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Selected Short Stories
This special collection of short stories has been curated to celebrate the incredible scope of Philip K. Dick’s imagination and wit. Twenty-four artists were commissioned to create the spectacular illustrations, while the volume itself is full of quirky details: the vibrant sprayed page edges feature a pair of startling eyes, and the unique die-cut slipcase features a hidden image on the interior bursting with color. Award-winning novelist and Philip K. Dick fan Jonathan Lethem has provided a fascinating introduction, while the edition also includes an insightful preface by the author himself. Selected Short Stories brings together the very best in modern book design with a host of diverse artists, all to explore the fantastic – and the fantastically strange – universe of Philip K. Dick.
TRAVEL BEYOND THE KNOWN UNIVERSE
Philip K. Dick wrote over 120 short stories in his lifetime, and the very best of them are collected here. In classic science-fiction stories like "The Crystal Crypt" and "The Defenders" he dissects war, paranoia, and the red planet. "Minority Report" and "We Can Remember It for You Wholesale" – filmed as Total Recall in 1990 – explore some of his favorite preoccupations, such as free will and predestination. And this being Dick there are stranger offerings to be enjoyed too, such as the unnerving tragicomedy "Oh to be a Blobel!" and the creeping horror of "The Hanging Stranger." In his warm and insightful introduction, novelist Jonathan Lethem examines how Dick’s stories built a universe that was both paranoid and joyful, lovingly constructed from the building blocks of science fiction.
A SPECTACULAR ILLUSTRATED EDITION
Selected Short Stories showcases the work of 24 remarkable artists. The art styles are as diverse as the stories themselves: Anna Millais’s illustration for "The Crystal Crypt" makes powerful use of dramatic angles and the sooty red skies of Mars; for "Colony," Raisa Álava has created a psychedelic explosion of color and detail, while Folio Society favorite Dave McKean has provided an eerie yet beautiful image of the "precogs" from "Minority Report." Brought together in an eye-catching binding, this edition also features a special die-cut slipcase with an interior illustration that playfully captures Dick’s unique mixture of awe and cynicism. Selected Short Stories is as much a work of art as it is a mind-expanding collection from one of the 20th century’s most ground-breaking writers.
CONTENTS
The Defenders
The Infinites
The Crystal Crypt
Paycheck
Colony
Second Variety
The Commuter
Adjustment Team
Impostor
The Hanging Stranger
The Golden Man
Exhibit Piece
Sales Pitch
Foster, You’re Dead
Autofac
The Minority Report
The Unreconstructed M
War Game
Oh, To Be a Blobel!
A Game of Unchance
We Can Remember It for You Wholesale
Return Match
The Electric Ant
Chains of Air, Web of Aether
Bound in blocked cloth with a design by La Boca
Set in Mentor with Futura as display
648 pages
Second color in prelims
24 full-page color illustrations
Printed endpapers
Two ribbon markers
Digitally printed page edges
Blocked and die cut slipcase with printed inside
designed by La Boca.
10" x 6¾"
TRAVEL BEYOND THE KNOWN UNIVERSE
Philip K. Dick wrote over 120 short stories in his lifetime, and the very best of them are collected here. In classic science-fiction stories like "The Crystal Crypt" and "The Defenders" he dissects war, paranoia, and the red planet. "Minority Report" and "We Can Remember It for You Wholesale" – filmed as Total Recall in 1990 – explore some of his favorite preoccupations, such as free will and predestination. And this being Dick there are stranger offerings to be enjoyed too, such as the unnerving tragicomedy "Oh to be a Blobel!" and the creeping horror of "The Hanging Stranger." In his warm and insightful introduction, novelist Jonathan Lethem examines how Dick’s stories built a universe that was both paranoid and joyful, lovingly constructed from the building blocks of science fiction.
A SPECTACULAR ILLUSTRATED EDITION
Selected Short Stories showcases the work of 24 remarkable artists. The art styles are as diverse as the stories themselves: Anna Millais’s illustration for "The Crystal Crypt" makes powerful use of dramatic angles and the sooty red skies of Mars; for "Colony," Raisa Álava has created a psychedelic explosion of color and detail, while Folio Society favorite Dave McKean has provided an eerie yet beautiful image of the "precogs" from "Minority Report." Brought together in an eye-catching binding, this edition also features a special die-cut slipcase with an interior illustration that playfully captures Dick’s unique mixture of awe and cynicism. Selected Short Stories is as much a work of art as it is a mind-expanding collection from one of the 20th century’s most ground-breaking writers.
