Scan barcode
Reviews
The Collected Stories of Philip K. Dick, Volume 2: Second Variety by Philip K. Dick, Norman Spinrad
jjwhiting's review
adventurous
dark
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
3.75
teal_axolotl's review
3.0
Volume 2. Second Variety (Millennium)
5⭐ Second Variety
A terrifying picture of the consequences of a total war. The kind of war that was prevented in an earlier story, The Defenders (Vol.1). Much like there, people utilized technology to gain military advantage, and the machines they created got out of control. But this time they turned on mandind, slaughtering what's left of them.
The overwhelming feeling of the story is that of dread, hopelessness and futility of continued existence in such world, much similar to Black Mirror's episode Metalhead.
How can we be sure who is human and who only masquerades as one? This theme plays out throughout a couple of other stories.
5⭐ Human Is
Which conditions have to be met for us to accept other lifeforms as humane enough? "Human Is" - the one that looks human, was born human, OR the one that acts like one?
Electric Dreams S1E6
4⭐ Impostor
Am I a human? Or am I just programmed to believe I am human?
4⭐ A Surface Raid
Intriguing worldbuilding, cool reveal. One of the best stories.
4⭐ The Hood Maker (aka Immunity)
Electric Dreams S1E1
3⭐ Martians Come in clouds (aka The Buggies)
Xenophobia, mob mentality and aggression against harmless outsiders without any attempt to hear them out or understand them.
4⭐ Planet for Transients
After humans destroyed Earth in a nuclear war, new life species emerged, adapted to new radioactive conditions. And the humans themselves became alien to the planet they used to call home.
2⭐ Project Earth (aka One Who Stole)
4⭐ Some Kinds of Life
A depressingly true satire on mindless consumerism and resource exploitation that it brings. Written in 1952 at the very start of US suburbanization, it prophetically jokes about 90-mile ride to the city. Main idea: commodities, the comfort they bring, and continuous technological progress required for their development – at what cost?
4⭐ The Commuter
Losing touch with reality, doubting yourself.
2⭐ The Cookie Lady
2⭐ The Cosmic Poaches (aka The Burglar)
3⭐ The Impossible Planet
An old lady wishes to travel to Earth, which is believed to be a myth. Tempted by a huge payment she offers, the captain of the spaceship decides to betray her life-long dream and fly her to a random desolate planet that fits the description. But it turns out to be Earth after all.
Electric Dreams S1E2
3⭐ The Trouble with Bubbles (aka Plaything)
Boredom and loss of purpose pushes people towards engaging new forms of leisure, and to disregard morality of their actions.
3⭐ The World She Wanted
We live in bubbles of reality, and even though our worlds exist only for us, at times they intersect with worlds of others.
2⭐ A Present for Pat
3⭐ Adjustment Team
A sector of the city is isolated and changes are made to alter the future towards a desired outcome. But, like in Variable Man, there was something unaccounted for - a clerk had entered the sector mid-adjustment and had seen the "behind the scenes". Later, he can't accept this new reality and even thinks he's going crazy.
2⭐ Beyond the Door
4⭐ Breakfast at Twilight
A house gets transported forward in time, to arrive in the middle of total war that has been going on for a few years.
3⭐ James P. Crow
Robots vs Humans. Once tools, now masters.
3⭐ Jon's World (aka Jon)
1⭐ Of Whithered Apples
3⭐ Progeny
Children are being raised by robots, educated according to their determined abilities. A father can't easily bear the separation with his son and finally meets him after 9 years, but the child feels too alien.
3⭐ Prominent Author
People from another time begin to worship a man and write the Bible.
3⭐ Small Town
Story about escapism and importance of feeling in control of your own life, not being powerless.
For 30 years a man works on building a near-perfect model of his town. Then, one day he reshapes it, removing unwanted parts and adding new ones according to his vision. When the remodelling is complete, it becomes the reality.
3⭐ Souvenir
Conformity and uniformity are the key to peaceful existence in the Galaxy. Anything that differs and doesn't conform, must be destroyed in the name of peace.
3⭐ Survey Team
Earth's environment is destroyed, remains of humanity exist underground. A manned expedition to Mars discovers the planet barren, completely exhausted of its resourses, and its inhabitants - gone, departed to another world, virgin, unspoiled. After further investigation the team realizes that this world had been Earth.
