/lit/ - Literature

This thread is relevant to my interests. I'm also intrigued by Dick's literature, particularly in his exploration of metaphysics.
I've only read his essay 'How to Build a Universe That Doesn't Fall Apart Two Days Later' which was extremely interesting.

I have only read Androids, but was also considering curling up with some Dick this summer. Perhaps /lit/ should collectively read his least known works, so we can discuss Dick at length.

I've only read VALIS. I'd like to this but I'm reading Infinite Jest right now and it'll probably take the entire summer to do so.

>>2732225

Good idea. I've been meaning to start with A Scanner Darkly which seems like one of his best novels.

I've only read essays by him, but i just started reading a man in the high castle this weekend.
It's had me thinking that if Nazi's really did win WW2 we would already be on Mars mining helium and platinum.

Just bought Ubik from the local bookstore and am planning on reading it a little later. The only other book I've read by Dick is TMITHC, which I didn't really like that much, so I can't really speak about his work authoritatively enough. I hope Ubik is gonna be better.

Dick is one of my favorite authors. He was intense and philosophical while still being playful and absurdly comic. I loved Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep. But Ubik, Valis, And his short stories were also good. I must admit I was going through some semi- schizophrenic psychological issues when reading most of these, might have altered the impression given. Phil was crazy, but he held it together, a true hero.

Ubik, A Scanner Darkly, The Man in the High Castle, and Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep are all dickcore.

The prose is simple but he does exactly what he needs/wants to do with his characters and story. It works rather well.

Can anyone read the fucking thing? Something I feel like I suffer from bad eyesight, I can't read 50% of the crap you people dump on this board

>>2732249

>Dickcore

>I was thinking about making this summer The Summer of Dick.

Im sure you where, OP.

>>2732249

Is 'Do Androids Dreams Of Electric Sheep' very similar to Blade Runner or is the film just a very loose adaptation of Dicks novel?

>>2732259
blade runner as a film is better than androids as a book

it's a bare-bones adaptation

>>2732259
Yes they are similar. Yes it is a loose adaptation. As is the game.

Harrison Ford explains it well:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0QcyX9JWMMo&7m33s

>>2732199
What can I say, OP? I guess i'm a SUCKER for DICK. I'm mostly into more high-brow books, but every now and then I just want to treat myself to some good ol' Dick. I, myself, am planning on embarking on a Summer of Dick. Ahhh, to sit in the shade of a willow tree on a hot summer day while treating myself to some delicious, tasty, Dick.

Literally finished VALIS ten hours ago. He was batshit and he was brilliant. Love A Scanner Darkly, Flow My Tears, Man in the High Castle, Do Androids Dream. Been meaning to read UBIK but I can never find a copy of it.

>>2732214
Funny enough, while I do find his ventures into metaphysics and/or I-Ching and random/similar divination stuff an important part of who he was - a occult-like offshoot of his paranoia - what interests me the most about him is the way he portrayed cogs of society or rather corporate structures that grind, almost predeterminedly, his protagonists.

I am very interested in social networking of modern society, a sucker for post-cyberpunk themes so problems of identity and bizzarre, humorous, tragic insights that he offers (along with his somewhat rambling writing style that I may learn from) are what draws me to him the most.

That being said, I guess Valis will be at the back of books that smack through on my precious Kindle Touch.

Right now, my reading order:

Three Stigmatas of Palmer Eldritch
The Zap Gun
Dr. Bloodmoney
Ubik

Then I will branch out.

Oh and this is the biography that I mentioned, very well-written stuff:

http://www.amazon.com/Divine-Invasions-Life-Philip-Dick/dp/0806512288

I totally reccomend this!

>>2732297
Is it wrong to still want Apple Milk?

>>2732307
Not at all ;_;

Even though she's now oh so catatonic and sombre

I'm liking the R. Crumb as the op pic.

>>2732337
If you haven't (and I believe you have), read Crumb-illustrated Kafka for beginners, sublime work.

what is a good novel to start with??

>>2732401

Don't forget this.

>>2734709
Gonna have to check it out, thanks!

>>2734777

It's a masterwork.

>>2732263
I thought Bladerunner sucked ass, but that's just my opinion.
The environments were fabulous however

reading this now. dick is CRAZY and SMART put them together and bibbity-bobbity-boo

Dick is my favourite author.
I just read a collection of some of his novels The Golden Man.
There's an interesting introduction.

He says that for a period he survived on cat food he would buy at a pet shop.
Also at some point he went homeless, taking drugs and fucking whores while living in his car.

The guy is just so good at producing a story that will make you think in very few words and pages.
He gives perspective. He explores humanity. What would humans do in a bizarre context?

>>2734809
interesting, i don't remember that from his biography (whores i mean). also how much of dick's work have you read?
>>2734802
is it... coherent?

>>2734800
how's the jaw?

>>2734800
Roger is that you?

>>2734869
I remember reading two big tomes with like 20 of his novels.
Then I have individual books like ubik, the man in the high castle.
And recently I found The Golden Man lying around, with some novels.

So I don't know.
You forget easily those little novels even if they're great to read and leave a good impression.

>>2734906
If I do try snorting it again ill probable have a cheeky line of charlie to numb my face first, honestly the pain was unbearable. Over the past few years 2C's seem to have have sprung up everywhere. I started going to warehouse parties at 17 because all the clubs here are strict on ID, and all anyone did was MDMA. Now everyone is on 2cs, and psychedelics are making a massive comeback, we even get people smoking DMT in the chillout rooms.

In all honesty my party drug of choice is MD, with mushrooms for trips. I don't really like hallucinating in clubs/warehouses though, especially in London where you're likely to get mugged if you're swaying around or stood still staring at the lasers. and if i'm indoors with a group of friends it's usually shrooms or ket.

>>2734931
Is that a quote?

PKD was off his fucking not.

Believes that purple light from the necklace of a Jehovah's Witness gave him prophetic powers. It told him his son was sick so he took it to the hospital and a hernia was detected.

>>2735173
So... it told the truth?

>>2732245
>It's had me thinking that if Nazi's really did win WW2 we would already be on Mars mining helium and platinum.
uh, that's kind of a weird conclusion to get from man in the high castle.

>>2732256
yes, congrats idiot, that was the joke he was going for

>>2734906
actually a lot of reviewers thought blade runner was a piece of shit. nowadays it's pretty much unassailable in science fiction circles but at the time it was a very divisive film.

>>2735294
I really don't think that it was so hard to ... okay, I can get that first 'draft', one with horrible voiceover narration wasn't quite giving away the feel of one of the best movies (not only scifi) ever. But still, to disregard it as a bunch of flashy vistas is too shortsighted to be considered relevant opinion.

Ok, so:

High Castle
Ubik
or ASD