CONTENTS
The Defenders
The Infinites
The Crystal Crypt
Paycheck
Colony
Second Variety
The Commuter
Adjustment Team
Impostor
The Hanging Stranger
The Golden Man
Exhibit Piece
Sales Pitch
Foster, You’re Dead
Autofac
The Minority Report
The Unreconstructed M
War Game
Oh, To Be a Blobel!
A Game of Unchance
We Can Remember It for You Wholesale
Return Match
The Electric Ant
Chains of Air, Web of Aether
Bound in blocked cloth with a design by La Boca
Set in Mentor with Futura as display
648 pages
Second color in prelims
24 full-page color illustrations
Printed endpapers
Two ribbon markers
Digitally printed page edges
Blocked and die cut slipcase with printed inside
designed by La Boca.
10" x 6¾"
648 pages, Hardcover
Published May 17, 2022
10 people are currently reading
59 people want to read
About the author
Philip K. Dick
2,018 books22.6k 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 - 8 of 8 reviews
April 2, 2023
Philip K Dick's storytelling brims with creativity. He has a gift in his ability to take the mundane and make it interesting. I get the impression that Dick felt a compulsion to write a story about every novel idea he came across. While he is not the most technically gifted writer, he is a master of the subtle plot twist and offers a unique perspective. Some of the stories take on complicated subject matter, and others are purely silly or exciting. There are certainly some misses (the story about milk, for instance), but overall this is one of the strongest story collections I have ever read. To a degree, his writing style and content is mired in its time (killer pinball machines, heightened focus on advertisement as an industry, and hilarious descriptions of boobs), but that's what helps to give it identity.
Favorite Stories: The Defenders, Colony, Second Variety, The Hanging Stranger, Sales Pitch, The Minority Report
Favorite Stories: The Defenders, Colony, Second Variety, The Hanging Stranger, Sales Pitch, The Minority Report
October 2, 2022
Really good collection of stories. I read many of these and was brought to various films, I've seen. It's a very good sample of a fertile imagination. He plays with time, space and reality. Gorgeous edition with different illustrations for each story.
January 31, 2023
A story a night for nearly a month - and I still slept soundly - in fact, more soundly than normal. The imagination, the range of characters, of situations and the play between humans and alien beings and machines - it takes a vivid imagination, and this author has it in spades. The failures for humans make you wonder how the race survives, but then again, these are mainly limited in a vast array of worlds and beings. In a way, I like SF short and snappy, but with an ending that has a kick. Maybe this is why I have started Dune three or four times and floundered in all that deadly sand!
August 27, 2023
Even though one of those stories ends well, I still enjoyed reading them. I am also in awe of how clever these stories are and how much of it seems plausible for the future, considering that it was written so long ago. Philip K. Dick was a genius
December 31, 2022
The Defenders 3/5
The Infinites 3/5
The Crystal Crypt 3/5
Paycheck 3/5
Colony 4/5
Second Variety 3/5
The Commuter 3/5
Adjustment Team 3/5
Impostor 4/5
The Hanging Stranger 3/5
The Golden Man 3/5
Exhibit Piece 3/5
Sales Pitch 3/5
Foster, You’re Dead 4/5
Autofac 2/5
The Minority Report 3/5 I think the movie is better lol
The Unreconstructed M 3/5
War Game 3/5
Oh, To Be a Blobel! 4/5
A Game of Unchance 3/5
We Can Remember It for You Wholesale 4/5 I think this is my favorite one
Return Match 3/5
The Electric Ant 3/5
Chains of Air, Web of Aether 3/5
The Infinites 3/5
The Crystal Crypt 3/5
Paycheck 3/5
Colony 4/5
Second Variety 3/5
The Commuter 3/5
Adjustment Team 3/5
Impostor 4/5
The Hanging Stranger 3/5
The Golden Man 3/5
Exhibit Piece 3/5
Sales Pitch 3/5
Foster, You’re Dead 4/5
Autofac 2/5
The Minority Report 3/5 I think the movie is better lol
The Unreconstructed M 3/5
War Game 3/5
Oh, To Be a Blobel! 4/5
A Game of Unchance 3/5
We Can Remember It for You Wholesale 4/5 I think this is my favorite one
Return Match 3/5
The Electric Ant 3/5
Chains of Air, Web of Aether 3/5
October 27, 2022
The book I lost my Folio Edition virginity to! Hmmm. Not sure that’s a blurb they want to be associated with. I told the book I had never felt this way before and it left while I was sleeping. THANKS A LOT FOLIO!
