The Hanging Stranger

By Philip K. Dick

The Hanging Stranger is one of the first short stories written by Philip K. Dick. It was first published in 1953.

Ed Loyce, a store owner, is disturbed when he sees a stranger hanging from a lamppost.

Unbelievably, he seems to be the only one who considers this event horrible.

Has a weird force taken over the world ? And what can Ed do about it ?


This short story was adapted into an episode of the 2017 television series Philip K. Dick's Electric Dreams, entitled "Kill All Others".

• Language: English
• Publisher: Orpheus Editions
• Release date: Feb 23, 2020
• ISBN: 9788835376323

Philip K. Dick

Over a writing career that spanned three decades, PHILIP K. DICK (1928–1982) published 36 science fiction novels and 121 short stories in which he explored the essence of what makes man human and the dangers of centralized power. Toward the end of his life, his work turned to deeply personal, metaphysical questions concerning the nature of God. Eleven novels and short stories have been adapted to film, notably Blade Runner (based on Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?), Total Recall, Minority Report, and A Scanner Darkly, as well as television's The Man in the High Castle. The recipient of critical acclaim and numerous awards throughout his career, including the Hugo and John W. Campbell awards, Dick was inducted into the Science Fiction Hall of Fame in 2005, and between 2007 and 2009, the Library of America published a selection of his novels in three volumes. His work has been translated into more than twenty-five languages.

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