Can You Feel Anything When I Do This?

Can You Feel Anything When I Do This? is a 1971 science fiction and fantasy short story collection featuring 15 distinct tales by Robert Sheckley. The stories originally appeared in publications like Playboy, Galaxy, and The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction before being compiled into this collection by Doubleday. The collection presents an array of scenarios exploring human and alien interactions, technological advances, and philosophical quandaries. Each story stands alone while contributing to the book's overall examination of perception, reality, and human nature through a science fiction lens. Many of these stories incorporate elements of satire and dark humor, particularly when addressing themes of alienation, consciousness, and the relationship between humans and machines. The work exemplifies Sheckley's characteristic style of blending serious scientific concepts with wit and irony. The collection serves as a reflection of both 1970s societal concerns and timeless questions about existence, featuring narratives that challenge conventional perspectives on reality and human experience.

Readers describe this short story collection as clever and darkly humorous, with many citing its satirical take on human behavior and technology. The stories maintain relevance despite being written in the 1960s-70s. Liked: - Quick-hitting, punchy stories that don't overstay their welcome - Mix of humor and social commentary - Title story stands out as a fan favorite - Creative premises and unexpected endings Disliked: - Some stories feel dated in their cultural references - Quality varies between stories - Several readers found the humor too cynical - A few stories end abruptly without resolution Ratings: Goodreads: 3.8/5 (228 ratings) Amazon: 4.2/5 (12 ratings) "Perfect bite-sized pieces of weirdness" - Goodreads reviewer "Each story is like a Twilight Zone episode filtered through Mad Magazine" - Amazon reviewer "Some gems mixed with forgettable filler" - LibraryThing reviewer

Mindswap by Robert Sheckley Space travel, consciousness swapping, and bureaucratic mix-ups create a narrative that mirrors the same satirical take on technology and human nature.

I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream by Harlan Ellison Tales of human-machine relationships and dark technological futures echo the same unsettling questions about consciousness and control.

The Cyberiad by Stanisław Lem Engineering fables and robotic parables explore similar themes of mechanical consciousness and human folly through mathematical logic.

Welcome to the Monkey House by Kurt Vonnegut Short stories blend science fiction with social commentary using the same type of deadpan humor to examine human behavior.

Martian Time-Slip by Philip K. Dick The exploration of perception and reality through science fiction elements creates parallel questions about human consciousness and existence.

🌟 Sheckley was known as the "master of the short-form SF story" and significantly influenced Douglas Adams' "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" series. 🌟 The title story "Can You Feel Anything When I Do This?" originally appeared in Playboy magazine in 1969, during the height of the sexual revolution. 🌟 In the 1950s and 1960s, Robert Sheckley wrote at an astounding pace, producing approximately one short story every two weeks for science fiction magazines. 🌟 Several of Sheckley's works, including stories from this collection, have been adapted into episodes of TV series like "The Twilight Zone" and "Masters of Science Fiction." 🌟 Despite being primarily known for his humorous approach to science fiction, Sheckley's work often contained deep critiques of consumerism and bureaucracy, themes that run through this collection.