Rating: Summary: "I am alive and you are dead" *** Review: "he needs to flesh it out", well but he died 20 years ago... this said I don't think we can call the book "useless" compared to the movie as it is a proper nonsense. The book in itself has a nice packaging but better get this short story along with others in collected stories books ( cheaper ). Anyway it's good to see this genius getting all the attention he deserves from the masses. I wish his work was more widely known, for me he is not a sci fi writer, he is 'the' sci fi writer. I also wish I could see an adaptation of his work by a movie maker whose style really matches Dick's...the title of one of his biographies...
Rating: Summary: Interesting layout Review: I just read The Minority Report and thought it was a fairly good story. I liked the way the whole system was set up and thought he covered details really well without going into excessive detail. It is a short story and events happen rather fast but I don't think it takes away from the story any. Plus, I rather think the design and layout of the pages were great (easy to read while laying down! huzzah!) and made the feel of the book and story interesting.
Rating: Summary: Wonderful story - Terrible book design and layout Review: I love "The Minority Report," and other stories by Philip Dick, but this version is just plain bad.First off, the book is designed to be read vertically with the book open like a centerfold. Second, you are getting only one short story (about 30 pages) for [a price]. It would better to buy a Philip Dick short story collection that has "The Minority Report in it." Very Bad
Rating: Summary: Clever little book not a bad keepsake for SF fans Review: I'm reading several complaints here about this little book containing only the one story and nothing else, and being pricey to boot. But, you know something? So what? The book is cleverly designed and laid out, it's a cute size, and you STILL get a good hundred-plus pages to read. Okay, so maybe a bigger font was used and there are larger than usual spaces between lines to stretch the story to a decent number of pages. But again, so what? It's easier to read that way. I bought this little book both as a way to experience the original story before seeing the new movie and to obtain an interesting-looking movie tie-in. It really is an eye-catching book. Oh, the story? I liked it just fine. What is interesting is that the story itself doesn't make any overt judgements about that whole future world and its "pre-crime" system of law enforcement. The characters simply find ways to deal with the problems created by the system, and happily move on (well, those that survive, that is). I'm thinking that the movie will have more to say about the dangers of trusting technology too much and giving the police too much power. Which could mean that the movie could be even more complex and interesting than the original story, or conversely, too "preachy" and overstated. We'll see. But don't be afraid to pick up this book. Despite some of the comments here, I nevertheless think it's an interesting, fun way to get hold of the original story.
Rating: Summary: Clever little book not a bad keepsake for SF fans Review: I'm reading several complaints here about this little book containing only the one story and nothing else, and being pricey to boot. But, you know something? So what? The book is cleverly designed and laid out, it's a cute size, and you STILL get a good hundred-plus pages to read. Okay, so maybe a bigger font was used and there are larger than usual spaces between lines to stretch the story to a decent number of pages. But again, so what? It's easier to read that way. I bought this little book both as a way to experience the original story before seeing the new movie and to obtain an interesting-looking movie tie-in. It really is an eye-catching book. Oh, the story? I liked it just fine. What is interesting is that the story itself doesn't make any overt judgements about that whole future world and its "pre-crime" system of law enforcement. The characters simply find ways to deal with the problems created by the system, and happily move on (well, those that survive, that is). I'm thinking that the movie will have more to say about the dangers of trusting technology too much and giving the police too much power. Which could mean that the movie could be even more complex and interesting than the original story, or conversely, too "preachy" and overstated. We'll see. But don't be afraid to pick up this book. Despite some of the comments here, I nevertheless think it's an interesting, fun way to get hold of the original story.
Rating: Summary: Minority Report Review: John Anderton is the head of the Pre-crime system and thinks there are no flaws, that the system is perfect. However, when he learns that he is going to commit a murder he hopes and prays that there are flaws in the system. He then learns that there are flaws and that there is a minority report. The three precogs do not always agree, and there is sometimes a minority report of what might happen if the murder doesn't. There is a minority report and after he learns he is going to kill someone he tries not to. When he learns that if he doesn't murder the person he is supposed to, it will show that the system is not perfect, and that it has flaws and it will be shut down. Instead of worrying about his safety, Anderton worries more about the system and decides to kill the man for the sake of the system. He does kill the man, saves the system, and then has to escape and hide so he won't have to go to jail. I liked this book but it didn't end that well. It sort of just stopped. It's like me not finishing my sentence. I'll see you....
Rating: Summary: Awesome book, terrible layout Review: Just want to warn people to ignore dolts who claim this book doesn't help them understand the movie, or who think the book was written after the movie, or who think the brilliant author Philip K. Dick is still alive. This is an incredible short story, written decades ago, but if I were you I'd buy an anthology of Dick's stories and stay away from this weird marketing gimmick. The only merit it has, perhaps, is as a collector's item for fans of things like that. I enjoyed the spin Spielberg and his fellow writers used for the story, but found the movie version less interesting than the story. If you really want to bend your mind, buy a Philip K. Dick anthology or his "The Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldrich." Cheers!
Rating: Summary: Majority Resort ... At Profit Review: MINORITY REPORT, the inspiration for the latest Spielberg film, is perhaps one of Philip K. Dick's most accessible pieces of short fiction, and it's given the big blockbuster treatment here that it (arguably) deserves ... hardcover format with a clever sideways printing scheme resembling that of a traditional detective's notepad. However, despite the popularity (or not) of the film, this item is really intended for Dick's hardcore fans. Those people drawn to it for the film might be disappointed in the significant differences from film to print (isn't that always the case?), or they might just discover one of science fiction's most memorable authors. Still, MINORITY REPORT always worked best for me b/c it was a short story: Dick's longer works tend to be very cerebral at times, while his shorter tales do possess a stronger feel targeting a mass audience. It's a brisk read that draws only a few parallels with the film (thankfully); instead of posing and focusing on an infinite series of sociological themes, it hits the ground running very quickly and lets the reader make his/her mind up as the tale unfolds about whether or not the moral issue of punishment associated to Precrime is praiseworthy or laughable. In Dick's world, there is little gray.
Rating: Summary: A bizarre attempt to cash in Review: Obligatory disclaimer: I enjoy Dick's work immensely. Minority Report is an imaginative and beautiful story. What I gave one star to is this sad attempt to cash in. Appearances aside, this is a short story, not a book. Save yourself the cash and buy one of his short story collections.
Rating: Summary: Shameless Cash-In Review: The Minority Report is one of Philip K. Dick's masterpieces, and one of the greatest science fiction stories ever written. It is tightly-written, action-packed, and fast-paced - everything one could ask for in adventure SF. So why the low rating? Well... it's just a short story. I'm not sure of the exact length, but it's something along the line of 30 or 40 pages. What this edition attempts to do is fluff the book out with a bunch of screwy packaging, filling it out to a somewhat respectable book length. What it is, obviously, is a cheap and sorry attempt by the publisher to cash in on the recent Spielberg movie based on this story. Now, the story itself is certainly great and essential; I highly reccommend you read it if you have not already. However, there are much better (not to mention more economical ways) of acquiring it. The also recently-released book "The Minority Report and Other Classic Stories" or the older "Philip K. Dick Reader" both contain The Minority Report, as well as a series of other worthwhile stories. You would be far wiser to purchase one of those books than this cheap piece of marketing.
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