Phllip K. Dick

Somewhere in the interweb world there will come along an article about Ridley Scott's Blade Runner (it's out there, just not released yet. It's ready to go but technology can be such a bitch sometimes). In this article, there is an interview with Phillip K. Dick's daughter, Isa.

I am a huge sci-fi fan, yet I HATE Isaac Asimov; oh, the irony (how can you not like the man who wrote the Three Laws of Robotics?). I love Orson Scott Card. My favorite novel is Double Exposure. I really do like William Gibson, though he can be very dry. I've read novels that totally bite on Gibson's work and I've loved them, too. So many different authors that I cannot remember. I thank my dad for his indirect influence (I just wish he would have helped me become more of a voracious reader like he was).

One author that I've never read is PKD. Getting back to the first paragraph, the reason why I mention the Blade Runner article is because, after reading that, I went and read Dick's brief autobiography and wow.. this man was brilliant. He wrote so much in such a short time. His ideas were off the wall and he wrote a fucking journal that's huge. Like, 8,000 pages-huge.

His ideas about reality and what shapes it are rather interesting. Why is it that people who are almost off their rocker (ie: John Forbes Nash - mathematician) are the most brilliant? It's one thing to wish for better articulation but to be so brilliant that you're crazy. Well, I wish to be brilliant, but not crazy. Anyway, I've become fascinated with the man and now I want to read his work.

I don't want to seem like I'm jumping on the PKD bandwagon. If my father'd had any of his novels, I'm sure I would have read them (after all, my favorite author is Dean Koontz.. again, thanks dad.. and he didn't even really like Koontz). But Dick is becoming more and more popular these days. We have seen a resurgence of him due to the popularity of Blade Runner (adapted from the novel, Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?). We've seen A Scanner Darkly, Total Recall (adapted poorly from a short story, I understand), Paycheck (John Woo, bless his heart.. but Ben Affleck? What a nutter!) and a host of other films. We will see other films adapted from his stories and novels come to fruition soon. The man, who no one thought would ever be of any interest to mainstream society, is now one of the most influential science fiction writers of all time. It's what happens when you die prematurely.

Anyway, I will make it a mission to read the writings of PKD. His philosophy, his work, everything.. it interests me. I've got so much to read as it is. I need more time in the day! And more focus.

It is at these times I wish I were better read, more articulate and, simply, smarter. Though I'm not stupid, I wish I were just a little bit more intelligent.