Having films made of their stories is a great way for an author to get exposure. I still haven’t seen the recent version of Minority Report but I think it probably was the use of that title, for a collection of short stories, that caught my eye on the shelf.

The title story is only one of the collection and not even the first, longest or most brilliant. However, I am glad it reeled me in because, on average, Dick’s writing is fantastic. Some authors predictably throw a twist at the end of every chapter, making the reading feel like riding a rollercoaster; sometimes fun and sometimes sickening. Dick typically starts with a skewed setting which gradually comes to seem quite logical and acceptable before carefully rationed twists skew expectations again.

The result is not only good reading but also thought-provoking. Had I found another work by him on the library shelves when I made my visit yesterday, I would gladly have added it to my haul whether or not it carried the name of a much-publicised film on the cover.

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