The Short Happy Life of the Brown Oxford and Other Classic Stories (The Collected Stories of Philip K. Dick, Vol. 1) (Vol 1) (Paperback)

by Philip K. Dick (Author), Roger Zelazny (Introduction), Steven Owen Godersky (Foreword)
Key Phrases: elf king, variable man, parcel receipt, Margaret Duffe, Rethrick Construction, Sir Francis (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
With this collection of stories, readers are drawn into a world with a mysterious twist, a sense of otherness that eludes description. This thought-provoking writing--part science fiction, part mystery, part fantasy--includes all of the writer's earliest short and medium-length fiction.

Product Details

• Paperback: 432 pages
• Publisher: Citadel (1990)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0806511532
• ISBN-13: 978-0806511535
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.1 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #164,657 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars 25 great stories by this peerless science fiction master, March 11, 2002

By	Mr. Roger H. Geyer "outcast_searcher" (Lexington, KY USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

There are three consistent aspects to PKD's (Philip Dick's) work that I find compelling:

1. He constantly asks the (most important) question, "What is the nature of reality"?

2. He repeatedly states and offers evidence that the answer to the question "What does it mean to be human?" is the ability to feel empathy.

3. His plots involve such "ordinary" people, and have excellent character development - so you quickly get to understand them. Meanwhile, the story involves some bizarre science fiction device , idea, or condition, that he makes a part of this very normal human's world. You're quickly drawn in by the master.


PKD spent a significant amount of time thinking and writing about philosophy. In a way, reading his stories is an entertaining way of doing a survey of his take on the world's philosophical history without having to read (and understand) endless tomes of the great philosophers. You can see how this changes in PKD as you read different books in the Collected Stories series.


Philip makes it abundantly clear that he hates much of the stupidity that mankind inflicts on itself. War is a commonly expressed example of this. Of course, with the science fiction plot theme, he can easily spread examples of this through time, through the galaxy, and beyond (even to gods, other sentient races, etc).


As is tragically true so often with deep thinkers, Philip's life was far from carefree...As a consequence, and the fact that he's obviously a man bent on searching for TRUTH, his writing often has a dark underlying feeling. Comedy is sprinkled through the stories, but it too has a dark quality. Even the moments of greatest joy provide a somewhat bittersweet feeling, due to the background of the plot worlds. But again - reading PKD is not a dose of happy-pills, it is about TRUTH, whether pretty or not.


No matter who you are, these stories will make you think and I suspect learn a thing or two. They cover such a variety of plots that almost everyone is bound to be pleased by some, alarmed or saddened by others, and to feel a surge of empathy for some situations and realize that (bizarre as the situation may be) - this too is human.


I think it would be truly impossible for any thinking person to read and reflect on the 118 stories in the 5 volume series and come away completely unchanged. And for the vast majority of us (to borrow a PKD novel title) "Cosmic Puppets" with empathic capabilities, I'm betting the change will be for the better...

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Essential reading for everyone (and everything), October 31, 2007

By	David G. Schwartz "writer, historian" (Las Vegas, Nevada) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

The Short Happy Life of the Brown Oxford collects some of Dick's earliest writing, including much of his output from 1952-1955. Even writers who don't appreciate his prose style would have to admire his fecundity: some of these stories were written within days of each other, yet each has something unique about it.

Fans of Dick will see early brushstrokes that were later transformed into masterpieces. There are a few post-apocalyptic stories here; this is a genre that Dick would revisit throughout the 1950s, as mounting hysteria, foreign and domestic, seemed to make war inevitable. There are also scheming insects (and even a murderous bath towel), vengeful teddy bears, sentient shoes, and world-weary computers. One of Dick's best qualities is that he can make the reader feel empathy for just about anyone-a dog barking for what seems to his owners like no reason, a teary-eyed Martian swine, or a hyper-evolved hamster. So reading this collection might, for some, be a bit of a workout. Unlike a novel, where the reader sees through the eyes of one or maybe two characters for 200+ pages, here you're walking in someone-or something-else's shoes every few pages. At times, it's almost intoxicating.

On to the stories: I'll just mention a few of my favorites, though they've all got positive qualities.

