Phillip K. Dick's books

[Hobbes]

I've just finished reading Ubik and I was wondering if anyone else has read it. It was one of the most bizarre and entertaining sci-fi books I've read so far.

[FullAuto]

He's a damn good writer, isn't he? Batshit mad, but a good writer.

Probably the only constant in his work is change, in that reality is never quite as it seems, people are never as they appear, or if they are they then change. It's a very different approach to sci-fi, and I have yet to read anyone else who can do it as well as he did. I think he's had a massive, mostly unseen affect on sci-fi community and media. Ubik being the case in point, there are some things (the 'half-life') that are very similar to ideas later expressed in the films 'Abre los ojos'/'Vanilla Sky'.

If you've ever had a look at the Sci-Fi Masterworks series of reprints (they're all damn good), you'll note he has about four or five of his novels included in the series, more than any other writer.

'Do Androids Dream Of Electric Sheep' is probably his best known (the basis for the excellent film 'Bladerunner'). 'We Can Rebuild You' and 'A Scanner Darkly' (soon to be made into a film as well) are both excellent. Other films are 'Total Recall' and 'Minority Report' but they pissed all over the source material, really.

[Hobbes]

I read Do Android Dream of Electric Sheep but some other ones that I can't remember the name right now but Ubik was the best so far. I laughed everytime the fridge or the door or any appliance would ask for a nickel to be used. And the ending was brilliant.

[FullAuto]

That's one of the craziest books he wrote. I admit I had no idea what was going on, with the different perceptions, whatshernames ability to change the past and the psychics interfering. Most sci-fi writers give you a solid ground to stand on. PKD constantly whips it out from under you.

[DoomMunky]

That was totally my experience with A Scanner Darkly, which I finally read all the way through: I picked it up on a friend's recommendation a couple of years ago and put it down about 50 pages from the end. I just had no idea what was going on anymore. But then recently I picked it up again and read the whole thing and was completely freakin' in love with it. I think the major difference was in my approach: the first time I was expecting it to be like other books I had read and it therefore frustrated and annoyed me, but the second time I was reading it on it's own terms, and letting it just be what it was, and it turned out to be one of the most rewarding, interesting, and completely freaking insane and wonderful books I've ever read. A Top 10 if there ever was one...

 

Now I gotta go back and check out Androids Dream...

[FullAuto]

Bit of an example to us all, PKD. Took massive amounts of drugs, got married five times, knocked out forty-plus novels and God knows how many short stories. A true genius.

[JellyfishGreen]

I felt the influence of "We can remember it for you wholesale" all over "The Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind", the Jim Carrey movie. This was billed as a romantic movie, and you need to be prepared for that, but it's blended with a bit of science fiction and a bit of craziness. It's all good.

[FullAuto]

I can't remember what other films he's 'influenced' there used to be a big list up somewhere on the net but I can't find it.

Needless to say, Bladerunner, Total Recall, Minority Report, ESOTSM, Vanilla Sky, Paycheck (gah!), The Truman Show, eXistenZ and many other films would not exist, or at least would be very different, without him.

[serge]

There was also 'Screamers' movie (based on 'Second Variety' story)

[FullAuto]

Not seen that. Anyone know if it's any good?

[JellyfishGreen]

I think I've seen it, didn't leave much of an impression.

[Azrael Strife]

Fun movie

[Danial]

I love Screamers! I haven't read Second Variety, but from what I've read on the net, it's meant to be the closest conversion of any of his books (except for making it set on another planet ).