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sofipitch's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
I can't find the exact version I got from the library even though this is the exact cover, the stories listed don't match. Mine had: The Minority Report, We'll Remember it for You Wholesale, Paycheck, Second Variety, and The Eyes Have it.
The second, We'll Remember it for you Wholesale was my absolute favorite. All of the stories deal with reality fuckery and what is an objective reality and does it exist, but that story genuinely made my stomach hurt. I just read "A memory called empire" which posits that a person's memories + some bio, is what makes a person. This story is also exploring the same idea of the relation between memories and identity but what if your memories are so distorted you don't know who you used to be, and as your memories keep changing, do you? Absolutely excellent.
The Minority Report would be my runner up favorite. Cops would rather kill and falsely imprison than admit there are flaws to their system. This story literally has not aged poorly at all.
If it were just those two I would give this book 5 stars but the last few stories aren't as strong. One thing that became apparent is that I don't think PKD liked women. Each story had one woman who was a love interests or kind of an implied love interest and in almost all of them they were antagonists. By the time I got to "Second Variety" I was like, "let me guess, she is the bad guy and betrays him" and lo and behold! The Eyes Have It is the only one where a woman betraying the man is not mentioned, I'm guessing bc it was too short đ
The second, We'll Remember it for you Wholesale was my absolute favorite. All of the stories deal with reality fuckery and what is an objective reality and does it exist, but that story genuinely made my stomach hurt. I just read "A memory called empire" which posits that a person's memories + some bio, is what makes a person. This story is also exploring the same idea of the relation between memories and identity but what if your memories are so distorted you don't know who you used to be, and as your memories keep changing, do you? Absolutely excellent.
The Minority Report would be my runner up favorite. Cops would rather kill and falsely imprison than admit there are flaws to their system. This story literally has not aged poorly at all.
If it were just those two I would give this book 5 stars but the last few stories aren't as strong. One thing that became apparent is that I don't think PKD liked women. Each story had one woman who was a love interests or kind of an implied love interest and in almost all of them they were antagonists. By the time I got to "Second Variety" I was like, "let me guess, she is the bad guy and betrays him" and lo and behold! The Eyes Have It is the only one where a woman betraying the man is not mentioned, I'm guessing bc it was too short đ
Content Warnings
Moderate: Mental illness
Minor: Gun violence, Misogyny, Violence, and Murder
paulataua's review against another edition
4.0
I really have a tough time reading Philip K Dickâs full length novels and even some of his short stories donât flow very well even if the ideas in them are just so awesome. For this reason, I chose the audiobook version and I wasnât disappointed. This is a really good collection including âThe Minority Reportâ, âWe Can Remember It for You Wholesaleâ, âPaycheckâ, and âSecond Varietyâ. I really think it is important to keep going back to the original stories and not be seduced by the movies they gave birth to. Comparing Spielbergâs âThe Minority Reportâ to the original short story, we can see how the director smoothed out all the rough edges, but also took out the most important philosophical center of it. It is that philosophical dilemma that the short story is about, and is why the ending of the short story is very different from that of the movie and, for me, much more satisfying.
blackash13's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.25
I had never read any of Philip K. Dick's stories, but I had seen Minority Report & Paycheck and was aware of how much of his work had been the inspiration for so much science fiction TV and movie productions, so I decided this was a good place to start. I enjoyed the Minority Report story (I don't think the movie really did it justice), but the other stories never truly captured my interest. I look for a storyline to pull me in and it just didn't happen for me. "We Can Remember It For You Wholesale" left me kind of confused. "Paycheck" was very enjoyable. I loved following the main character work through the miscellaneous objects to piece together his true past. Philip K. Dick is considered one of the great science fiction writers. I think it is worth reading for anyone who, like me, discovered science fiction in recent years.
jturcios95's review against another edition
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25
whitjobo's review against another edition
4.0
I thoroughly enjoyed all of these short stories. Having watched parts of Total Recall with my dad as it came on cable and sitting down with my whole family to watch the Minority Report took me back to some fun family memories. Plus, these sci-fi stories always surprise with a dark twist at the end.
I listened to these stories on audiobook and itâs been such a delightful way to do chores, being taken to totally different worlds while I complete mundane tasks here on Earth.
I listened to these stories on audiobook and itâs been such a delightful way to do chores, being taken to totally different worlds while I complete mundane tasks here on Earth.
andrea303's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
spejamchr's review against another edition
4.0
- Minority Report (5 stars)
Knowing a prophecy changes the future, rendering the prophecy invalid.
- Total Recall (4 stars)
What if:
1. Secret agents' memories could be wiped?
2. Detailed false memories could be manufactured?
3. An unwitting secret agent asks for false memories that correspond to the real ones that had been wiped?
- Paycheck (3 stars)
Man with access to a time-scoop (time-scope?) Who is about to have his memory erased plays god with his future, directing himself right where he wants to be.
- The second variety (4 stars)
Machines made for war to indiscriminately kill all life are good at what they do, and develop inter-type weapons for machine-on-machine warfare. The creation takes after the creator.
How did the main character not see the ending coming??? Argh!
- The eyes have it (2 stars)
Paranoid man doesn't understand figurative language?
Knowing a prophecy changes the future, rendering the prophecy invalid.
- Total Recall (4 stars)
What if:
1. Secret agents' memories could be wiped?
2. Detailed false memories could be manufactured?
3. An unwitting secret agent asks for false memories that correspond to the real ones that had been wiped?
- Paycheck (3 stars)
Man with access to a time-scoop (time-scope?) Who is about to have his memory erased plays god with his future, directing himself right where he wants to be.
- The second variety (4 stars)
Machines made for war to indiscriminately kill all life are good at what they do, and develop inter-type weapons for machine-on-machine warfare. The creation takes after the creator.
How did the main character not see the ending coming??? Argh!
- The eyes have it (2 stars)
Paranoid man doesn't understand figurative language?