Before this book, I didn't think I enjoyed science fiction. I enjoyed every story included in this collection and I have so many that are contenders for my favorite in the book. I just can't choose! Looking forward to reading this again!

I listened to the audio version of this short story collection via the Libby app.

This collection included the story that was the basis for the movie Minority Report and the story that was the basis for Total Recall. While it is apparent the movies took a lot of liberties with the plot, it is obvious the storyline came from these short stories. After watching Electric Dreams by Phillip K. Dick, I knew he was an author I would enjoy. I did like the diversity of the stories and how he sets his characters in different science fiction settings. I will be looking for more sci-fi by him!

I enjoyed it! His writing style and comparisons during the stories are really entrancing. I know that not everyone would like the writing style, but I believe I will be reading more soon.

A very uneven set of stories that are invariably set in the post-apocalyptic world; mostly taking place in (what used to be the) Northern California. Some of the stories are brilliant and entertaining, but others are mediocre, baffling, or simply do not hang together. All in all, an interesting foray into Dick's early sci-fi works, but you have to be a die-hard fan to get through this.

Minority report: 5/5
Imposter: 5/5
Second variety: 4/5
War game: 5/5
What the Dead Men Say: 5/5
Oh, to Be a Blobel!: 4/5
The Electric Ant: 4/5
Faith of Our Fathers: 4.5/5
We Can Remember it for You Wholesale: 4.5/5

All the short stories are very distinctive and I thoroughly enjoyed all of them. Broadly speaking, they center around the distinction between an objective reality and that which is perceived. A phenomenal set of stories and are classic Philip K. Dick in his prime.

Minority Report: 4
We Can Remember It for You Wholesale: 3.5
Paycheck: 3
Second Variety: 4.5
The Eyes Have It: 3

First of his short stories I had read. Some great stories which were turned into movies, some fleshed out and others taking the initial idea and running with it. Very inventive and downright weird, I look forward to reading more.

I made a video review to highlight the highs and lows of this short story collection. In summary: the base concept behind every story is genius, but PKD could use some heavy editing. The stories lack substance in world building, dialogue, characterization, and he could do with fewer adverbs. He was a “tell, don’t show” level writer. For specifics, I summarize the stories the way I perceived them below, and took an average for the overall collection:

Autofac, 4-⭐️: technology will eat all your resources... so watch out.
Service Call, 2-⭐️: wtf is a “squibble?” I’m picturing a government mandated mind control cow, for some reason.
Captive Market, 3.5-⭐️: space(?) monopoly.
The Mold of Yancy, 4-⭐️: suggestive programming, 101.
The Minority Report, 4-⭐️: we KNOW you’re gonna do it.
Recall Mechanism, 2.5-⭐️: so... it’s a lamp?
The Unreconstructed M, 3.5-⭐️: how to frame people.
Explorers We, 2-⭐️: clones?
War Game, 2.5-⭐️: how market research works, but with toys to groom kids to become soldiers.
If There Were No Benny Cemoli, 2-⭐️: the title speaks for itself. Honestly, can barely recall this story.
Novelty Act, 3-⭐️: “Talent Search” + (what I visualize as) a Teletubbie + mind control.
Waterspider, 3-⭐️: For some reason (I don’t recall), we time travel because of a sci-fi story. {meta}
What The Dead Men Say, 4-⭐️: Purgatory= talking to oneself endlessly.
Orpheus With Clay Feet, 2.5-⭐️: the reason >this book< exists for me/you to read. {meta}
The Days of Perky Pat, 3(?)-⭐️: Second Life, but with Skipper & Barbie.
Stand-By, 2.5-⭐️: what would happen if Donald Trump were PotUS, but in SPACE.
What’ll We Do With Ragland Park, 3-⭐️: air-headed psychic country singer.
Oh, To Be A Blobel!, 3-⭐️: that episode of Family Guy where Peter wishes for no bones.

When we were little, my sister and I had pretty weird Christmas traditions.

One of them was watching Minority Report on Christmas's Eve. We used to find it so exciting and terrifying and we felt very rebellious picking it up instead of rewatching Harry Potter or all those Disney Channel Santa Claus movies (we felt brave watching it, and yet we closed our eyes every time there was the eye transplant scene: to this day, I have never watched it).
Thing it, the movie is brilliant and thought-provoking, and so is the novella it is based on.

Unfortunately, not every short story in this collection was so enthralling, but I will always cherish this book for making me finally understand what is exactly the meaning of the film's title.