Audiobook Review: Philip K. Dick's Electric Dreams

I grew up reading various comic books and many adventurous novels. I developed an early love for Star Wars, G.I.Joe, and Batman, among others. I read too many fantasy and science fiction books to count, but I never read any Philip K. Dick. Until now.

The audio-version of Electric Dreams was on the "Choice" shelf at my local library, so I decided to check it out. After getting through the six discs and ten stories, I was elated. Now I can't wait to get my hands on more.

I wasn't familiar with the television series that's been airing on Amazon Prime since 2017. But if I have a chance, I will certainly check it out. Each of the ten stories in this collection is prefaced by commentary from the person that adapted it for the screen. Each is a refreshing look into the creative process for each person and how the story has affected them as a fan and as a writer.

My favorite stories in the collection are "The Hanging Stranger" and "The Father-Thing." Both of these stories have strong elements of horror, as well as science fiction, which I really enjoyed. My least favorite was "Foster, You're Dead!," which I thought was fairly dull and dragged on for too long.

The narrators for each story do a great job conveying the action, dialogue, and tension inherent in each tale. All stories in the collection were published between 1953 and 1955 and are definitely products of their time, with the ubiquitous sexism (all the men work while the wives stay at home and raise the kids, cook the meals, etc.) and traits of the 1950's (almost every scene involves the lighting of a cigarette). But they are still extremely enjoyable and fun to read.

I'm now a certified fan of Philip K. Dick and I'm excited to listen to or read some more.