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Type of bind: Paperback
Dewey Decimal Number: 813.54
EAN num: 9780806511535
ISBN number: 0806511532
Label: Citadel
Manufacturer: Citadel
Quantity: 1
Page Count: 432
Printing Date: May 01, 2002
Publishing house: Citadel
Sale Popularity Level: 156278
Studio: Citadel
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Rated by buyers 
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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 very 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 very 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 subsequent 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.
Rated by buyers 
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In May of 1987 Underwood-Miller published a five volume set titled "The Collected Stories of Philip K. Dick", with the very first volume being subtitled "Beyond Lies the Wub". In April of 1990 the Carroll Group began republishing the series and changed the subtitle to "The Shot Happy Life of The Brown Oxford". This was the only change made to the very first volume, as they kept the Forword by Steven Owen Godersky and the Introduction by Roger Zelazny. They also kept the same 25 stories in the same order as the previous edition, something which would not be true for the later volumes.
This is a splendid collection of Philip K. Dick's early short fiction, presented in the order in which they were believed to have been written, which is not the same as the order in which they were published. The original collection was ranked 3rd on the Locus poll for collections in 1988. There are too many stories here to go through them all in detail, but there are several ones of note:
The very first story is titled "Stability", and was written in 1947 or earlier. It was never published prior to the very first edition of this collection. As with a number of stories in this collection it involves time travel, and in this case the disrupting effect it has on a stable society.
"Roog" was the very first story that he sold, although it was not published until after several others. It involves differences in perception, in particular between man and his best friend. There are some interesting comments from Philip K. Dick about this story in the notes section at the back of the book.
"Beyond Lies the Wub" was his very first story to actually be published. It is a clever story about man's preconception of the forms which life takes, and perhaps a little about man's violent nature. There is a humorous twist at the end as well.
Also included are the two Doc Labyrinth stories, "The Preserving Machine" and "The Short Happy Life of the brown Oxford". Both stories deal with creating life, the former is about preserving man's great musical works as life forms and the latter with animating non-living items. Both of these stories are light and humorous.
The story which is likely to be familiar to many people new to Philip K. Dick, is "Paycheck", for which there was a movie of the same name which came out in 2003. In this story a man finds that he agreed to have his memory wiped out after completing a work assignment, and that apparently he agreed to give up his paycheck in lieu of some seemingly inconsequential items.
As I mentioned above, several of the stories have to do with time travel, and in particular Dick makes use of a machine that he calls a time scoop, which can reach backward or forward in time to pick up things. If you like stories based on time travel, then you will undoubtedly enjoy Dick's twist on the idea. If you don't like those kinds of stories, there are still many stories here which deal with space travel, future societies, etc., which you are likely to enjoy.
Rated by buyers -
This very first volume of THE COMPLETE STORIES OF PHILIPK. DICK is probably more important as an historical artifact than as literature. I found it fascinating. These stories were written in the 1950s during the time of The Korean War, The Cold War, McCarthy and Stalinism. There had been unconfirmed sightings of flying saucers and EarthMen's' own creation of nuclear weapons heightened the paranoia. Of course there are lots of quaint and now-laughable elements in these stories, like people smoking cigarettes two hundred years from now and a woman being embarrassed about having to strip naked in order to make sure no alien life forms were attached to her. Many of the ideas in these stories have since been usurped by TV science fiction shows, so most of the ideas are not all that novel today. But there were several stories that I found surprising and provocative. My favorite was "The Great C," in which a supercomputer rules the earth after a nuclear holocaust and demands a yearly human sacrifice. A close second was "Colony," in which explorers on a pleasant asteroid are menaced by a life form that can assume the forms of mundane objects before devouring the earthlings. The later stories in the book are more concerned with the rise of consumerism and the "keeping up with the Joneses" mentality that took over America after World War II. These stories are very amusing. Within this particular genre, there's a lot of variety in the point of view. Most often it's paranoid, but at other times it's amused. I liked these stories and look forward to eventually reading the entire collection.
Rated by buyers 
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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.
Rated by buyers -
In this very first book in a five-volume set collecting all the short stories of Philip K. Dick, we get a chance to see the very first stories he wrote and published and can learn that from the very start, Dick was a great writer.
This is one of those rare story collections where there absolutely NO bad stories. Each one is a well-written and interesting piece; some have a dark humor, others are utterly horrifying, but each one is good or great in its own way.
Written in the 1950s, these stories are a refreshing change of pace from some of the more banal sci-fi pieces to come out of that era. The emphasis here is not on the science (which is often unexplained) but on the fiction: the characters, the mood and the plot. Adept at the plot twist, Dick often resolves his stories in logical but unanticipated ways.
From evil toys and malicious butterflies to trolls and lethal towels, Dick puts us in a number of worlds not far removed from our own and entertains us from very first page to last. I look forward to reading the other four volumes in this set; some of the stories I have read before and others I haven't, but I'm sure I'll have a blast with all of them.
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