5⭐ Second Variety
A terrifying picture of the consequences of a total war. The kind of war that was prevented in an earlier story, The Defenders (Vol.1). Much like there, people utilized technology to gain military advantage, and the machines they created got out of control. But this time they turned on mandind, slaughtering what's left of them.
The overwhelming feeling of the story is that of dread, hopelessness and futility of continued existence in such world, much similar to Black Mirror's episode Metalhead.
How can we be sure who is human and who only masquerades as one? This theme plays out throughout a couple of other stories.
5⭐ Human Is
Which conditions have to be met for us to accept other lifeforms as humane enough? "Human Is" - the one that looks human, was born human, OR the one that acts like one?
Electric Dreams S1E6
4⭐ Impostor
Am I a human? Or am I just programmed to believe I am human?
4⭐ A Surface Raid
Intriguing worldbuilding, cool reveal. One of the best stories.
4⭐ The Hood Maker (aka Immunity)
Electric Dreams S1E1
3⭐ Martians Come in clouds (aka The Buggies)
Xenophobia, mob mentality and aggression against harmless outsiders without any attempt to hear them out or understand them.
4⭐ Planet for Transients
After humans destroyed Earth in a nuclear war, new life species emerged, adapted to new radioactive conditions. And the humans themselves became alien to the planet they used to call home.
2⭐ Project Earth (aka One Who Stole)
4⭐ Some Kinds of Life
A depressingly true satire on mindless consumerism and resource exploitation that it brings. Written in 1952 at the very start of US suburbanization, it prophetically jokes about 90-mile ride to the city. Main idea: commodities, the comfort they bring, and continuous technological progress required for their development – at what cost?
4⭐ The Commuter
Losing touch with reality, doubting yourself.
Fear gripped him. Laura, all his possessions, his plans, hopes and dreams. His own world was in jeopardy. Only one thing mattered now. He had to make sure of it; make sure his own life was still there.Does having memory of a thing make it real? And does not remembering something mean it wasn't part of your life?
How much had changed? He didn’t remember that. But how could he be sure? He felt confused. How could he tell?Electric Dreams S1E3
2⭐ The Cookie Lady
2⭐ The Cosmic Poaches (aka The Burglar)
3⭐ The Impossible Planet
An old lady wishes to travel to Earth, which is believed to be a myth. Tempted by a huge payment she offers, the captain of the spaceship decides to betray her life-long dream and fly her to a random desolate planet that fits the description. But it turns out to be Earth after all.
Electric Dreams S1E2
3⭐ The Trouble with Bubbles (aka Plaything)
Boredom and loss of purpose pushes people towards engaging new forms of leisure, and to disregard morality of their actions.
3⭐ The World She Wanted
We live in bubbles of reality, and even though our worlds exist only for us, at times they intersect with worlds of others.
2⭐ A Present for Pat
3⭐ Adjustment Team
A sector of the city is isolated and changes are made to alter the future towards a desired outcome. But, like in Variable Man, there was something unaccounted for - a clerk had entered the sector mid-adjustment and had seen the "behind the scenes". Later, he can't accept this new reality and even thinks he's going crazy.
2⭐ Beyond the Door
4⭐ Breakfast at Twilight
A house gets transported forward in time, to arrive in the middle of total war that has been going on for a few years.
3⭐ James P. Crow
Robots vs Humans. Once tools, now masters.
3⭐ Jon's World (aka Jon)
1⭐ Of Whithered Apples
3⭐ Progeny
Children are being raised by robots, educated according to their determined abilities. A father can't easily bear the separation with his son and finally meets him after 9 years, but the child feels too alien.
3⭐ Prominent Author
People from another time begin to worship a man and write the Bible.
3⭐ Small Town
Story about escapism and importance of feeling in control of your own life, not being powerless.
For 30 years a man works on building a near-perfect model of his town. Then, one day he reshapes it, removing unwanted parts and adding new ones according to his vision. When the remodelling is complete, it becomes the reality.
3⭐ Souvenir
Conformity and uniformity are the key to peaceful existence in the Galaxy. Anything that differs and doesn't conform, must be destroyed in the name of peace.
3⭐ Survey Team
Earth's environment is destroyed, remains of humanity exist underground. A manned expedition to Mars discovers the planet barren, completely exhausted of its resourses, and its inhabitants - gone, departed to another world, virgin, unspoiled. After further investigation the team realizes that this world had been Earth.
“We’ve destroyed two worlds,” Halloway said at last. “Not one. Mars first. We finished up here, then we moved to Terra. And we destroyed Terra as systematically as we did Mars.”
blairecee's review
adventurous
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
It may just be that these stories are from an older period of Dick's writing than the novels I have read and his prose is even clunkier, but the style bothers me more than it used to. He also really hammers his themes such that it's a lot to take all of this in at once because it covers the same ground over and over, and there is very little pleasure to be gained from the work beyond the ideas and 50s misogyny so virulent you have to laugh at it. There are themes I associate as typical of his work - what makes us human? robots evolving to the point humans are rendered irrelevant, mistaken identity, but also a focus on the ecological impact of humans on their environment and the inherently destructive trajectory of humanity that's really fascinating. That's the part I didn't expect, so much. While apocalypse via nuclear destruction seemed most plausible to Dick at the time, now it's simply an environmental apocalypse that we've brought upon ourself, but the end outcome is the same. Survey Team hits particularly hard as it involves a team sent to investigate the plausibility of human life existing on Mars after Earth's resources have been completely destroyed - a situation that is basically ripped right out of the newspapers today.
Favourite stories: Behind the Door, Second Variety, Progeny (divorce-core faildad), The Commuter, The Trouble with Bubbles, Human Is, Imposter, Survey Team, Prominent Author
Favourite stories: Behind the Door, Second Variety, Progeny (divorce-core faildad), The Commuter, The Trouble with Bubbles, Human Is, Imposter, Survey Team, Prominent Author
arthurbdd's review
5.0
Amazingly, more or less all the stories in this collection were penned in 1953, very early in Dick's career as a published author. In these tales he tackles Cold War fears head-on, a compelling moral voice appealing for peace at a time when the superpowers seemed bent on destruction.
cleverdigit's review
4.0
Covering his short stories from the early 50s before he had even written or published a novel, as ever Philip K Dick is ahead of the pack in terms of the scope of his ideas, with themes covering AI & existentialism, privacy, consumer capitalism and the environment, as relevant today as ever, if not more so. What concerns us today, Dick almost certainly already wrote about it 50 years earlier.
On a personal note, this is my first return to PKD after perhaps a 10-15 year hiatus, spurred on by the new TV series Electric Dreams. He's even better than I remembered, and I recommend his short stories over his novels any day.
My personal favourites of this 27 story volume were (in order of preference)
- Some Kinds of Life
- The Trouble with Bubbles
- The Hood Maker
- Survey Team
- The Cookie Lady
- Adjustment Team
On a personal note, this is my first return to PKD after perhaps a 10-15 year hiatus, spurred on by the new TV series Electric Dreams. He's even better than I remembered, and I recommend his short stories over his novels any day.
My personal favourites of this 27 story volume were (in order of preference)
- Some Kinds of Life
- The Trouble with Bubbles
- The Hood Maker
- Survey Team
- The Cookie Lady
- Adjustment Team
laydownyoursoul's review
4.0
Loved this collection. So many great concepts and stories. Really enjoyed seeing the recurring worlds and the formation of some very interesting themes around the nature of reality and humanity. Timeless stories, of extremely high quality particularly given that they constitute every published story by this prolific author in this time period.
ariereads's review
4.0
Because this is a book containing over 25 short stories - some related, some not; some great, and some not - I think the only way I can review this is story by story: 25 (even shorter) reviews. So, here goes:
The Cookie Lady
and
Beyond The Door
***
Roald Dahl-esque, only with less of the intricacy and finesse of Dahl's work. Nonetheless, these two stories were enjoyable, if more predictable than I would like. The dark humour that comes through in later works is readily apparent here.
Second Variety
***.5
This is where P.K.D is really in his element - war, and robots. The implications of this story still ring true, though the war in question has been over for some time now, and the double-twist at the end was both well-wrought and genuinely unexpected (for me, anyway). I will confess to finding the story a little dull in parts, but after reading later stories set in the future of this world, I appreciated the background given in Second Variety.
Jon's World
****
This really sums up many of my feelings towards the mental health industry. OH, it made me angry! This really was the intended reaction, I believe. Really deals with human selfishness and refusal to accept anything outside of our meagre understanding. Very good.
The Cosmic Poachers
****
Plot twist was a little obvious but darkly funny. Plays on humanity's greed, and that insistence that anything we don't understand or agree with is inherently "dumber" than us. This is definitely a recurring theme - Martians Come in Clouds is very similar, although far more heartbreaking (and dealing a little more strongly with racism).
Progeny
***.5
Really relevant to today, I think - kids don't get to be kids anymore, which is something I could rant about for the entirety of this review! I won't, other than to say that a world where games like bulrush are banned from school in case of injury, and climbing trees is forbidden, is not a world that will raise strong individuals and I cannot agree with that. Nether could P.K.D, apparently. This was written in response to his own upbringing, where doctors made parents feel guilty for showing their children affection. The "progeny" in this is the result of such a sterile upbringing. Not my favourite, but very good.
Some Kinds of Life
*****
THIS
Honestly, this should be compulsory reading in schools. No less relevant now than when it was written - possibly even more so. The futility of war and commercialism and everything is here - perfection. I can't stop raving about this story to everyone I know, I really can't!
The Commuter
****.5
Hilarious.
The World She Wanted
***
Not as strong as a lot of his other stories, although the premise is interesting. Again, nice little plot twist but a little bland for me. I could actually see this as a really interesting film though...
A Surface Raid
***.5
Same as above, only better plot twist and slightly stronger storyline. Also, this wouldn't work as a film!
Project: Earth
***.5
The Trouble With Bubbles
****
Very interesting, great twist at end (though I did see it coming), interesting visuals and plot.
Breakfast At Twilight
****
In the author's own words: There you are in your home, and the soldiers smash down the door and tell you you're in the middle of World War III. Something's gone wrong with time. I like to fiddle with the idea of basic categories of reality, such as space and time, breaking down. It's my love of chaos, I suppose. (1976)
A Present for Pat
**.5
A unique concept, very funny but turned a little silly at the end. Neither loved nor hated this, worth the read if you you want something more light and fluffy.
The Hood Maker
***
Of Withered Apples
***
The closest to a typical horror I've ever seen by P.K.D, interesting concept but I didn't think the story was up to his usual standard - there was something lacking.
Human Is
*****
By far my favourite - opens the debate of what makes a human, and in the end (here anyway) it comes down to kindness. Simply written, moving and the ending is really lovely.
Adjustment Team
****
Though the title isn't quite as "schnazzy" as "The Adjustment Bureau"(the Matt Damon film based on the story), Adjustment Team is a great little story, and you can definitely see why a film version was made. Creepy cool premise - the kind that has you looking twice around the place to make sure that everything seems as you left it.
The Impossible Planet
***
This one was interesting but I think it went over my head, just a little. I got the implications, but... No, didn't love it.
Impostor
***
James P. Crow
****.5
The anti-racist overtones are less overtones and more like clashing cymbals of obviousness, but the lack of subtlety in this respect doesn't detract in any way from the story. Subtlety isn't always needed in every aspect of writing, and the impact of the story is quite strong. The ending was nicely sinister too.
Planet for Transients
****
Small Town
****
Again, similar to Roald Dahl in tone and subject, nicely eerie.
Souvenir
***
Good concept (as usual) but I completely failed to understand the ending, or at least was unsure I understood it. Three stars only because I didn't quite get it. Judge for yourself.
Survey Team
*****
AND again, he writes another perfect story of human greed and wastefulness that is all the more terrifying for its future possible accuracy.
(Yes, I calculated the average of each of those ratings because I am a perfectionist and weird about numbers. Four stars is close enough to that average.)
The Cookie Lady
and
Beyond The Door
***
Roald Dahl-esque, only with less of the intricacy and finesse of Dahl's work. Nonetheless, these two stories were enjoyable, if more predictable than I would like. The dark humour that comes through in later works is readily apparent here.
Second Variety
***.5
This is where P.K.D is really in his element - war, and robots. The implications of this story still ring true, though the war in question has been over for some time now, and the double-twist at the end was both well-wrought and genuinely unexpected (for me, anyway). I will confess to finding the story a little dull in parts, but after reading later stories set in the future of this world, I appreciated the background given in Second Variety.
Jon's World
****
This really sums up many of my feelings towards the mental health industry. OH, it made me angry! This really was the intended reaction, I believe. Really deals with human selfishness and refusal to accept anything outside of our meagre understanding. Very good.
