Mr. Spaceship

By Philip K. Dick

From the mind of visionary sci-fi master Philip K. Dick, author of blockbuster adaptations like Blade Runner, Total Recall, and Minority Report, comes a thrilling short story of humanity's struggle against a powerful alien foe in Mr. Spaceship.

In a distant future where humanity is locked in a losing war with the enigmatic "Yuks"-- a race with unparalleled biotechnological prowess-- a daring solution is born. Enter Philip Kramer, a resourceful scientist leading the cutting-edge attempt to turn the tides of war: creating a spaceship controlled by a human brain. Kramer's ailing professor, in a heartrending act of self-sacrifice, volunteers his brilliant mind for the project. But as the limits of human ingenuity collide with the cosmic, the professor's brain undergoes a startling transformation, seizing control of the vessel and dismantling all preconceptions of power and ambition. Captured in the spaceship's cold embrace, Kramer and his wife must grapple with the chilling realization of humanity's self-destructive nature, as they face an agonizing choice: follow the professor's vision for a new world, or risk everything in a fight to reclaim their future.

Mr. Spaceship delivers a gripping tale of desperation, sacrifice, and the lengths that people will go to for the sake of progress. With its potent fusion of military strategy, alien invasions, and a philosophical exploration of man's indomitable spirit against all odds, this tantalizing gem from a trailblazing legend will leave you pondering the choices you'd make in the face of cosmic adversity.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Read Books Ltd.
• Release date: Jan 18, 2016
• ISBN: 9781473379541

Philip K. Dick

Over a writing career that spanned three decades, PHILIP K. DICK (1928–1982) published 36 science fiction novels and 121 short stories in which he explored the essence of what makes man human and the dangers of centralized power. Toward the end of his life, his work turned to deeply personal, metaphysical questions concerning the nature of God. Eleven novels and short stories have been adapted to film, notably Blade Runner (based on Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?), Total Recall, Minority Report, and A Scanner Darkly, as well as television's The Man in the High Castle. The recipient of critical acclaim and numerous awards throughout his career, including the Hugo and John W. Campbell awards, Dick was inducted into the Science Fiction Hall of Fame in 2005, and between 2007 and 2009, the Library of America published a selection of his novels in three volumes. His work has been translated into more than twenty-five languages.

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Mr. Spaceship

By

Philip K. Dick

Copyright © 2013 Read Books Ltd.

This book is copyright and may not be

reproduced or copied in any way without

the express permission of the publisher in writing

British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data

A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library

Philip K. Dick

Philip Kindred Dick was born on December 16 1928, in Chicago, Illinois. The death of his twin sister, Jane, six weeks after their birth profoundly affected the writer in later life and is said to account for the recurring theme of the ‘phantom twin’ in many of his works.  

Dick and his family moved to the Bay Area of San Francisco when he was young, and later on to Washington DC following his parents divorce. Dick attended Elementary school and then a Quaker school before the family moved back to California. It was around this time that Dick began to take an active interest in the science fiction genre, reading his first magazine ‘Stirring Science Stories’, at age twelve.

Dick attended High School in Berkeley, California, where he and fellow science fiction author Ursula K.Le Guin were members of the same graduating class (1947) but were unknown to each other at the time. After graduation, he briefly attended the University of California in Berkeley, taking classes in History, Psychology, Philosophy, and Zoology. Through his studies in Philosophy, he came to believe that existence is based on internal perceptions which do not necessarily correspond to external reality; he described himself as an acosmic pantheist, believing in the universe only as an extension of God. Dick ultimately concluded the world is not entirely real and there is no way to confirm whether what we see is truly there at all. This question from his early studies persisted as a theme in many of his novels.

Dick married five times between 1959 and 1973, and had three children. He sold his first story in 1951 and from that point on he wrote full-time, selling his first novel in 1955. The 1950s were a difficult and impoverished time for Dick. He once said We couldn’t even pay the late fees on a library book. He published almost exclusively works of science fiction, but was said to covet a career in mainstream American literature.  

In addition to 44 published novels, Dick wrote an estimated 121 short stories, most of which appeared in science fiction magazines during his lifetime. Dick passed away in hospital after suffering a number of strokes, unaware of the acclaim much of his work would go on to receive. After his death, many of his stories made the transition to the big screen, with blockbuster films such as Blade Runner, Total Recall and Minority Report being based on his works.

Dick is now considered to be one of the most influential science fiction writers of the 20th century.

Mr. Spaceship

  Kramer leaned back. You can see the situation. How can we deal with a factor like this? The perfect variable.

"Perfect? Prediction should

Reviews for Mr. Spaceship

[drled_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Synopsis: 'The story is set in the distant future, where humanity is at war with "Yuks", an alien life form which does not use mechanical spaceships nor constructions. Instead, it relies on life forms. The war has been going on for a long time, and humanity has not been able to come up with a solution against the life-form based ships and mines that the Yuks use. One day, a team of researchers led by Philip Kramer decide to build a spaceship which is powered by a human brain. They find the ideal candidate, Kramer's old professor, a dying man who volunteers to donate his brain to the project.The spaceship is built and on the first test run into outer space, the team discovers that the professor made some changes to the ship, giving him—or rather, his brain—full control over the ship. Sensing trouble, the team flees the ship, leaving the empty ship, piloted by the professor, into outer space. Later, the spaceship returns and kidnaps Kramer and his wife, and on board the ship, the professor's brain informs them that they'll be looking for a new planet to colonize, to start over, as the professor sees no hope in humanity and what it has become- a species which desires, above all else, war.'Review: I wasn't impressed, but at the time it was published it was innovative.

[arkrayder · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Interesting idea.

[willie3_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I do not remember reading anything by Philip K. Dick that would be rated less than 5 stars. I like this new edition, though I would have liked to seen it published in hc. Looking forward to what Hamish Robertson and his Echo series has planned for the future.