Synopsis

“Fifty thousand credits for two years... And he had come out with his mind washed clean. Two years and he remembered nothing. It took him a long time to agree to that part of the contract.”

History

First publication: Imagination, June 1953

Filmed as Paycheck (2003).

Review

Paycheck is an excellent story, PKD at his best. And it has aged well. The characters are good, the plot is suspenseful and the mystery is interesting. I love how PKD didn’t use time travel or just time viewing, but made this about being able to grab objects out of the future. That plus the mind wipe from the Company and you have a set-up for an excellent mystery. The movie that was made in 2003 stays pretty close to the story but there is one major difference. In the story you have society split in three ways: government, corporations and individuals. I suppose you could argue that our society has been split along those lines at least since the 50s. But PKD speculates about taking that to a conclusion. Definitely recommended! And then watch the movie. I thought it was pretty good also.