Second Variety - Philip K. Dick

Dicking Around With a Cosmic Prankster

Advantages: Fast paced. Clearly written. Fairly short novel.
Disadvantages: None other than Dick is dead.

Hi. This is Steve. I am currently taking the reigns from Lori for a day or so. She wanted me to write an opinion on Philip K. Dick, and so here I am. Master of the Dystopian future landscape, (ala the movies, "BLADERUNNER" and "TOTAL RECALL" which were both based on Philip K. Dick stories) THE MAN WHO JAPED sees Philip K. Dick at his dark humoured best. Amongst the crowded urbanized landscape of a distant planet, in a now stellar wide commercial earth empire, THE MAN WHO JAPED sees the main protagonist cast as an almost Quizotic character tilting at the "windmills" of a sterile society that has taken politics of contemporary "gated communities" and set their petty restrictions in legislation. In a universe where, literally, personal space is a luxury that few can afford, apartments are now computer controlled to remodel ...

Coxecal 15.04.2003 · Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful
Review of The Man Who Japed - Philip K. Dick

Ubik Will Melt Open Your Mind

Advantages: Brilliant
Disadvantages: Outrageously Surreal, Complex

This book is an outstanding piece of surrealist science fiction unlike mostly anything else, ever. The language is terribly clever, but not unwieldy and certainly accessible. The characters are not terribly filled out, but that's really appropriate for Philip K. Dick's everyman style of writing. This reads something like "Death of a Salesman" if it were written by Sartre. It's one of my favorite books by Philip K. Dick, even if it's a little less directly applicable to my psychology and life than some of his other books. Actually, its very difficult to absorb the ideas Philip K. Dick puts into his stories, but they're super-saturated with oblique commentaries on the state of mankind and the human condition. I loaned this book out to my friends and family, and was surprised at how well-received it was among folk who don't read much ...

Dysaniak 21.07.2009 · Read full review
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Review of Ubik - Philip K. Dick

Masterwork

Advantages: Fantastic writing
Disadvantages: None

I've long been a fan of Philip K Dick's writing. It's just so wild and witty and full of fantastic imagery - it's easy to see why Hollywood plunders his work so often (Blade Runner, Minority Report, Total Recall, Imposter, Paycheck). It's just a shame that so much of the tone of his work is generally lost in those adaptations. I was drawn to A Scanner Darkly after 2006's remarkable film adaptation. The story of an undercover policeman's attempts to penetrate the distribution network of a new and deadly drug (Substance D), A Scanner Darkly is classic Philip K Dick. Noone is quite as they seem, and reality itself is fluid. Before long Bob Arctor is putting himself under surveillance. Becoming more paranoid and confused, the tone of the novel gradually becomes darker and darker. Only Donna, his aloof girlfriend, seems to be keeping ...

Olly_Plimsoll 27.03.2007 · Read full review
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Review of A Scanner Darkly - Philip K. Dick