Philip K. Dick - the novels

Connavar said:
Isnt set in a dystopian future like many other PKD ?

I think most of what he does are sf, no matter if its social side of it.
I have read books of his that hade time travel,space travel,aliens but still was about human emotions. His themes are always more important the sf elements of his worlds. He could have written his books as well without any sf elements.
Click to expand...
Like I said, it was not set very far into the future. About 15 years. Things weren't that much different to how they were then. Maybe society had continued to degenerate slightly but I wouldn't have called it any more dystopian than you would call our current society.

I wouldn't have even called it social SF really.
 
Fried Egg said:
Like I said, it was not set very far into the future. About 15 years. Things weren't that much different to how they were then. Maybe society had continued to degenerate slightly but I wouldn't have called it any more dystopian than you would call our current society.

I wouldn't have even called it social SF really.
Click to expand...

I wouldnt know which type of PKD it is. I have read some 60s,an early 50s one. His 70s books are famous for being so different.

I saw little of the movie, it sure seemed like a wierd near future but not too different from today.

I saw you will read Martian Time-Slip i ordered it just today. Hopefully i can read it soon. The synopsis sounded very interesting,the kid,the political side.
 
Now I've picked up three more: We can build you, The Simulacra and Dr. Bloodmoney. Found them on a second hand book stall. They wouldn't have been my choice if I'd bought them new and had the full range to pick from but hey, beggers can't be choosers.

I've started on The Simulacra and I'm quite enjoying it; when I finally got round the multitude of characters the narrative revolves around.
 
We Can build you ? Something to do with the famous short story ?
 
We Can Remember It for You Wholesale is the story i got it confused it with. Like it was We Can build it for you Wholesale and not remember it.

Although We Can Build you sounds interesting. With simulacra of famous historical people.
 
The Simulacra is not a book I recommend to someone as a way of getting them into PKD but I am quite enjoying it, being already into his work generally.
 
Fried Egg said:
The Simulacra is not a book I recommend to someone as a way of getting them into PKD but I am quite enjoying it, being already into his work generally.
Click to expand...

So what book WOULD you recommend? Martian Time Slip was ok but i never finished it. But again that was down to me,not the book.
 
AE35Unit said:
So what book WOULD you recommend? Martian Time Slip was ok but i never finished it. But again that was down to me,not the book.
Click to expand...
Can you list which books you've read?

I'll list the books I've read (excluding this one that I'm currently reading) in preference order:

1) A Scanner Darkly
2) Ubik
3) The Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldritch
4) The Penultimate Truth
5) Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?

I would hesitate to recommend "A Scanner Darkly" only because it is very light on actual SF although it is a great book. "The Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldritch" is possibly too mind blowing for a PKD newbie so "Ubik" is a good choice. "The Penultimate Truth" is probably the least surreal of the five and closest (thematically) to "The Simulacra" so I would hesitate to recommend that given what you've told me although I still thought it was very good.

[EDIT] So, in case I didn't make myself clear, I would recommend Ubik.
 
Last edited:
Fried Egg said:
Can you list which books you've read?

I'll list the books I've read (excluding this one that I'm currently reading) in preference order:

1) A Scanner Darkly
2) Ubik
3) The Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldritch
4) The Penultimate Truth
5) Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?

I would hesitate to recommend "A Scanner Darkly" only because it is very light on actual SF although it is a great book. "The Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldritch" is possibly too mind blowing for a PKD newbie so "Ubik" is a good choice. "The Penultimate Truth" is probably the least surreal of the five and closest (thematically) to "The Simulacra" so I would hesitate to recommend that given what you've told me although I still thought it was very good.

[EDIT] So, in case I didn't make myself clear, I would recommend Ubik.
Click to expand...

Ok this will be embarrassing. The only books I can remember reading is Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep(not really memorable) and The Simulacra
Neither of them lit a fire.
Oh and about a third of Martian Time Slip,which did seem to have some promise.
I did have the Valis trilogy at one point but never got round to reading it before The Big Book Purge of 2001 when I had to get rid of most of my books(cringes)
 
Now Wait For Last Year is one of the best of his books and more straight forward in story,epicness than his more emotional,softer,wierder stories.
Like The Stree Stigmata of Palmer Elderitch.Flow My Tears,the Policeman Said.

Dont read those two books. Not good for a newbie to PKD specially some like you who arent used to that kind of sf.

If you cant finish Now Wait For Last Year or A Scanner Darkly im sure you will never enjoy PKD. He will be too soft sciences,human condition,emotional,wierd for you. Which are exactly the reasons i rate him as a literary genius and one of the best i read in SF along with RAH.
 
I read Flow My Tears as a newbie and loved it. I don't think it ranks as high on the softer weirder stories as a lot of his other stuff. The Valis trilogy blows it out of the water.

I usually recommend Ubik and Flow My Tears to people trying to get into PKD. I find them to be a good equilibrium between the more straight forward sides and the OMFG WHAT AM I READING Phil Dick.
 
Flow My Tears isnt straightforward in story thats why i dont recommend to a newbie. Sure it isnt too wierd but its more emotional than caring about where the story is going.

In that case its like the wierdest of PKD to a newbie who expect more straightforward story. Thats why Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep ? is good start. Its really straight as an arrow compared to other PKD books.
 
Ah i just been to the library to take books back and saw they had some PKD in paperback,Flow my Tears and Galactic Pot Healer which I brought home. Anyone read the latter?
 
I picked up my first PKD novel (The Man in the High Castle), got about halfway through and just...stalled. The premise is intruiging but the delivery is kind of lacking to me.

How would it rate as compaired to the rest?
 
Abyssimal said:
I picked up my first PKD novel (The Man in the High Castle), got about halfway through and just...stalled. The premise is intruiging but the delivery is kind of lacking to me.

How would it rate as compaired to the rest?
Click to expand...

It won a Hugo but that was rather random. And it's well regarded. I suspect most people would rank it very highly. However, it's... drier... than most. IOW, if you want some full blast gonzo weirdness, then maybe The Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldritch, or Ubik or something like that might do. I don't see people stalling in those - they either run screaming or they love 'em. Then you might go back to High Castle and might like it more.

Conversely, if someone freaked out after a first exposure to Stigmata, I might recommend something milder like High Castle. :)

Basically, it's one of Dick's better ones, but don't give up on him if that one didn't do it for you.
 
Dont recommend The Stigmata of Palmer Eldritch to a newbie thats cruel ;)

Yeah i felt The Man In the High Castle was written more bland than his other 60s
books.
Abyssimal:

I recommend ,Now Wait For Last Year,Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep ? as good place to start PKD.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Thread starter Similar threads Forum Replies Date
B Do You Think it Possible That Philip K Dick Could Have Been An Influence On Frank Herbert's Dune ? Book Discussion 10
E Philip K. Dick book Book Search 2
Rjalex ChatGPT Critique of Philip K Dick. Hilarious! Writing Discussion 15
Rumi_fan Do Philip K. Dick's books have fist fight scenes? Classic SF&F 4
S What is the best Philip K. Dick adaptation? General Film Discussion 17

Similar threads


Back
Top