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Tutti i racconti 1964-1981
Si conclude con questo quarto volume la pubblicazione di tutta la narrativa breve di Philip K. Dick. I racconti coprono un arco cronologico dal 1964 al 1984, alcuni pubblicati postumi. È il periodo della piena maturità artistica, il ventennio in cui Dick giunse a esprimere il suo complesso mondo interiore nella maniera più compiuta. Agli slittamenti progressivi e inarrestabili della realtà si aggiungono ora i vistosi contorcimenti del tempo, caratteristica che l'autore ha sempre voluto e ossessivamente seguito. I ventitre racconti ripropongono l'universo evoluzione dell'automazione e simulacri artificiali; impossibilità di distinguere l'essere umano dal replicante androide.
710 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1987
2 people are currently reading
87 people want to read
About the author
Philip K. Dick
2,006 books22.5k followersPhilip Kindred Dick was a prolific American science fiction author whose work has had a lasting impact on literature, cinema, and popular culture. Known for his imaginative narratives and profound philosophical themes, Dick explored the nature of reality, the boundaries of human identity, and the impact of technology and authoritarianism on society. His stories often blurred the line between the real and the artificial, challenging readers to question their perceptions and beliefs.
Raised in California, Dick began writing professionally in the early 1950s, publishing short stories in various science fiction magazines. He quickly developed a distinctive voice within the genre, marked by a fusion of science fiction concepts with deep existential and psychological inquiry. Over his career, he authored 44 novels and more than 100 short stories, many of which have become classics in the field.
Recurring themes in Dick's work include alternate realities, simulations, corporate and government control, mental illness, and the nature of consciousness. His protagonists are frequently everyday individuals—often paranoid, uncertain, or troubled—caught in surreal and often dangerous circumstances that force them to question their environment and themselves. Works such as Ubik, The Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldritch, and A Scanner Darkly reflect his fascination with perception and altered states of consciousness, often drawing from his own experiences with mental health struggles and drug use.
One of Dick’s most influential novels is Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?, which served as the basis for Ridley Scott’s iconic film Blade Runner. The novel deals with the distinction between humans and artificial beings and asks profound questions about empathy, identity, and what it means to be alive. Other adaptations of his work include Total Recall, Minority Report, A Scanner Darkly, and The Man in the High Castle, each reflecting key elements of his storytelling—uncertain realities, oppressive systems, and the search for truth. These adaptations have introduced his complex ideas to audiences well beyond the traditional readership of science fiction.
In the 1970s, Dick underwent a series of visionary and mystical experiences that had a significant influence on his later writings. He described receiving profound knowledge from an external, possibly divine, source and documented these events extensively in what became known as The Exegesis, a massive and often fragmented journal. These experiences inspired his later novels, most notably the VALIS trilogy, which mixes autobiography, theology, and metaphysics in a narrative that defies conventional structure and genre boundaries.
Throughout his life, Dick faced financial instability, health issues, and periods of personal turmoil, yet he remained a dedicated and relentless writer. Despite limited commercial success during his lifetime, his reputation grew steadily, and he came to be regarded as one of the most original voices in speculative fiction. His work has been celebrated for its ability to fuse philosophical depth with gripping storytelling and has influenced not only science fiction writers but also philosophers, filmmakers, and futurists.
Dick’s legacy continues to thrive in both literary and cinematic spheres. The themes he explored remain urgently relevant in the modern world, particularly as technology increasingly intersects with human identity and governance. The Philip K. Dick Award, named in his honor, is presented annually to distinguished works of science fiction published in paperback original form in the United States. His writings have also inspired television series, academic studies, and countless homages across media.
Through his vivid imagination and unflinching inquiry into the nature of existence, Philip K. Dick redefined what science fiction could achieve. His work continues to challenge and inspire, offering timeless insights into the human condition a
Raised in California, Dick began writing professionally in the early 1950s, publishing short stories in various science fiction magazines. He quickly developed a distinctive voice within the genre, marked by a fusion of science fiction concepts with deep existential and psychological inquiry. Over his career, he authored 44 novels and more than 100 short stories, many of which have become classics in the field.
Recurring themes in Dick's work include alternate realities, simulations, corporate and government control, mental illness, and the nature of consciousness. His protagonists are frequently everyday individuals—often paranoid, uncertain, or troubled—caught in surreal and often dangerous circumstances that force them to question their environment and themselves. Works such as Ubik, The Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldritch, and A Scanner Darkly reflect his fascination with perception and altered states of consciousness, often drawing from his own experiences with mental health struggles and drug use.
