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The Philip K. Dick Collection: Complete Library of America Boxed Set

The Philip K. Dick Collection: Complete Library of America Boxed Set

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“This collection marks an extraordinary, historic turning point where science fiction was officially recognized as high American literature.”

Book Overview

This definitive three-volume boxed set brings together thirteen of Philip K. Dick’s greatest science-fiction masterpieces published between 1962 and 1982. Curated by acclaimed novelist Jonathan Lethem for the Library of America, the collection elevates a formerly dismissed visionary directly into the permanent national literary pantheon. Spanning seminal works such as The Man in the High Castle, Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?, Ubik, A Scanner Darkly, and the VALIS trilogy, the set offers an expansive masterclass in the instability of human perception, corporate paranoia, and the psychological contours of the digital age.

Built to archival standards, each volume is bound in premium thread-sewn cloth, printed on lightweight acid-free paper, and housed inside a custom slipcase. Abandoning commercial promotional introductions in favor of deep scholarly context, this edition provides comprehensive chronological timelines, historical print metrics, and detailed textual annotations.

About the Author & Editor

Philip K. Dick (1928–1982) was an American writer whose groundbreaking speculative fiction explored alternate histories, artificial intelligence, gnostic theology, and shifting realities. Despite writing in relative obscurity during his lifetime, his works have become among the most influential blueprints for modern science fiction and contemporary cinema.

Jonathan Lethem (Editor) is a renowned American novelist, essayist, and MacArthur Fellow whose critically acclaimed works include Motherless Brooklyn and The Fortress of Solitude. He serves as the editor for this Library of America retrospective.

Core Audience & Intended Use

  • Literary & Sci-Fi Collectors: Enthusiasts seeking definitive, archival-grade hardcover editions of classic speculative fiction.
  • Academic Researchers & Students: Scholars analyzing mid-century American counterculture, cybernetics, and postmodern narrative structures.
  • Philosophical Fiction Readers: Individuals exploring deep questions regarding human consciousness, simulation theory, and institutional gaslighting.

Product Specifications

Full Title The Philip K. Dick Collection (Library of America Boxed Set)
Author(s) / Editor Philip K. Dick (Edited by Jonathan Lethem)
Publisher & Imprint Library of America
Publication Date October 1, 2009
Binding Format Hardcover (HC) Multi-Volume Boxed Set Profile (3 Volumes in Slipcase)
Print Length 2,922 Pages (Combined)
Language English
ISBN-13 / ISBN-10 9781598530490 / 1598530498
Primary Genre (BISAC) FICTION / Science Fiction / Classic
Sub-Genres (BISAC) FICTION / Science Fiction / Psychological; FICTION / Literary; FICTION / Anthologies / Multiple Authors
Item Condition Pre-Owned / Very Good
Dimensions & Weight 5.15 x 3.80 x 8.10 inches (Box footprint) | 62.4 oz (approx. 3.90 lbs)

Frequently Asked Questions About The Philip K. Dick Collection

Which specific novels are collected inside this premium three-volume boxed set?

This definitive library set brings together thirteen of his greatest novels originally published between 1962 and 1982. The breakdown includes: Four Novels of the 1960s (The High Castle, Martian Time-Slip, Dr. Bloodmoney, The Now Wait for Last Year); Five Novels of the 1960s & 70s (Counter-Clock World, Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?, Ubik, A Maze of Death, Our Friends from Frolix 8); and Four Novels of the 1970s & 80s (A Scanner Darkly, VALIS, The Divine Invasion, The Transmigration of Timothy Archer).

What is the main structural layout and material format used for these books?

The set follows the scrupulous, world-class production standards of the Library of America series. Each of the three distinct volumes is bound in premium, thread-sewn cloth casing, printed on acid-free lightweight paper designed to never yellow, and features an integrated ribbon placeholder. The individual hardcovers are housed together inside a durable, custom-printed cardboard slipcase box wrapper.

What primary psychological and technical themes are explored across the collected texts?

The collection serves as a massive, sweeping masterclass in the instability of human perception, corporate paranoia, and institutional gaslighting. Rather than detailing simple space-exploration tropes, the texts continuously force readers through realities that actively rot or change shape, exploring the toxic creep of surveillance capitalism and questioning what fundamentally separates an authentic human consciousness from an artificial construct.

Does this edition feature academic additions or standard commercial content?

The collection strips away commercial promotional introductions in favor of deep archival context. Acclaimed novelist Jonathan Lethem curated the layout, appending comprehensive, highly vetted biographical timelines, historical print metrics, textual notes explaining manuscript variations, and detailed annotations clarifying the real-world events that inspired each speculative narrative.

Why is this box set uniquely significant to the legacy of Philip K. Dick and science fiction history?

This collection marks an extraordinary, historic turning point where science fiction was officially recognized as high American literature. During his actual life, Philip K. Dick was largely marginalized by the mainstream establishment, writing desperately on a typewriter for pennies per word under the threat of poverty. This box set's publication by the Library of America acts as a definitive canonical elevation—inducting a formerly dismissed “pulp” author directly into the permanent national literary pantheon alongside icons like Herman Melville, Walt Whitman, and Mark Twain, proving that his paranoid, counterculture visions correctly predicted the psychological realities of the modern digital age.

Condition Notice: Pre-Owned / Second-Hand Product

All books, box sets, and multi-volume collections offered by Bust-Down Books are sold in pre-owned, used, and second-hand condition, unless explicitly designated as new in the individual product listing.

Condition Details & Grading:

  • Previous Ownership: These items have been previously owned, handled, and read. As such, copies may exhibit typical signs of shelf wear, including but not limited to minor creasing, scuffing, edge wear, bent page corners, remainder marks, or spine softening. Hardcover editions with dust jackets or slipcases may show minor shelf rubbing, edge chipping, or laminate wear.
  • Markings & Personalization: Items may occasionally contain inscriptions, library stamps, owner names, marginalia, or highlighting. Individual item descriptions reflect significant deviations from standard acceptable condition.
  • Supplemental Materials: Secondary and digital components—such as publisher access codes, CD-ROMs, bonus inserts, registration keys, or workbook activity pages—are not guaranteed to be included, active, or unredeemed unless specifically stated in the product description.

First Sale Doctrine & Non-Affiliation Statement:

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