Philip K Dick

the_monkey

Hi,
Wondering what people think of Philip K Dick here, I read The man in the high castle - quite enjoyed it but maybe was expecting more after all the rave reviews.

So I was having a browse yesterday and I saw Ubik - it looks good I might pick it up ? what are people's opinions here ?

Also might pick up Do Androids dream of electric sheep ? I liked the film, is the book a similar tale or completely different ? like Total Recall ..

mrsoundie

Read a few of his books years ago and what struck me was the everything I read reminded me of 50s America.

But must be one of the most used short stories for films ever.

PS Open to correction.;)

Supermensch

Ubik is an extremely good book, if a bit mind-bending. Definitely pick it up.

Do Androids Dream and Blade Runner are both very good, but I prefer to regard both as being separate. They're not terribly different, but I still like to judge them as distinct works. Anyway, do read the book.

Another two Philip K. Dick books I liked were A Scanner Darkly (would not recommend the film) and Martian Time-Slip.

mrsoundie

Because you brought it up just dug out Second Variety, a collection of his short stories, great read.

Dades

I've read a bunch and enjoyed them, but I too was disappointed with The Man in the High Castle. Perhaps a victim of its own reputation.

Our Man from Frolix 8 was quite funny, and I really liked A Maze of Death and The World Jones Made.

Don't like his writing at all

Dan_Solo

Sort of you read one you read 'em all. You just know whatever's going on is going to end up inside someone else's head or somesuch.
Tales of the very expected.

L

Very good short story writer (original and interesting ideas) but his longer fiction tends to suffer from his focus wandering midway through. I've always gotten the feeling that his longer books are like two stories jammed together unevenly.

Wintergreen

Now Wait for Last Year is my favourite novel by him. He came up with some great original stories!