The earliest short and medium-length fiction by Philip K. Dick (including several previously unpublished stories) during the years 1952-1955 is contained in this collection of science fiction stories. In addition to the title story, the volume includes Beyond Lies the Wub, The Short Happy Life of the Brown Oxford, The Variable Man, and many others.

A final, apocalyptic, world war has killed millions, driving entire species into extinction and sending the majority of mankind off-planet. Those who remain, venerate all remaining examples of life, and owning an animal of your own is both a symbol of status and a necessity. For those who can't afford an authentic animal, companies build incredibly realistic simulacrae: horses, birds, cats, sheep... even humans.