The Cosmic Poachers
****
Plot twist was a little obvious but darkly funny. Plays on humanity's greed, and that insistence that anything we don't understand or agree with is inherently "dumber" than us. This is definitely a recurring theme - Martians Come in Clouds is very similar, although far more heartbreaking (and dealing a little more strongly with racism).
Progeny
***.5
Really relevant to today, I think - kids don't get to be kids anymore, which is something I could rant about for the entirety of this review! I won't, other than to say that a world where games like bulrush are banned from school in case of injury, and climbing trees is forbidden, is not a world that will raise strong individuals and I cannot agree with that. Nether could P.K.D, apparently. This was written in response to his own upbringing, where doctors made parents feel guilty for showing their children affection. The "progeny" in this is the result of such a sterile upbringing. Not my favourite, but very good.
Some Kinds of Life
*****
THIS
Honestly, this should be compulsory reading in schools. No less relevant now than when it was written - possibly even more so. The futility of war and commercialism and everything is here - perfection. I can't stop raving about this story to everyone I know, I really can't!
The Commuter
****.5
Hilarious.
The World She Wanted
***
Not as strong as a lot of his other stories, although the premise is interesting. Again, nice little plot twist but a little bland for me. I could actually see this as a really interesting film though...
A Surface Raid
***.5
Same as above, only better plot twist and slightly stronger storyline. Also, this wouldn't work as a film!
Project: Earth
***.5
The Trouble With Bubbles
****
Very interesting, great twist at end (though I did see it coming), interesting visuals and plot.
Breakfast At Twilight
****
In the author's own words: There you are in your home, and the soldiers smash down the door and tell you you're in the middle of World War III. Something's gone wrong with time. I like to fiddle with the idea of basic categories of reality, such as space and time, breaking down. It's my love of chaos, I suppose. (1976)
A Present for Pat
**.5
A unique concept, very funny but turned a little silly at the end. Neither loved nor hated this, worth the read if you you want something more light and fluffy.
The Hood Maker
***
Of Withered Apples
***
The closest to a typical horror I've ever seen by P.K.D, interesting concept but I didn't think the story was up to his usual standard - there was something lacking.
Human Is
*****
By far my favourite - opens the debate of what makes a human, and in the end (here anyway) it comes down to kindness. Simply written, moving and the ending is really lovely.
Adjustment Team
****
Though the title isn't quite as "schnazzy" as "The Adjustment Bureau"(the Matt Damon film based on the story), Adjustment Team is a great little story, and you can definitely see why a film version was made. Creepy cool premise - the kind that has you looking twice around the place to make sure that everything seems as you left it.
The Impossible Planet
***
This one was interesting but I think it went over my head, just a little. I got the implications, but... No, didn't love it.
Impostor
***
James P. Crow
****.5
The anti-racist overtones are less overtones and more like clashing cymbals of obviousness, but the lack of subtlety in this respect doesn't detract in any way from the story. Subtlety isn't always needed in every aspect of writing, and the impact of the story is quite strong. The ending was nicely sinister too.
Planet for Transients
****
Small Town
****
Again, similar to Roald Dahl in tone and subject, nicely eerie.
Souvenir
***
Good concept (as usual) but I completely failed to understand the ending, or at least was unsure I understood it. Three stars only because I didn't quite get it. Judge for yourself.
Survey Team
*****
AND again, he writes another perfect story of human greed and wastefulness that is all the more terrifying for its future possible accuracy.
(Yes, I calculated the average of each of those ratings because I am a perfectionist and weird about numbers. Four stars is close enough to that average.)
rogerb's review
5.0
I bought this because "The Hood Maker" was on TV and I wanted to read the original.
There's a ton of stories in here and I have yet to read them all; they're all pretty short so one or two now and then is good. I have found them all terrifically well written and thought-provoking. It is remarkable that they were authored in the 50s, but the issues he addresses are very topical - in particular he addresses Turing's ideas about intelligence and humanity in various very well reasoned ways.
Great, great stuff. A lot of SF I have tried has been awful to the extent that I bin it ... not Dick!
There's a ton of stories in here and I have yet to read them all; they're all pretty short so one or two now and then is good. I have found them all terrifically well written and thought-provoking. It is remarkable that they were authored in the 50s, but the issues he addresses are very topical - in particular he addresses Turing's ideas about intelligence and humanity in various very well reasoned ways.
Great, great stuff. A lot of SF I have tried has been awful to the extent that I bin it ... not Dick!