Stability, which is the first story Dick wrote, would be of interest just because of its priority, but it's worth a read strictly on its own merits. Dick creates a world where innovation is frozen, a la Rand's Anthem, inviting the reader to root for a young man with an invention. But, there is a very unexpected twist...

Roog, the first story Dick saw published, is a dog's eye view of the world that deserves a second read after reading Dick's note on the story in the appendix.

Beyond Lies the Wub is an incredible piece of short fiction that really makes you think. I read the story three times, and each time took something different away. Not to give anything away, but you'll definitely think twice before you eat your next steak.

The Infinites is a story that everyone who hated the infamous Star Trek: Voyager episode "Threshold" should read. Not to give anything away, but "Threshold" is one of several Trek stories based upon the erroneous idea that evolution is a teleological process, with an endpoint already mapped out in our genes. Here, Dick takes this idea, turns it on its head, and does something with it.

Variable Man combines a few Dickian favorites: omniscient computers, a constant war terror, and a wily, inarticulate everyman protagonist. Some elements of the plot are visible miles off, but the ending isn't.

Paycheck is a longish story with a typical Dickian hero and several elements that would later make it into We Can Remember It For You Wholesale, which was in turn the basis for Paul Verhoeven's excellent Total Recall. I think that it deserves a movie treatment of its own.

Colony takes paranoia to an absurdly high level. As Dick says in his note, it's one thing to think that your boss is plotting against you, and quite another to think that your boss's phone is plotting against you.

Nanny is a biting indictment of planned obsolescence. It was a true story in 1952, and an even truer one now.

All told, this is a great introduction to the writing of one of the acknowledged masters, and certainly belongs in the library of every PKD fan.

11 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Good collection, but...., April 28, 2004

By A Customer

The problem with slapping the "genius" label on a writer is that people tend to overlook that writer's flaws. All the glowing reviews make this collection sound better then it really is. PKD certainly was a genius, but he wasn't perfect. His best stories are absolutely amazing, but it took him time to get there and he wrote several clunkers along the way.

This book collects 25 of PKD's short stories from the early 1950s. Like most of his early work it's inconsistent. To those who are familiar with his writing, the brilliance that would later come is sometimes apparent. However, the young PKD was still growing as a writer and hadn't quite found his voice yet. The best stories in this collection are great reads. Unfortunately, there are several stories here that are just filler and are significant only because PKD wrote them. If you are not familiar with PKD's work some of these stories will be a great introduction. But most of them are far from perfect.

Here are a few high and low points:

Roog:
This is a fun little story. The men who come to collect your garbage are not what they seem, and only your dog knows why.

The Gun:
This is one of those filler stories, cause it has not point to it. I guess PKD needed a quick buck.

Beyond Lies the Wub:
More filler.

The Skull:
Some of these stories could have been made into episodes of the Twilight Zone, like this one. An interesting take on the story of Christ. The premise is not very original by today's standards, but still a good story.

The Preserving Machine:
Probably the worst story in the collection.

Expendable:
One of the best stories in the collection is also the shortest; only 5 pages. It is also one of the funniest. Next time you see an ant, beware.

The Variable Man:
Another really good story. A man from the past comes into the future when the earth is at war with an alien empire. PKD in full control here.

The Indefatigable Frog:
PKD's comical side is pretty unique and fun.

The Short Happy Life of the Brown Oxford:
The title story is kinda cute, but nothing special.

Meddler:
Another of the "Twilight Zone" type stories. Many writers have speculated about the end of the world. But only PKD would think that the end would be caused by butterflies.

Paycheck:
The recent John Woo film is based on this story. A fascinating premise is marred by poor execution. All the later PKD trademarks are here: evil all controling government, paranoia, and normal people trapped by circumstances beyond their control. Had PKD written this story 10 years later it would probably come out much better.

Colony:
More paranoia, but this time PKD uses it to comic effect. The colonists try to evacuate while naked. One of the best in the collection.

Prize Ship:
Time travel stories usually have a twist; so does this one. I laughed when I finished it.

Nanny:
A not so subtle take on the cold war arms race. Interesting, but could have been edited down some more.