Selected Stories of Philip K. Dick Read online

  “I am. I'm going to have some of the local seafood. The brochure says it's terrific. Come along anyhow; maybe when you see the food and smell it you'll change your mind.”

  Gathering up her coat and purse, she came with him.

  “This is a beautiful little planet,” he said. “I've explored it dozens of times. I know it thoroughly. We should stop downstairs at the pharmacy for some Bactine, though. For my hand. It's beginning to swell and it hurts like hell.” He showed her his hand. “It hurts more this time than ever before.”

  “Do you want me to come back to you?” Martine said.

  “Are you serious?”

  “Yes,” she said.“I'll stay with you as long as you want. I agree; we should never have been separated.”

  Victor Kemmings said, “The poster is torn.”

  “What?” she said.

  “We should have framed it,” he said. “We didn't have sense enough to take care of it. Now it's torn. And the artist is dead.”

  PUBLISHER'S ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

  The publisher wishes to acknowledge Lawrence Sutin, Jonathan Lethem, and Russell Galen for their assistance in putting together this collection.

  All of the stories in this collection have been previously published.

  Some stories first appeared in the following publications: Amazing, Astounding, Beyond Fantasy Fiction, Fantastic Universe, Fantasy & Science Fiction, Galaxy, Imagination, Omni, Orbit Science Fiction, Planet Stories, Playboy, Rolling Stone College Papers, Space Science Fiction.

  “Faith of Our Fathers” in Dangerous Visions, edited by Harlan Ellison (Doubleday, 1967); “A Little Something for Us Tempunauts” in Final Stage, edited by Edward L. Ferman and Barry N. Malzburg (Charterhouse, 1974); “Foster, You're Dead” in Star Science Fiction Stories No. 3, edited by Frederick Pohl (Ballantine Books, 1955).

  “The Electric Ant,”“The Exit Door Leads In,”“Faith of Our Fathers,”“A Game of Unchance,” “I Hope I Shall Arrive Soon,” “A Little Something for Us Tempunauts,” “Precious Artifact,” and “Rautavaara's Case” from The Eye of the Sibyl & Other Classic Stories by Philip K. Dick. Copyright © 1987 by the Estate of Philip K. Dick (Kensington Publishing Corp., 1992).

  These stories subsequently appeared in the following works published as Citadel Press Books by Carol Publishing Group:

  “Beyond Lies the Wub,” “The King of the Elves,” “Paycheck,” and “Roog” from The Collected Stories of Philip K. Dick: The Short Happy Life of the Brown Oxford, vol. 1; “Foster, You're Dead,” “Second Variety,” and “Upon the Dull Earth” from The Collected Stories of Philip K. Dick, vol 3; “Autofac,” “The Days of Perky Pat,” and “The Minority Report” from The Collected Stories of Philip K. Dick: The Minority Report; “Adjustment Team,” “Imposter,” and “We Can Remember It for You Wholesale” from We Can Remember It for You Wholesale. All works copyright © 1987 by the Estate of Philip K. Dick.

  ABOUT THE AUTHORS

  Philip K. Dick was born in Chicago in 1928 and lived most of his life in California. He briefly attended the University of California but dropped out before completing any classes. He began writing professionally in 1952 and published many novels and short-story collections. He won the Hugo Award for best novel in 1963 for The Man in the High Castle and the John W. Campbell Memorial Award for best novel in 1975 for Flow My Tears, the Policeman Said. Philip K. Dick died on March 2, 1982, in Santa Ana, California, of heart failure following a stroke.

  Copyright © 2000 by the Estate of Philip K. Dick

  Introduction copyright © 2002 by Jonathan Lethem

  Pantheon Books and colophon are registered trademarks

  of Random House, Inc.

  Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

  Dick, Philip K.

  [Short stories. Selections]

  Selected stories of Philip K. Dick.

  p. cm.

  eISBN: 978-0-307-49777-2

  1. Science fiction, American. I. Title.

  PS3554.I3 A6 2002 813′.54—DC21 2002025798

  www.pantheonbooks.com

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