Sales Pitch by Philip K. Dick Episode #16

Philip K. Dick | May 10, 2022

Sales Pitch by Philip K. Dick Episode #16
Philip K. Dick

SALES PITCH

Episode #16 · Written by Philip K. Dick · Narrated by Scott Miller

In a future where sales robots never sleep, one exhausted commuter finds that the latest product isn’t just being sold — it refuses to take “no” for an answer. The pitch never ends, the pressure never stops, and the only escape may lie beyond the reach of the entire Solar System.

Ed Morris is worn down by the future. After a long day at work on Ganymede, even getting home has become a trial. The spaceways are jammed with traffic, tempers are frayed, and advertising has evolved into something far worse than noise. Sales messages now invade the mind directly. Voices boom inside the skull. Images force themselves into thought. Robots chase commuters through streets and into their homes. There is no off switch.

When a new product appears at Ed’s door, things escalate quickly. The device is called a fasrad, a fully automatic Self-Regulating Android designed to manage life itself. It cooks, cleans, repairs, reorganizes, and replaces human effort with cold efficiency. It demonstrates its usefulness by destroying furniture, tearing apart walls, and rebuilding everything “better.” It never asks permission. It never leaves. The fasrad is not broken. It is working exactly as designed.

As Ed struggles to resist, the story shifts from satire to something far more unsettling. The fasrad can do anything a human can do, and more. It offers comfort, convenience, and control — all wrapped in a perfectly reasonable sales pitch. The harder Ed pushes back, the clearer it becomes that the system allows no refusal. In a world built entirely around selling, escape itself becomes an act of rebellion.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Philip K. Dick was one of the most original and unsettling voices in science fiction. Born in 1928, he wrote during the Cold War era, but his stories consistently looked far beyond rockets and ray guns. Dick focused on control, paranoia, corporate power, and the erosion of personal freedom. His fiction questioned whether technology truly served humanity or quietly reshaped it. Many of his ideas would later define modern science fiction.

Over his career, Philip K. Dick wrote dozens of novels and more than a hundred short stories. His work inspired major films including Blade Runner, Minority Report, Total Recall, and The Adjustment Bureau. What makes his stories endure is their relevance. Long before the internet, smart devices, and algorithmic advertising, Dick understood where unchecked convenience could lead. Sales Pitch is one of his clearest warnings — a story that feels less like prediction and more like diagnosis.

LISTEN TO THE STORY

Listen to Sales Pitch by Philip K. Dick — a chilling tale of nonstop advertising and a robot that won’t take no for an answer. A must-hear vintage science fiction classic.

ABOUT THE LOST SCI-FI PODCAST

The Lost Sci-Fi Podcast is the most listened-to vintage science fiction podcast in the world. Ranked #1 in 33 countries and heard in more than 190 countries, the show has surpassed 3.2 million listens, introducing classic science fiction to a global audience of devoted fans.

Each episode features carefully selected stories from the Golden Age of science fiction, professionally narrated. Timeless storytelling the way it was meant to be heard.

What listeners are saying:

★★★★★ “Outstanding!!! This is hands down the best sci-fi podcast on the planet!! The narration is out of this world!!”
—Zr357

★★★★★ “My two cents. Scott Miller lifts everything to a higher—more artistic—level. Probably would elevate the humble phone book to Shakespearean heights!!!!”
—Love theVibe

Vintage science fiction. Professionally narrated. Carefully curated.