One of Dick’s most influential novels is Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?, which served as the basis for Ridley Scott’s iconic film Blade Runner. The novel deals with the distinction between humans and artificial beings and asks profound questions about empathy, identity, and what it means to be alive. Other adaptations of his work include Total Recall, Minority Report, A Scanner Darkly, and The Man in the High Castle, each reflecting key elements of his storytelling—uncertain realities, oppressive systems, and the search for truth. These adaptations have introduced his complex ideas to audiences well beyond the traditional readership of science fiction.
In the 1970s, Dick underwent a series of visionary and mystical experiences that had a significant influence on his later writings. He described receiving profound knowledge from an external, possibly divine, source and documented these events extensively in what became known as The Exegesis, a massive and often fragmented journal. These experiences inspired his later novels, most notably the VALIS trilogy, which mixes autobiography, theology, and metaphysics in a narrative that defies conventional structure and genre boundaries.
Throughout his life, Dick faced financial instability, health issues, and periods of personal turmoil, yet he remained a dedicated and relentless writer. Despite limited commercial success during his lifetime, his reputation grew steadily, and he came to be regarded as one of the most original voices in speculative fiction. His work has been celebrated for its ability to fuse philosophical depth with gripping storytelling and has influenced not only science fiction writers but also philosophers, filmmakers, and futurists.
Dick’s legacy continues to thrive in both literary and cinematic spheres. The themes he explored remain urgently relevant in the modern world, particularly as technology increasingly intersects with human identity and governance. The Philip K. Dick Award, named in his honor, is presented annually to distinguished works of science fiction published in paperback original form in the United States. His writings have also inspired television series, academic studies, and countless homages across media.
Through his vivid imagination and unflinching inquiry into the nature of existence, Philip K. Dick redefined what science fiction could achieve. His work continues to challenge and inspire, offering timeless insights into the human condition a
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
November 24, 2021
Parte dell'antologia dei racconti, molto eterogenea. Troppi i testi al di sotto delle vette dell'autore, nel complesso una lettura noiosa.
December 28, 2017
Triste, senza possibilità di redenzione eppure capaci di creare la vita e l’intelligenza. Dick si autocita in alcuni di questi racconti ed alcuni sono veramente notevoli. Le spirali della esistenza (o cerchi?) dell’uomo, la ironia sottile e cinica...c’è il Dick peggiore ed il Dick migliore tra queste pagine. Consigliato...ma solo ai fans.
January 19, 2015
Ho fatto molta fatica a finirlo, racconti molto meno conclusivi e rifiniti rispetto agli altri volumi.
October 21, 2024
Finalmente, dopo alcuni anni, sono riuscito a completare la lettura di tutti i racconti del prolifico autore americano. Questa quarta raccolta, in particolare, risulta più matura e pertanto mi viene difficile identificare alcuni racconti come più significativi. Ci provo comunque segnalandovi i seguenti
Oh, essere un Blobel! Qui si affronta, in modo scanzonato ma profondo, il tema di come la guerra costringa le persone ad adeguarsi al nemico, a diventare in fondo uguali a ciò contro cui si vuole combattere
Orfeo dai piedi d’argilla. Qui si fa metaletteratura giocando con un paradosso temporale e facendo incontrare un viaggiatore del tempo, proveniente dal nostro futuro con … vabbè leggetelo
Teologia per computer, un divertente apologo su intelligenza dei computer, con tanto di paragoni legati alla filosofia dei teologi medievali, e quando il lettore crede di aver capito arriva, inatteso, come una mazzata, il colpo di scena finale.
L’ultimo test, una favola su regole e libertà, scritta nel modo che ti aspetteresti da un libertario come Dick ma che riesce lo stesso a stupirti
Il caso Rautavaara, torna la spiritualità cara a Dick, come vedono la divinità forme di vita diverse dalle nostre?
Oh, essere un Blobel! Qui si affronta, in modo scanzonato ma profondo, il tema di come la guerra costringa le persone ad adeguarsi al nemico, a diventare in fondo uguali a ciò contro cui si vuole combattere
Orfeo dai piedi d’argilla. Qui si fa metaletteratura giocando con un paradosso temporale e facendo incontrare un viaggiatore del tempo, proveniente dal nostro futuro con … vabbè leggetelo
Teologia per computer, un divertente apologo su intelligenza dei computer, con tanto di paragoni legati alla filosofia dei teologi medievali, e quando il lettore crede di aver capito arriva, inatteso, come una mazzata, il colpo di scena finale.
L’ultimo test, una favola su regole e libertà, scritta nel modo che ti aspetteresti da un libertario come Dick ma che riesce lo stesso a stupirti
Il caso Rautavaara, torna la spiritualità cara a Dick, come vedono la divinità forme di vita diverse dalle nostre?
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews