Was Philip K. Dick the greatest post-War writer of all? Not just science fiction, but fiction period. It is a lofty conceit to be sure, but one I think a case can be made for.
Hollywood is certainly still interested. Following the successes of Blade Runner, Total Recall, Minority Report, and A Scanner Darkly, there is now a production of his classic 1974 book Flow My Tears, The Policeman Said in the works. A re-make of Total Recall is also going on.
These blockbusters only scratch the surface of the 36 novels PKD published in his lifetime.
In the end, Philip K. Dick’s genius was deceptively simple. His secret was that his heroes were always us. By placing the reader front and center of extraordinary events, we became intimately involved. He was able to make the stories believable because his characters reacted to bizarre situations the way most “average” people would. It was an incredible gift, and one of the many reasons his tales never felt outlandish.
The Library Of America has recently issued a landmark set of Philip Kindred Dick’s finest works. The three volume set comprises thirteen of his full-length novels.
Volume one: Four Novels of the 1960s includes The Man In The High Castle, The Three Stigmata Of Palmer Eldritch, Ubik, and Do Androids Dream Of Electric Sheep?
Volume two: Five Novels Of The 1960s & 70s features Martian Time Slip, Dr. Bloodmoney, or How We Got Along After The Bomb, Now Wait For Last Year, A Scanner Darkly, and Flow My Tears, The Policeman Said.
Volume three: VALIS And Later Novels contains VALIS, A Maze Of Death, The Divine Invasion, and The Transmigration Of Timothy Archer.
Where to begin with such a wealth of material? My personal preference has always been for The Man In The High Castle. Originally published in 1962, it describes a world in which Japan and Germany won World War II, and the United States is a divided land. It won the Hugo Award that year, and remains as vivid a story as ever.
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Article comments
1 - Glen Boyd
What a dick! (I always wanted to say that).
2 - Greg Barbrick
Very funny Mr. Boyd. I wonder if zing ever read PKD.
Your Beatles thing sparked some conversation.
3 - Greg Barbrick
Fuck it man, talk to Bicho. He understannds Kaufman at least
GSB.
4 - Mr. Mustard
You brought us here for this? 13 novels and you talk about two (barely) and a movie. Thanks for wasting my time
5 - Glen Boyd
That Mean Mr. Mustard is a real sweetie-pie isn't he?
6 - El Bicho
I am not sure what the me/Kaufman reference is in regard to, so I am not clear what I am missing. I am surprised you single Blade Runner out because the story is so different from the novel