The Father-Thing

**A fitting tribute to a great philosophical writer who found science fiction the ideal form for the expression of his ideas** – *The Independent* The third volume of the definitive five-book set of the complete collected stories of the twentieth century’s greatest sf author; twenty-three tales which were written in little more than a year, before Philip K. Dick’s first novel, *Solar Lottery* , was published in 1956. Many of these stories are previously uncollected, but also included here are some of Dick’s most famous pieces, like *Foster, You’re Dead* , a powerful extrapolation of nuclear war hysteria, and *The Golden Man* , a very different story about a super-evolved mutant human. This is a brilliant collection vividlly displaying some of the best of Dick’s originality, quirky-humour and overflowing ideas. **One of the most original practitioners writing any kind of fiction. Philip K. Dick made most of the European avant-garde seem navel-gazers in a cul-de-sac** – *Sunday Times* **A stunning composite portrait of our times** – *The Observer* **The most consitently brilliant SF writer in the world… author of more good short stories than I can count** – John Brunner **Volume 3/5. Includes stories from 1953-1959:** – Fair Game – The Hanging Stranger – The Eyes Have It – The Golden Man – The Turning Wheel – The Last of the Masters – The Father-Thing – Strange Eden – Tony and the Beetles – Null-O – To Serve the Master – Exhibit Piece – The Crawlers – Sales Pitch – Shell Game – Upon the Dull Earth – Foster, You’re Dead – Pay for the Printer – War Veteran – The Chromium Fence – Misadjustment – A World of Talent – Psi-Man Heal My Child! Other editions of this volume are titled: *- Second Variety [by Citadel], – Second Variety and Other Classic Stories [by Citadel], – Upon the Dull Earth, – Upon the Dull Earth and Other Stories* Editions published by Citadel include Second Variety into Volume 3, whereas other editions had it in Volume 2.