The VARIABLE MAN And Other Stories. [Hardcover]

Philip K. Dick (Author)

Product Details

• Hardcover
• Publisher: Ace Books, (1957)
• ASIN: B000NYL7BY
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)

Customer Reviews

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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Invariably Good Sci-Fi Story, December 24, 2011

By 

Dr. Bojan Tunguz (Indiana, USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Variable Man (Minority Report) (Paperback)

In the middle of the twenty-second century Terra (a.k.a. Earth) has expanded its influence throughout the Solar System, but a vast, yet weak, empire rules the rest of the Galaxy. Terrans have been at war with this empire for generations, and have never been in a position to prevail over their adversaries. However, the invention of a new weapon - a faster-than-light bomb - may finally shift the balance of power in their favor. Unfortunately, due to an accident with time-travel, a man form the twentieth century ends up in their midst, and his very existence seems to be the cause of uncertainty for the sophisticated prediction computers on which the Terran military establishment relies in planning of their attack. The visitor from the past is thus the variable man - a man whose very existence undermines brings a lot of indeterminism to the military plans.

This longish story or a short novella is one of the finest examples of PKD's sci-fi writing skills. The story is well developed, although from the vantage point of today's sci-fi there are many loose ends and naïve plot developments. The story has the charm of vintage sci-fi, all with almost laughably simpleminded view of the 22nd century technology (vidphones are poor man's versions of iPhones) and very inaccurate presentation of science. If you are looking for a polished and technologically sophisticated story than you will very disappointed. On the other hand, if you are tired of all the predictable and mechanistic stories that you can read today, and enjoy raw, rough, ideas that aim for immediate impact, then you will definitely enjoy "The Variable Man."