Philip K. Dick

by Andrew M. Butler

With a reputation that is still rising as the world catches up with the prodigious outpouring of his imagination, and Hollywood repeatedly raiding his stories— Blade Runner , Minority Report , A Scanner Darkly— Philip K. Dick remains an intriguing literary and cultural figure. At a time when most science fiction was about cowboys in outer space, Dick explored the landscapes of the mind, conjured fake realities, and was able to make readers believe six impossible things before breakfast. Perhaps best-known for Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? , he embodied the counterculture a decade before the 1960s. This fully revised and updated look at Dick's world is a glimpse into a reality where psychiatrists come in suitcases, God speaks through cat food commercials and comes in a handy aerosol can, and where you might be a figment of someone else's imagination. This pocket-sized volume reviews and analyzes each of Dick's novels and provides a listing of other books and articles which have grappled with this genius.

Genres: Nonfiction, Biography, Literary Criticism, Criticism

160 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2000

Reviews

[Andrew · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is really for the true academic as even I found it hard work. If you are planning on writing a major dissertation or other such study of the work of PK Dick this is the book for you otherwise I would warn you it is hard work.

Do not get me wrong there is a massive amount of work that has gone in to the book and I dread to think how many hours the author worked over it but the fact it breaks down various books and selected short stories in to almost formulaic points means that it totally deconstructs the work for you. You looks any of the personality or even the person in the book. As I say its ideal if you want to scan for themes or connections or even the underlying reasoning (as according to the author) for the writing of the book in the first place.

PK Dick was a complex and in some ways fragile person who seems to bounce (and rebound) from one challenge in his life to another - this is reflected in the themes and actions of his books and their characters. This is both fascinating to unravel from is work and also a little sad too. I guess I am not the academic reader then.

This book is a mine of information and if I was studying Mr Dick I suspect I would be gushing over this book as it is I am just a curious fan and I suspect my reaction to the book reflects that.

[Stephen Thomas · Rating 2 out of 5]

THE SHORT NOT-SO-HAPPY LIFE OF THE LITTLE PKD BOOK

I’m an unashamed Dickhead and have read all his novels and short stories as well as many books about him and his works. I have all the available movie adaptations on DVD and most of the documentaries in one format or another. I don’t claim to be an authority but I do know PKD pretty well. So I bought this little book out of curiosity, not expecting to learn anything new but hoping it might prove interesting in it’s analysis of his work. I was right: I didn't learn anything new, but neither was I very impressed by Butler's analyses. The brief synopses of the novels in particular are of dubious use. I know from personal experience that it’s nigh on impossible to produce a meaningful synopsis of a complex novel in one paragraph and the attempts here bear this out. Many of them are incoherent and would baffle anyone not already familiar with the work. I do, however, give Butler credit for trying. It’s not clear who this book is really aimed at. The PKD aficionado will gain little from it, and I’m not sure that casual readers bother with books of this sort. That said, the serious reader who has just discovered PKD and wants to read more might find something of use in this book. And it has the attraction of a reasonably modest price.

[Mike · Rating 4 out of 5]

Essentially an extended bibliography of Philip K. Dick's novels, with some biographical information. Butler gives a summary of the plots, along with notes about recurring themes, character types, etc. Butler also managed to record every drug used or mentioned in every novel (!). A useful reference for the PKD fan, especially if you're like me, and find that you forget which book is which sometimes.

[Tanya · Rating 3 out of 5]

One of my housemates loaned me this book after we were discussing science fiction movies. I like the way it is written and I think it is a great way to introduce Philip K Dick to people who have never heard of him (like me).
I like the way the author set up the book. He gives a synopsis of each story, explains who the main figures were and how they fit into Dick's character archetypes, and gives his verdict with a rating out of five. Some of them are pretty funny. "This story talks about diaphragms and inter-racial couples? I wonder why it didn't sell in 1958."
I found it interesting that someone who was kind of "out there" stuck to the same themes and characters in each story. A father figure, the dark-haired girl, a cat, etc. I plan on finding some of the stories so I can come up with my own verdict.
I would recommend it to people who want to learn more about this author and to people who are already fans of his.

[James · Rating 5 out of 5]

I like reference materials.