre ballate che si avverano, con esiti non sempre positivi - si tratta pur sempre del pessimistico e cinico Dick. Anche in questo caso, niente di indimenticabile: si tratta di Cosa ne facciamo di Ragland Park? ( 1963 ).
Teologia e computer possono coesistere? Certamente, almeno secondo P.K., che in Teologia per computer ( 1966 ) ci propone anche aspetti ripresi dalla sci-fi dei decenni successivi - un sistema informatico che scatena un'apocalisse nucleare ricorda niente? Ancora una volta, racconto non fondamentale, anche se qualche sorriso lo strappa ( il tentativo di convincere il computer della propria inesistenza, l'imprevista piega religiosa che prende la vicenda ).
Con L'ultimo test ( 1979 ) si inizia a ragionare: in un XXI secolo d'inferno, solo pochi fortunati vengono scelti per frequentare il college, istituzione dai connotati pericolosamente militari. Purtroppo i test di ammissione prevedono prove-trabocchetto... Qui la paranoia tipica di Dick si fa sentire.
Catene d'aria, ragnatela d'etere ( 1980 ) sale ancora di livello: prima di tutto cita a ripetizione John Dowland, e questo sarebbe sufficiente - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5EBnI... - In aggiunta, è anche la storia di un uomo che sacrifica una delle cose più importanti della sua isolata esistenza per salvare la vita di una collega.
Memorabile anche Il caso Rautavaara ( 1980 ), in cui il salvataggio ( ok, parziale salvataggio ) di un tecnico spaziale umano da parte di una razza aliena rivela l'apertura di una porta sull'Aldilà cristiano. Con relativo tentativo alieno di sfruttare l'occasione per un esperimento di...teologia comparata.
Siamo ormai su livelli alti, e non scendiamo neppure con gli ultimi racconti, Spero di arrivare presto ( 1980 ), in cui un malfunzionamento della sospensione criogenica obbliga una povera navetta spaziale a trovare il modo di non far impazzire uno dei passeggeri ( ancora molta paranoia, sensi di colpa sepolti e religiosità distorta ), La mente aliena ( 1981 ), con la peculiare morale pro-gatti dei Meknosiani ( thumbs up ), e Strani ricordi di morte ( 1985 - postumo ), incentrato nuovamente sul tema della paranoia - e sulla domanda "chi è il paranoico?".
Completa la raccolta un notevole saggio ( o meglio, sembrerebbe trattarsi della trascrizione di una lezione accademica ), Come costruire un universo che non cada a pezzi in due giorni, in cui Dick cerca di spiegare i due argomenti che hanno caratterizzato tutta la sua attività di scrittore, o meglio, le due domande a cui ha cercato di dare una risposta: "cos'è la realtà?" e "cosa costituisce il vero essere umano?". Il tutto condito da considerazioni sui pericoli delle realtà fittizie ( accusava la televisione: chissà cosa avrebbe da dire oggi riguardo a Internet, fake news e società della comunicazione in generale ), rimandi a Platone e alla Bibbia, sovrapposizioni e intrecci tra tempo reale, "mondano" e tempo "sacro". E l'inquietante possibilità che uno scrittore scriva la verità a sua insaputa. Merita una lettura, nonostante l'eccessiva insistenza sull'aspetto religioso ( tipico di P.K.D. post 1974 ).
Si parte con una nota lieve, Breve vita felice di una scarpa marrone ( 1954 ), dimenticabile report dell'invenzione di un apparecchio per rendere animati gli oggetti inanimati, come la scarpa marrone del titolo. Brillante il concetto alla base della macchina, ovvero il Principio di irritazione Sufficiente: "l'origine della vita. Eoni fa, nel remoto passato, un pezzetto di materia inanimata si è talmente irritato per qualcosa da andarsene via, mosso dall'indignazione". Che Dick avesse previsto l'avvento di Di Maio? [ dling-dling, fine dello spazio satirico ]
Si prosegue con il più classico Tornando a casa ( 1959 ), tipico esempio di racconto incentrato sul pericolo della colonizzazione aliena tramite copie di esseri umani - molto à la Gli invasati/L'invasione degli ultracorpi di Jack Finney, pubblicato solo cinque anni prima.