Yes, the book is gorgeous. Do judge a book by its cover. And its illustrations; one for each story. And for the slipcase, and for the eyes drawn on the pages, and for the…silky texture of the paper and lustrous ink? MmMmm.
I’ve read many of the stories in this collection already but some were new, and I appreciated that. Dick will always and forever be my favorite SF writer, and this collection supports my already concrete opinion. It’s classic PKD - crippling paranoia, damn russians and their bombs, the unreliability of perception, is this real? am I real? What does real even mean!?
If you’ve never read Dick before, you can start here - or there, or anywhere - if you have started already this could be a wonderful addition to your collection.
The Defenders **** Peak cold war era paranoia.
The Infinites **** Great alien story.
The Crystal Crypts *** Forgettable.
Paycheck **** Time scoops!
Colony **** The ultimate paranoia of an alien stapler!!! Silly, but fun.
Second Variety ***** Maybe my favorite Dick short story. Who can you trust?
The Commuter ** Not my favorite.
Adjustment Team **** Another classic Dick story; as reality collapses around us.
Imposter **** Thrilling short story. What is human? How can we tell?
The Hanging Stranger ***** I loved this, such a clever twist and title.
The Golden Man *** More of a bronze tale.
Exhibit Piece *** Just another way to lose your mind.
Sales Pitch *** Not so fun, but prescient; the inescapable ad.
Foster, You’re Dead **** More peak cold war era paranoia.
Autofac *** Great idea, okay execution.
The Minority Report **** Another brilliant Dick idea, no wonder they made it a film.
The Unreconstructed M ** Not his best idea.
War Game **** Interesting. Ending isn’t as clever as it thinks it is.
Oh, To Be a Blobel! ***** It should be silly. It’s not. It haunts me lol.
A Game of Unchance *** If the Russians don’t get us, consumerism will.
We Can Remember It for You Wholesale ***** Too short; flimsy. Total Recall is better. But what an idea.
Return Match * Nope. Too weird even for me lol.
The Electric Ant ***** Classic. When perception fails, the curtains get pulled back.
Chains of Air, Web of Aether ** Terribly depressing.
Stories-9, Language-8, Ideas-9, Characters-6, Enjoyment-10, Overall-8.7
Yes, the book is gorgeous. Do judge a book by its cover. And its illustrations; one for each story. And for the slipcase, and for the eyes drawn on the pages, and for the…silky texture of the paper and lustrous ink? MmMmm.
I’ve read many of the stories in this collection already but some were new, and I appreciated that. Dick will always and forever be my favorite SF writer, and this collection supports my already concrete opinion. It’s classic PKD - crippling paranoia, damn russians and their bombs, the unreliability of perception, is this real? am I real? What does real even mean!?
If you’ve never read Dick before, you can start here - or there, or anywhere - if you have started already this could be a wonderful addition to your collection.
The Defenders **** Peak cold war era paranoia.
The Infinites **** Great alien story.
The Crystal Crypts *** Forgettable.
Paycheck **** Time scoops!
Colony **** The ultimate paranoia of an alien stapler!!! Silly, but fun.
Second Variety ***** Maybe my favorite Dick short story. Who can you trust?
The Commuter ** Not my favorite.
Adjustment Team **** Another classic Dick story; as reality collapses around us.
Imposter **** Thrilling short story. What is human? How can we tell?
The Hanging Stranger ***** I loved this, such a clever twist and title.
The Golden Man *** More of a bronze tale.
Exhibit Piece *** Just another way to lose your mind.
Sales Pitch *** Not so fun, but prescient; the inescapable ad.
Foster, You’re Dead **** More peak cold war era paranoia.
Autofac *** Great idea, okay execution.
The Minority Report **** Another brilliant Dick idea, no wonder they made it a film.
The Unreconstructed M ** Not his best idea.
War Game **** Interesting. Ending isn’t as clever as it thinks it is.
Oh, To Be a Blobel! ***** It should be silly. It’s not. It haunts me lol.
A Game of Unchance *** If the Russians don’t get us, consumerism will.
We Can Remember It for You Wholesale ***** Too short; flimsy. Total Recall is better. But what an idea.
Return Match * Nope. Too weird even for me lol.
