Philip K. Dick

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Tyler
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Joined: Wed Jul 21, 2010 12:26 am

Philip K. Dick

Post by Tyler »

Have any of you ever read any Philip K. Dick? I read some when I was very young but don't recall too much. I have never been a huge fan of the film adaptations of his work but am more familiar with them. Recently a friend recommended that I try some out again. I cracked open one and it is pretty far out stuff. It seems like it would really have a significant affect on ones psyche. I almost don't want to go any further but I am very intrigued.

What are some of your experiences with his material?
Reductor
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Re: Philip K. Dick

Post by Reductor »

I really enjoy his work. It.is most fascinating to me, as perception is forever skewed, and his characters are only ever awarded certainty now and again so that it can be ripped away later. For them what is real is unclear, and so the realness of their moral dilemas too is in doubt, which makes it very hard for them to find satisfactory solutions.

Which book are you reading currently? Possibly my favorite is The Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldrich.
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Kim OHara
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Re: Philip K. Dick

Post by Kim OHara »

I knew his work fairly well many years ago but have never had any great inclination to return to it - partly because old SF is a bit weird in unintended ways, partly that Dick was unnecessarily dark, partly that younger writers in the genre are just ... better. If you want something of the same flavour, try China Mieville (The City and the City http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_City_%26_the_City is seriously mind-bending) and William Gibson. But I prefer to Ian McDonald and Kim Stanley Robinson to either of them, and also read a lot of fantasy - Gaiman, Pratchett, etc.

:reading:
Kim
Tyler
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Re: Philip K. Dick

Post by Tyler »

I am currently reading Valis as it was the one that was given to me.

I can't remember the last time I read a science fiction book. Maybe I just haven't found my niche within the genre yet. I will have to check your suggestions out Kim. =]
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ancientbuddhism
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Re: Philip K. Dick

Post by ancientbuddhism »

Tyler wrote:I am currently reading Valis as it was the one that was given to me. ...

VALIS and what has become known as the VALIS trilogy are the most indicative of P.K. Dick’s personal struggle. I especially liked the layers of personality, usually occluded from one to the other, that is expressed through his main characters.
I say, beware of all enterprises that require new clothes, and not rather a new wearer of clothes.” – Henry David Thoreau, Walden, 1854

Secure your own mask before assisting others. – NORTHWEST AIRLINES (Pre-Flight Instruction)

A Handful of Leaves
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ancientbuddhism
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Re: Philip K. Dick

Post by ancientbuddhism »

Kim O'Hara wrote:If you want something of the same flavour, try China Mieville (The City and the City http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_City_%26_the_City" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; is seriously mind-bending) and William Gibson.
I read William Gibson's articles in Wired Magazine in the 80’s, and he is one of those sf writers that makes a home-run with every book, imo. Usually my favorite writers impress me within the first page or two, but what really hooked me with Gibson was his opening line to NeuromancerThe sky above the port was the color of television, tuned to a dead channel.”
I say, beware of all enterprises that require new clothes, and not rather a new wearer of clothes.” – Henry David Thoreau, Walden, 1854

Secure your own mask before assisting others. – NORTHWEST AIRLINES (Pre-Flight Instruction)

A Handful of Leaves
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Kim OHara
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Re: Philip K. Dick

Post by Kim OHara »

Tyler wrote:I am currently reading Valis as it was the one that was given to me.

I can't remember the last time I read a science fiction book. Maybe I just haven't found my niche within the genre yet. I will have to check your suggestions out Kim. =]
Hi, Tyler,
If you're coming back to SF after a gap, a great starting point would be the list of award winners at http://www.locusmag.com/SFAwards/index.html. Any author who turns up on them repeatedly (and yes, my favourite authors do just that :smile: ) must be worth reading.

:reading:
Kim
Tyler
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Joined: Wed Jul 21, 2010 12:26 am

Re: Philip K. Dick

Post by Tyler »

Kim O'Hara wrote:
Tyler wrote:I am currently reading Valis as it was the one that was given to me.

I can't remember the last time I read a science fiction book. Maybe I just haven't found my niche within the genre yet. I will have to check your suggestions out Kim. =]
Hi, Tyler,
If you're coming back to SF after a gap, a great starting point would be the list of award winners at http://www.locusmag.com/SFAwards/index.html. Any author who turns up on them repeatedly (and yes, my favourite authors do just that :smile: ) must be worth reading.

:reading:
Kim
Thanks for the resource!
Nugget
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Re: Philip K. Dick

Post by Nugget »

I've read 'The Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldritch', and I enjoyed it. It reminds me of 'The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus', because of the obvious overlap with the Imaginarium, and I think of both as like the Guru-Disciple relationship of Indian Tantra and Vajrayana, where the Guru manipulates the imagination and thoughts of the student.

I also liked a movie based on another of his books - 'The Adjustment Bureau', where 'Heaven' interferes with people's lives in the sense of preventing them from going down particular pathways. Interestingly, his characters used hats to travel through doors to distant parts of the city, doors which were in plain sight, but you had to be wearing the hat for them to act as dimensional portals. It reminds of the importance of hats in some mystical traditions.
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