Per rimanere in campo "temi classici", abbiamo i poteri psichici di un menestrello capace di comporre ballate che si avverano, con esiti non sempre positivi - si tratta pur sempre del pessimistico e cinico Dick. Anche in questo caso, niente di indimenticabile: si tratta di Cosa ne facciamo di Ragland Park? ( 1963 ).
Teologia e computer possono coesistere? Certamente, almeno secondo P.K., che in Teologia per computer ( 1966 ) ci propone anche aspetti ripresi dalla sci-fi dei decenni successivi - un sistema informatico che scatena un'apocalisse nucleare ricorda niente? Ancora una volta, racconto non fondamentale, anche se qualche sorriso lo strappa ( il tentativo di convincere il computer della propria inesistenza, l'imprevista piega religiosa che prende la vicenda ).
Con L'ultimo test ( 1979 ) si inizia a ragionare: in un XXI secolo d'inferno, solo pochi fortunati vengono scelti per frequentare il college, istituzione dai connotati pericolosamente militari. Purtroppo i test di ammissione prevedono prove-trabocchetto... Qui la paranoia tipica di Dick si fa sentire.
Catene d'aria, ragnatela d'etere ( 1980 ) sale ancora di livello: prima di tutto cita a ripetizione John Dowland, e questo sarebbe sufficiente - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5EBnI... - In aggiunta, è anche la storia di un uomo che sacrifica una delle cose più importanti della sua isolata esistenza per salvare la vita di una collega.
Memorabile anche Il caso Rautavaara ( 1980 ), in cui il salvataggio ( ok, parziale salvataggio ) di un tecnico spaziale umano da parte di una razza aliena rivela l'apertura di una porta sull'Aldilà cristiano. Con relativo tentativo alieno di sfruttare l'occasione per un esperimento di...teologia comparata.
Siamo ormai su livelli alti, e non scendiamo neppure con gli ultimi racconti, Spero di arrivare presto ( 1980 ), in cui un malfunzionamento della sospensione criogenica obbliga una povera navetta spaziale a trovare il modo di non far impazzire uno dei passeggeri ( ancora molta paranoia, sensi di colpa sepolti e religiosità distorta ), La mente aliena ( 1981 ), con la peculiare morale pro-gatti dei Meknosiani ( thumbs up ), e Strani ricordi di morte ( 1985 - postumo ), incentrato nuovamente sul tema della paranoia - e sulla domanda "chi è il paranoico?".
Completa la raccolta un notevole saggio ( o meglio, sembrerebbe trattarsi della trascrizione di una lezione accademica ), Come costruire un universo che non cada a pezzi in due giorni, in cui Dick cerca di spiegare i due argomenti che hanno caratterizzato tutta la sua attività di scrittore, o meglio, le due domande a cui ha cercato di dare una risposta: "cos'è la realtà?" e "cosa costituisce il vero essere umano?". Il tutto condito da considerazioni sui pericoli delle realtà fittizie ( accusava la televisione: chissà cosa avrebbe da dire oggi riguardo a Internet, fake news e società della comunicazione in generale ), rimandi a Platone e alla Bibbia, sovrapposizioni e intrecci tra tempo reale, "mondano" e tempo "sacro". E l'inquietante possibilità che uno scrittore scriva la verità a sua insaputa. Merita una lettura, nonostante l'eccessiva insistenza sull'aspetto religioso ( tipico di P.K.D. post 1974 ).
December 16, 2019
Un recueil qui comprend un court essai et 9 nouvelles :
Souvenirs trouvés dans une facture de vétérinaire pour petits animaux
= Memories found in a bill from a small animal vet
Non-O = Null-O
Le retour des explorateurs = Explorers We
Une proie rêvée = Fair Game
Que faire de Ragland Park ? = What'll We Do With Ragland Park?
Un numéro inédit = Novelty Act
L'Histoire qui met fin à toutes les histoires (pour l'anthologie d'Harlan Ellison Dangereuses visions)
= The Story to End All Stories for Harlan Ellison's Anthology Dangerous Visions
Le cas Rautavaara = Rautavaara's Case
Le voyage gelé = Frozen Journey
L'Autremental = The Alien Mind
Oscilloscope :
Wow - Beck
Souvenirs trouvés dans une facture de vétérinaire pour petits animaux
= Memories found in a bill from a small animal vet
Non-O = Null-O
Le retour des explorateurs = Explorers We
Une proie rêvée = Fair Game
Que faire de Ragland Park ? = What'll We Do With Ragland Park?
Un numéro inédit = Novelty Act
L'Histoire qui met fin à toutes les histoires (pour l'anthologie d'Harlan Ellison Dangereuses visions)
= The Story to End All Stories for Harlan Ellison's Anthology Dangerous Visions
Le cas Rautavaara = Rautavaara's Case
Le voyage gelé = Frozen Journey
L'Autremental = The Alien Mind
Oscilloscope :
Wow - Beck
October 10, 2016
μου εβγαλε το λαδι για να το τελειωσω...χωρις καμια ουσια ...μονο για πολυ φανατικους και συλλεκτες
June 1, 2018
Book Reaction: https://nildivision.blogspot.com/2018...
Soundtrack: https://nildivision.blogspot.com/2018...
Rating: 4 Stars - minor quibbles but I loved it to bits
Soundtrack: https://nildivision.blogspot.com/2018...
Rating: 4 Stars - minor quibbles but I loved it to bits
November 27, 2021
è un pazzo meraviglioso
July 9, 2022
Aww, this story was sad, with a tinge of hope. Gave me some food for thought.
July 11, 2010
The most depressing collection of Dick's short stories that I've ever read. Started on a happy note with "The Short Happy Life of the Brown Oxford" but got increasingly dark and pessimistic. I enjoyed "Holy Quarrel" despite its ominous undertones, but it was a classic PDK short story. "Strange Memories of Death" was depressing given that it too closely reflects my current life situation, facing eviction and worrying about every knock on thhe door. Surprisingly, in the midst of all this darkness and pessimism, I found a short story I'd never read before called "The Alien Mind" and I just adored it -- it may be my favorite PDK story of all time. I work in animal rescue and this was definitely a story where PDK's love of his cats was a main theme. I appreciate that he felt this theme was important enough to feature in one of his stories. "The Exit Door Leads In" is still a wonderful concept although this wasn't the first time I'd read it. "Chains of Air, Web of Aether" was dreary, ominous, oppressive... no fun at all, and not one character in the story had any redeeming qualities. I can't tell you how thrilled I was (yes, that's sarcasm) when I realized that another title I'd checked out of the library, "The Divine Invasion" expanded on this story and made it into a full-length novel. No offense, Mr. PDK, but if your passing meant that we were spared the full trilogy of novels you'd planned around these characters and this theme then maybe things turned out for the best. Dick's female characters are rarely anything other than idealized male fantasies (a la Playboy) or shrewish nags, and Rybus Rommey manages to be a female dying of a teminal illness while simultaneously being so annoying that it's impossible to feel any sympathy for her. I'm sure most of Dick's female characters are a form of revenge against one of his many ex-wives, not to mention, ex-girlfriends. "Rautavaara's Case" did had a nice ironic twist that I enjoyed, although the story itself was a bit brutal. And finally, "I Hope I Shall Arrive Soon" was simply sad... a man so overwhelmed with self-doubt and guilt that it's impossible for him to find any enjoyment in life, and even memories of happy times are soon tainted with his guilt about unrelated situations.
I fell in love with PDK's short stories because they had so much variety and were often whimsical. This collection seemed to be deliberately assembled not to entertain, but to disturb.
I fell in love with PDK's short stories because they had so much variety and were often whimsical. This collection seemed to be deliberately assembled not to entertain, but to disturb.
February 1, 2025
Philip K. Dick has written some truly excellent short stories. Not many of them are collected here. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed the book - his concept-heavy shorts are nearly always thought-provoking even if I don't always warm to the characters - but there's only one here that stands out about the average, I think. That story is "The Exit Door Leads In", which I've read before in another collection from him. Perhaps the reason it stands out is the comment from Major Casals towards the end: he has been involved in the psychological testing of various candidates, and when the protagonist of the story fails on ethical grounds because of what he describes as loyalty to the Major, Casals is dumbfounded. "I am someone who insulted you and derided you," he says. "Someone who treated you like dirt." Bibleman - and what a name that is - has no answer to this, but if he'd seen some of the voters of today, well. The more things change.
Unfortunately, I should probably add that this collection is hampered by a near thirty page introduction by Dick which is one of the most tedious, self-indulgent essays I've ever read. It is by far the worst thing about the book, and I look forward to never experiencing it again.
Unfortunately, I should probably add that this collection is hampered by a near thirty page introduction by Dick which is one of the most tedious, self-indulgent essays I've ever read. It is by far the worst thing about the book, and I look forward to never experiencing it again.
March 11, 2022
"Science fiction writers, I am sorry to say, really do not know anything."
I picked this book up not knowing it was short stories. That being said, it's a very good collection. PKD opens with an introduction, quite personal and metaphysical, called "How to Build a Universe That Doesn't Fall Apart Two Days Later." This essay, together with the title story, is worth the price of admission. In it, PKD defines two basic topics that fascinate him and investigating them are at the heart of all his stories, consciously or not, long or short. They are: "What is reality?" and "What constitutes the authentic human being?"
Individual ratings by contents:
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Introduction: How to Build a Universe That Doesn't Fall Apart Two Days Later
⭐️⭐️ The Short Happy Life of the Brown Oxford
⭐️⭐️⭐️ Explorers We
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Holy Quarrel
⭐️⭐️⭐️ What'll We Do with Ragland Park?
⭐️⭐️⭐️ Strange Memories of Death
⭐️⭐️⭐️ The Alien Mind
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ The Exit Door Leads In
⭐️⭐️⭐️ Chains of Air, Web of Aether
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Rautavaara's Case
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I Hope I Shall Arrive Soon
So, what is reality? According to Dick, "Reality is that which, when you stop believing in it, doesn't go away."
I picked this book up not knowing it was short stories. That being said, it's a very good collection. PKD opens with an introduction, quite personal and metaphysical, called "How to Build a Universe That Doesn't Fall Apart Two Days Later." This essay, together with the title story, is worth the price of admission. In it, PKD defines two basic topics that fascinate him and investigating them are at the heart of all his stories, consciously or not, long or short. They are: "What is reality?" and "What constitutes the authentic human being?"
Individual ratings by contents:
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Introduction: How to Build a Universe That Doesn't Fall Apart Two Days Later
⭐️⭐️ The Short Happy Life of the Brown Oxford
⭐️⭐️⭐️ Explorers We
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Holy Quarrel
⭐️⭐️⭐️ What'll We Do with Ragland Park?
⭐️⭐️⭐️ Strange Memories of Death
⭐️⭐️⭐️ The Alien Mind
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ The Exit Door Leads In
⭐️⭐️⭐️ Chains of Air, Web of Aether
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Rautavaara's Case
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I Hope I Shall Arrive Soon
So, what is reality? According to Dick, "Reality is that which, when you stop believing in it, doesn't go away."
February 9, 2019
I have read Dick's "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?" upon which Blade Runner is supposed to have been based, and I didn't get it at all. These stories are easier and mostly okay. The title story is the best one. The stories are preceded by a speech, however, in which Dick made it clear that he believes that his current life is one of a whole series of lives and that gateways sometimes open between them so he revisits old lives. Whackadoodle. One of my very favorite sayings ever came out of that speech to the effect that reality is what doesn't go away just because you stop believing in it. Yep, that's right. But when you read it in the context of that speech, you realize that he probably meant that the reality of all these overlapping lives doesn't go away, and suddenly it doesn't sound like a good definition, it sounds like madness. So to some degree, I'm sorry I read it.
February 21, 2020
If only the introduction to this book was good, this book would be already totally worth reading. Because in the introduction, Dick creates a fascinating account around art/politics/culture/religion that is so chilling and thrilling that the rest of the book will feel a letdown after it.
And not because the science-fiction stories that follow are bad, because they are not, with your typical Dick's penchant for mixing religion, what is real, what is human, with the future, making for a hallucinated compilation that is a must. A little old-fashioned, of course, and with a little bit too much of religion for some tastes, of course, but gripping nonetheless.
