I love Philip K. Dick

Libbie

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I read some Philip K. Dick (Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?) back in middle school and I remember liking it, but I think I didn't really get it. And I certainly did not get Phil's really incredible narrative style.

I picked up The Man in the High Tower yesterday on my lunch break and wanted to die of bliss. WOW. Holy crap, wow. This is some insanely pretty writing.

I just wanted to express my newfound love for Dick. It makes me want to write well enough, and write sci-fi enough, that I can some day win a Dick award.

That is all.
 

dpaterso

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Libbie, I hope you don't mind my changing the thread title from "Dick" to "Philip K. Dick" to avoid inappropriate chuckles. Shout if any problems!

-Derek
 

Diana Hignutt

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Let's Talk Dick (PKD thread) A Scanner Darkly-Discussion begins 12/1

So, I just saw A Scanner Darkly, and am very interested in reading the book.

Obviously, I've seen many Dick Adaptations: Blade Runner, Minority Report, etc. and they're all great.

I was wondering if anyone wanted to do like a bookclub kind of thing with A Scanner Darkly with me.

If even one person is interested, I'll order a copy immediately.

For those that don't know Dick...Phillip K. Dick is arguably one of the most influential writers of science fiction ever...though he achieved almost no success during his too short life.

So, good readers of AW, who's with me?
 
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Diana Hignutt

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I just ordered it, so anyone who wants to discuss it...or other PKD stories -- though this will be my first exposure to his prose--I'll be ready shortly...
 

Summonere

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Well, I thought the book was better than the movie. Not unusual, that. But perhaps of great interest, too, was Dick's note at the end of the book about his drug-using days, and how his story was an attempt to capture what that experience was like, children playing in the street, every once in a while looking up to notice that yet another one of them was gone, and yet still the children played, too busy to wonder why some vanished.

Just about any of his books will be interesting, though perhaps not all of them “good” when considering the prose, which is pretty much vanilla bean basic in the Asimovian sense: it certainly doesn't draw attention to itself, and it certainly never takes precedence over story, existing merely to convey it.

Some of his most celebrated works include The Man in the High Castle and Flow My Tears, the Policeman Said (I prefer the latter one). If you read enough of his work, you'll realize, too, that Bladerunner isn't just based upon Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep, but draws from several other of his books, as well.

And after you've read a few of his books, it would likely be entertaining to have a look at The Shifting Realities of Philip K. Dick: Selected Literary and Philosophical Writings, edited by Lawrence Sutin. (But I'd save this one for later, till after you've read 3 or 4 or 5 of his books.)
 

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I may not have consumed as much Dick as the next man, but I did read A Scanner Darkly a couple of months ago so maybe I'll be able to get involved and chime in with some rambled remembrances. :)

Although, with that said, it was a rather complex book for my booze addled mind and the limited intelligence which resides within it -- so you might have to prompt me some.

It was about -- amongst other things -- drugs, identity and bloody corporate soci[a]ety, right? Or shall we wait until you're started?

In the mean time, may I recommend the excellent and suitably disturbing and smart documentary Philip K Dick: A Day in the Afterlife which was made by the equally smart and excellent BBC arts strand Arena.

The documentary should be available on youtube and all the usual places. :)
 

defcon6000

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Sure, I'm in too. I adore PKD and haven't read that one yet, should be able to get a copy at the library.

We did have a book discussion last month over in the SFF board on Ubik, though the participation was...lackluster, and I didn't feel like discussing the book with myself.
 

Diana Hignutt

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When's the target date for discussion? In other words, by when should we have it read?

This is one of his I've not read, though I did catch the film.

Excellent question. Does December 1 sound like soon enough for interested parties to get started? I've never done anything like this, so if that's too long, or too soon let me know.

I've had a peripheral knowledge of Dick for years, of course, and had often considered trying him, but I think seeing Scanner, and finally coming off my nonfiction-only jag...I'm ready.

I'm really looking forward to this.

And, the bad news, usually when I start on an author I've never read, if I like it, I'll read pretty much everything by them.

But, we'll start with A Scanner Darkly...

Thanks for the interest!
 

juniper

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I might take part. I just re-watched "Blade Runner" this week and have "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?" ready for pickup at the library. Don't know why but I've suddenly developed an interest in him.

On cable TV the Discovery Science network just ran something called "Prophet of Science Fiction" and I recorded the episode about PKD, but haven't watched it yet.
 

Diana Hignutt

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So, are we okay with discussion starting Dec. 1, 2011? Is that a problem for anyone?
 

Paul

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I might take part. I just re-watched "Blade Runner" this week and have "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?" ready for pickup at the library. Don't know why but I've suddenly developed an interest in him.
Let me warn you now, the similarity 'tween book and movie is fleeting.

Usually when a movie version is better than the book it means the book is 'light', only offering an outline of an idea.

In Androids, there is nothing but bloody ideas, and ideas, and ideas. It's a mess. A swirling chaotic, indulgent, obscure, introspective, unfocused mess. The movie took one aspect of a central idea and make an excellent movie.

Not that it's rubbish, just, well, a mess.
 
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Summonere

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Pretty much agreed. DADOES is remarkably unlike the movie, Bladerunner, though the book supplies the plot thread.
 

Diana Hignutt

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Had a little trouble starting reading...there were all these weird little bugs on my copy...aphids probably...
 

juniper

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...aphids probably...
:tongue

I'm almost finished with it. I work in an ER and see a lot of people who talk like those guys. And they really do believe that stuff. Quite sincere and wanting to warn others about "what's really going on."

Discussion of this will be interesting. The movie version is on hold for me at the library - I'll pick it up today.
 
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juniper

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Let me warn you now, the similarity 'tween book and movie is fleeting.

I re-watched the movie because I'd been thinking about reading some of his books. Keep hearing how he's the grandfather of SF - must be something to that? Maybe I should have read the book first.
 

Diana Hignutt

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Libbie, I hope you don't mind my changing the thread title from "Dick" to "Philip K. Dick" to avoid inappropriate chuckles. Shout if any problems!

-Derek

Derek, in your combining the two threads, I've lost the ability to put notes (like about the Scanner Darkly discussion beginning on 12/1 in the title). You've basically taken control of the book club Dick thread I created away from me. I don't love that.
 

Sophia

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Derek, in your combining the two threads, I've lost the ability to put notes (like about the Scanner Darkly discussion beginning on 12/1 in the title). You've basically taken control of the book club Dick thread I created away from me. I don't love that.

Check the dates of those posts. I merged your thread with the existing PKD thread that Libbie began. You can still add titles to your individual posts. I'm sure that people following the thread are perfectly capable of reading when the discussion will start!

When your specific book discussion begins, feel free to start a dedicated thread for it. I'll add the link to it to the index.
 

Diana Hignutt

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Check the dates of those posts. I merged your thread with the existing PKD thread that Libbie began. You can still add titles to your individual posts. I'm sure that people following the thread are perfectly capable of reading when the discussion will start!

When your specific book discussion begins, feel free to start a dedicated thread for it. I'll add the link to it to the index.

I did. This was it. Then it was merged with a thread from three years ago mysteriously...