The Variable Man and Other Stories

Philip K. Dick was a prolific novelist and short story writer, with works adapted into popular Hollywood films, including The Adjustment Bureau , Blade Runner , Minority Report , A Scanner Darkly , and Total Recall . A seminal figure of twentieth-century science fiction, Dick ponders the very nature of humanity in this anthology of five gripping short stories that were first published in 1950s pulp magazines. In "The Variable Man," Earth relies on computer technology and a time traveler to predict their chances of victory in a fight against aliens. "Second Variety" is prescient in its anticipation of the hazards of self-evolving robots that can operate independently of one another. "The Defenders," "Piper in the Woods," and "Foster, You're Dead" are also included. This collection is an excellent introduction to one of the most original minds of the modern era.