Philip K. Dick

JuntMonkey · #1 04-18-2007, 06:24 PM

I loved Total Recall as a kid. Blade Runner I wasn't big on.

Then in my freshman year of college, I took a science-fiction English course. One of the books was Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? (Blade Runner). I loved it and raced through it, not going out on Friday night so that I could read it. It became my favorite book.

I didn't get around to reading his short stories until a few years later (2004). I took what I think was supposed to be one of the better collections out from the library. I really did not enjoy any of them very much, including the stories that inspired Total Recall, Minority Report, and Paycheck.

This was puzzling - I expected to love them, since I loved Blade Runner (book).

In the interim I saw Minority Report, which was okay. I saw Paycheck last night, which, surprisingly, I liked better than Blade Runner and Minority Report.

In any event, I want to recapture what I liked about Blade Runner. The fast pace, the depressing (but disturbingly appealing) world, the undeveloped characters who make it more depressing/appealing (reminds me of Winston from 1984).

According to Wikipedia, Flow My Tears, The Policeman Said, takes place in a "dystopic near-future police state," which is right up my alley. I'll get around to it someday.

Thoughts on Dick?

There is also the possibility that somehow my tastes changed to the extent that I wouldn't like Blade Runner if I read it today, but I doubt it.

Shadowrun · #2 04-18-2007, 06:31 PM

I am a huge fan of the author and i thought Paycheck did a huge disservice, have you read other novels by him, i thought A Scanner Darkly in particular is quite good.

JuntMonkey · #3 04-18-2007, 06:33 PM

[ QUOTE ]
I am a huge fan of the author and i thought Paycheck did a huge disservice, have you read other novels by him, i thought A Scanner Darkly in particular is quite good.

[/ QUOTE ]

No just Blade Runner so far. Do you love the short stories? I think I'm in the minority.

JuntMonkey · #4 04-18-2007, 06:37 PM

Also Shadowrun - SNES or Genesis?

Shadowrun · #5 04-18-2007, 06:42 PM

I played both, i like the SNES version a lot more.

in48092 · #6 04-18-2007, 09:29 PM

i haven't read much of his stuff, but "Man on the High Tower" was pretty good. The premise is Jap+Germany won WWII.

NajdorfDefense · #7 04-19-2007, 12:51 AM

He's awesome, read all the novels you can find. Ubik is great. 70% are good, 10% are great, 20% are way too drugged-out and paranoid.

ChipWrecked · #8 04-19-2007, 01:18 AM

Martian Time Slip.

Guy is on his way to a meeting. Yet, he has memories of the meeting. Which reality is correct?

That concept has remained with me for over 20 years. Don't remember much else about the book but anything that sticks with me that long I consider a plus.

Also loved 'Man in the High Castle'.

Note: I used to consume a lot of drugs.

Blarg · #9 04-19-2007, 02:35 AM

Or were you just about to?

KilgoreTrout · #10 04-19-2007, 09:27 AM

There was another thread about PKD a couple of months ago.

I like his short stories for a number of reasons, the foremost of which is the "isolation" theme. Usually only the protaganist is aware of what is really going on in the stories, and the characters have a flaw that limits their ability to act.

Anyway, there was discussion in the other thread about his short stories. Worth rereading.