The Electric Ant ***** Classic. When perception fails, the curtains get pulled back.
Chains of Air, Web of Aether ** Terribly depressing.
Stories-9, Language-8, Ideas-9, Characters-6, Enjoyment-10, Overall-8.7
July 1, 2024
I consider myself a sci-fi book nerd. Or at least I used to be. A new job can be a stressful thing. So much so that I haven’t read any books this year…period. At one point I was reading 50 a year! What happened to me? Oh, yeah, the new job. I read this a few years ago and just now am getting around to reviewing it.
But back when I had the time, I sure loved me some old-timey sci-fi. Asimov was my dude, and to be honest, Philip K Dick should be as well. I thought The Man in the High Castle was just OK, so maybe that’s why I didn’t dive any deeper. I should really read Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? But any good sci-fi author writes good short stories as well, and these selected short stories compiled by Folio seemed like a good place to start.
Boy, are these good!
I don’t know if the short story might be my favorite format for sci-fi, but this collection might be a good argument for that. Philip K Dick knows how to write a compelling story and interesting characters in sometimes just a few dozen pages. Maybe it’s because his characters and their personalities are instantly recognizable. Maybe it’s because the stakes are so high in all these stories. It’s so fun to dive into one of these interesting little worlds and move to the next one like satisfying appetizers. It’s easy to make a meal out of them too. Also, the old-timey retro-futuristic backdrop just adds more character to these stories. What a heavy hitter this guy was! These are backbones for Total Recall and Minority Report, y’all!
This Folio edition is gorgeous and damn-near over the top, with a beautiful thick binding, lush paper and gorgeous art for every story. It’s a heavy thing to slog around, so maybe it’s better to get in a cozy chair with a fez and dig in.
I loved it! YOU should love it!
But back when I had the time, I sure loved me some old-timey sci-fi. Asimov was my dude, and to be honest, Philip K Dick should be as well. I thought The Man in the High Castle was just OK, so maybe that’s why I didn’t dive any deeper. I should really read Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? But any good sci-fi author writes good short stories as well, and these selected short stories compiled by Folio seemed like a good place to start.
Boy, are these good!
I don’t know if the short story might be my favorite format for sci-fi, but this collection might be a good argument for that. Philip K Dick knows how to write a compelling story and interesting characters in sometimes just a few dozen pages. Maybe it’s because his characters and their personalities are instantly recognizable. Maybe it’s because the stakes are so high in all these stories. It’s so fun to dive into one of these interesting little worlds and move to the next one like satisfying appetizers. It’s easy to make a meal out of them too. Also, the old-timey retro-futuristic backdrop just adds more character to these stories. What a heavy hitter this guy was! These are backbones for Total Recall and Minority Report, y’all!
This Folio edition is gorgeous and damn-near over the top, with a beautiful thick binding, lush paper and gorgeous art for every story. It’s a heavy thing to slog around, so maybe it’s better to get in a cozy chair with a fez and dig in.
I loved it! YOU should love it!
June 6, 2024
Dick has said his writings revolve around two questions:
1. What is reality?
2. What does it mean to be human?
Dick's characters typically spend much of his work wondering who they are, and whether their memories are real or fake. His stories often dealt with Gnosticism, simulacra and simulation, reality going on drugs, reality as an illusion, and reality going crazy. Pretty much every philosophically literate sci-fi writer nowadays owes it to Dick, and even deep thinkers outside the genre greatly admire what he did, even if his prose generally hasn't aged as well as his ideas.
For all Dick's strengths as a storyteller, his actual prose tended to be skilful rather than brilliant (as he was pumping out sixty pages a day while flying high on amphetamines just to scrape a meagre living together). There are times when you can see him relying on the same turns of phrase over and over again.
1. What is reality?
2. What does it mean to be human?
Dick's characters typically spend much of his work wondering who they are, and whether their memories are real or fake. His stories often dealt with Gnosticism, simulacra and simulation, reality going on drugs, reality as an illusion, and reality going crazy. Pretty much every philosophically literate sci-fi writer nowadays owes it to Dick, and even deep thinkers outside the genre greatly admire what he did, even if his prose generally hasn't aged as well as his ideas.
For all Dick's strengths as a storyteller, his actual prose tended to be skilful rather than brilliant (as he was pumping out sixty pages a day while flying high on amphetamines just to scrape a meagre living together). There are times when you can see him relying on the same turns of phrase over and over again.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews