Paycheck And Other Classic Stories By Philip K. Dick [Paperback]

Philip K. Dick (Author), Roger Zelazny (Introduction), Steven Owen Godersky (Foreword)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

The moral and the atmosphere of the recent Paramount Pictures film Paycheck differ significantly from those in the original short story performed here—a fact obscured by the movie-poster packaging and one that might confuse listeners. Jennings, a mechanic, signs on at Retherick Construction, agreeing to be paid richly on the condition that his memory will be wiped clean of everything he did after he completes his two years of service. When he awakes, his memory erased, he discovers that he had declined the money in favor of seven seemingly random items which he must use to avoid the Special Police, who are investigating Retherick Construction. Narrator Dullea does a fine job of evoking the story's tension as well as Jennings's puzzlement over his situation. However, he lends the story's one female character a saccharine, whispery voice that detracts from the narration. Although this audio adaptation may please fans of the movie who are interested in seeing how the original story has been altered for the silver screen, those looking for an introduction to the author's works would do better to pick up the collection on which this audio is based, Paycheck: And Other Classic Stories.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

About the Author

Philip K. Dick (1928-1982) wrote more than 100 short stories and dozens of novels, including Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?, which was the basis of the classic film Blade Runner. Dick won the Hugo Award in 1963 for his novel The Man in The High Castle. The Philip K. Dick Award is given annually to a distinguished work of science fiction. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 432 pages
• Publisher: Citadel (September 1, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0806526300
• ISBN-13: 978-0806526300
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #703,637 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

28 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Not really a review, but..., July 27, 2005

By 

Oto Campos (Brasil) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Paycheck And Other Classic Stories By Philip K. Dick (Paperback)

I just wanted to inform that this is the same "The Collected Stories of Philip K. Dick, Vol. 1", published before under the titles "Beyond Lies the Wub" or "The Short Happy Life of the Brown Oxford". I think it would be much easier to find this new edition, but this title is listed as "by Steven Owen Godersky" and not "by Philip K. Dick". If you already own the collection (or this particular volume), there is no need to buy it - the content is exactly the same. I am referring to the ISBN 0806526300 in this review, not the 0575070013 - so pay attention when you buy it.

10 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Entertaining Collection, January 28, 2004

By 

B. McEwan "yellokat" (Brooklyn, NY USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Paycheck And Other Classic Stories By Philip K. Dick (Paperback)

While this is a reissue of an earlier publication, this story collection is an excellent first book for those new to Philip K. Dick, as I was. In his forward to this edition, Dick writes that good science fiction must offer the reader a truly new idea and "it must be intellectually stimulating to the reader; it must invade his [or her] mind and wake it up to the possibility of something [s]he had not up to then thought of." (The brackets are mine.)

If we accept Dick's definition of good sci-fi, then this is truly good. The collection contains no stories that are "bad," and many that are outstanding. My favorites include "The Skull," the "Infinites," "The Variable Man," and "Beyond Lies the Wub."

If you don't yet own a story collection of Dick's, this one would be a good place to start.

1.0 out of 5 stars Kindle Edition Different Book, January 20, 2012

By 

M. Shanahan - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Paycheck (Kindle Edition)

The single star is not for the work of the author but the way amazon has filed the kindle edition of a different book under this title.

I downloaded the kindle edition of this work, and it has different content to the descriptions in other reviews for the print edition. What I guess is the matter is that there is a volume Paycheck and Other Classic Stories which is the first of the 5 volume collected short stories, containing early career work, (as per an earlier review) that has not been made up for kindle, and another entitled Paycheck which is made up for kindle but appears to be shorter and contain later stories as well.
I suggest checking the Philip k Dick website to check what should be in this volume. Note that on amazon that when you click on the look inside feature for the print edition of Paycheck and Other Classic Stories there is a disclaimer that what you see is the inside of the kindle edition.
The contents page is very different to what is on the Philip K Dick website.