But that introduction, woah.
The best: the introduction is a work of art on itself
The worst: too much religion
Alternatives: Frank Herbert, who also had lots of religion (in a different way); Heinlein; Atwood's "The Handmaid's Tale"; more Philip K. Dick; Neal Stephenson... The list is endless
9/10
(English)
And not because the science-fiction stories that follow are bad, because they are not, with your typical Dick's penchant for mixing religion, what is real, what is human, with the future, making for a hallucinated compilation that is a must. A little old-fashioned, of course, and with a little bit too much of religion for some tastes, of course, but gripping nonetheless.
But that introduction, woah.
The best: the introduction is a work of art on itself
The worst: too much religion
Alternatives: Frank Herbert, who also had lots of religion (in a different way); Heinlein; Atwood's "The Handmaid's Tale"; more Philip K. Dick; Neal Stephenson... The list is endless
9/10
(English)
October 4, 2019
A short story about Victor Kemmings travelling on a space ship for a decade is suddenly woken up. The ship is trying to calm him by loading old memories to his mind, but those memories are not good ones. He will have to stay in his container due to no oxygen or food.
He is able to reconnect with his estranged wife, Martine but things are still not quite right.
Interesting with a dangling ending. There are many assuptions to be made here. Is he in another dimension from his wife? Is he getting more memories fed to him?
He is able to reconnect with his estranged wife, Martine but things are still not quite right.
Interesting with a dangling ending. There are many assuptions to be made here. Is he in another dimension from his wife? Is he getting more memories fed to him?
December 3, 2019
The first story almost made me give up, being the sort of juvenilia everyone churned out to fill scifi rags in the late 1950s. But then PKD revived my belief that he's the best idea man with the next story, "Explorers We" about a group of astronauts who crash land back on earth and don't receive the reception they expected. Not every story was as good, and none were perfect, but there's a lot of good ideas in here.
January 27, 2025
I had never read any of Dick's fiction before and had only vaguely watched minority report and adjustment bureau (movies based off his work) and never Blade Runner or Total Recall. I found a very thoughtful and thought-provoking writer with an underlying need to understand the universe and an eye towards trends in surveillance and the reliance on technology that are really relevant today. I came away impressed.
December 26, 2018
"How to Build a Universe That Doesn't Fall Apart Two Days Later"
"The Short Happy Life of the Brown Oxford"
"Explorers We"
"Holy Quarrel"
"What'll We Do with Ragland Park?"
"Strange Memories of Death"
"The Alien Mind"
"The Exit Door Leads In"
"Chains of Air, Web of Aether"
"Rautavaara's Case"
"I Hope I Shall Arrive Soon"
"The Short Happy Life of the Brown Oxford"
"Explorers We"
"Holy Quarrel"
"What'll We Do with Ragland Park?"
"Strange Memories of Death"
"The Alien Mind"
"The Exit Door Leads In"
"Chains of Air, Web of Aether"
"Rautavaara's Case"
"I Hope I Shall Arrive Soon"
March 2, 2023
Here in this volume is the final and first posthumously published collection of short stories written by the late, great Philip K. Dick three years after his passing in 1982. Printed in 1985 as a Doubleday first edition hardcover.
May 17, 2017
A collection of short stories and one lecture, the stories all told in Dick's typical something's-not-quite-right-with-the-universe style. Variable quality.
July 30, 2019
It was a short read but I, for the most part, enjoyed it. I do I have to say that I do enjoy slightly pessimistic reads though.
Read
July 31, 2019While some of the stories went deep most didn't seem to
February 15, 2020
This just amazing. Reliving psychotic-induced memories, again, and again, and again.
Are we now in the memory?
Are we now in the memory?
Want to read
July 19, 2020elibrary
August 23, 2020
Multiple good stories, with one or two being excellent.
October 16, 2022
le sentiment de culpabilité que l'auteur décrivait dans le chapître du voyage gelé m'a bouleversé
April 26, 2024
Does not disappoint. Captivating writing style, original stories with multiple layers.
January 4, 2025
I don’t remember reading this but Ik I did…
November 13, 2017
Deep, sad and heavy...
Displaying 1 - 30 of 61 reviews