To anyone new to Philip K Dick- I gotta say: I totally agree with the recommendations here. HOWEVER, I know sometimes its really hard to motive yourself to read a new book, or you might not ¨get¨ PKD. In that case, start with his short stories- esp ¨We can remember it for you wholesale¨ or ¨The preserving machine¨ (only 9 pages long but super powerful) Most of his short stories are online as free pdfs. Theyre really tripped out but still easy to follow and would make a great newcomers introduction. I felt the need to say this because he is an incredible writer who I feel everyone ought to give a chance to- even if you dont have the motivation to read a whole book rn lol PS- If you like his work, do what I did and go buy some afterwards to support their publication
I love Phillip K Dick, he's why I write fiction and a constant reservoir of inspiration. I started with probably is most difficult novel, Valis and it remains a favorite of mine. Also Do Androids Dream of Electric Sleep, making my way to Ubik now.
I had a brutal childhood and escaped into Science Fiction.First Dick I read was "Eye In The Sky" - I read it in about 1961 when I was 9. IT has most of the themes he later developed, interestingly enough. SO I read things like Martian TIme-slip when it was serialized as "All WE Marsmen" in the sci-fi mag "Worlds of Tomorrow" and eagerly awaited each new release. OF course, I joined the sci-fi book club and .. lo and behold.. here was a non serialization that became a hardcover release. I was 13 when I first read "The Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldritch". It changed me. I began to be an advocate for him ( Heinlein was the big kahuna back then) and pressed his novels to whomever showed an interest. It was rather odd to me when , in the 90s scholarly articles and critical assessments were beginning to document my own reading experiences. But really as time as gone on, his rep has only grown and deservedly so. Thanks for the video.
Since you mentioned Thomas Pynchon, I have to say he's probably the number one author I'd recommend if someone were looking to read something similar to Dick's works. Gravity's Rainbow is definitely something any Philip K. Dick fan should try.
Philip K. Dick was a genius. That doesn't mean he didn't have limitations, like any author, but I can't say better than that about anybody. He has been accepted by the Library of America. This doesn't mean he has to be liked by everybody, but that he should have been read by a wider audience, as have J.G.Ballard, Brian Aldiss, Kurt Vonnegut, Ursula LeGuin and Ray Bradbury. Despite this, many people, including those who have read within the science fiction genre, haven't heard of him. I would assume this means he's still something special waiting to be discovered, and isn't public property, but has a balanced readership. Of course, the gaps that still exist, means there's still grey areas. It's not that simple. AS an anecdote to the pulp abstract in his writing, there's an excellent example I think, in "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep". There, Isodore and the android girl[spoilers!], discuss their love of old pulp science fiction magazines, but the weird irony of this is of course, that they and the plot of the novel, is that they and the places they are living in, are the very same as what they're talking about! He's being very matter of fact about the fictional reality they live in, that like ourselves, it is to them, totally concrete and believeable. It's part of his brilliance, that only he could I think, have done it with such panache, and got away with it.
I started with man in High Castle and followed it with Do Androids dream of Electric sheep and a large book of short stories. Now I'm about halfway through three Stigmata and will likely do Ubik next. His books are addicting and he keeps the pace going, even if there is no action.
Truly enjoyable video. Thanks. I worked in a bookstore but I didn't have as much fun as you have. I learned a few things: Books are heavy. I know what will sell. Anyone can write a book. People LOVE books about the breed they own. People like to buy books on how to do things. Fiction is sold less than non fiction. I hope you own the bookstore because you are better than to work in a store.
Bit late to your site, but had to comment. I - as you say - found PKD in 1976 , purely by accident. Blew my 13 year old mind and proceeded to read 30 novels ... and was laughed at at school by people who judged the books on the completely unrelated covers which were even LESS to do with the contents in the pages than they are now. Nice to hear you enthuse about the door scene, I LOVED that !Your recommendations are spot on too.
I actually love PKD all the more for his pulpy tendencies. It makes his mind-bending, trippy books all the more crazy and unreal. (And funny.) If you can't tolerate any pulpy elements to your philosophical explorations of the nature of reality, he's not the writer for you. But I've only just begun to really read his stuff, after initially pacing myself on his books. I'm currently reading one of his non-genre books, Humpty Dumpty in Oakland. Of the other six I've read, I'd rank them this way: 1. Flow My Tears... 2. Ubik 3. The Three Stigmata... 4. The Man in the High Castle 5. The Penultimate Truth 6. Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? I actually don't think Do Androids..? is the best starting point, especially if you've seen Blade Runner a hundred times as I have, because the book comes across as so goofy in comparison. Still love it. Ubik is the best of what I've read, but Flow My Tears, which was the first PDK I read, is my favorite, and a great starting point. I've read it twice and could easily read it again. I love the movie of A Scanner Darkly a lot. I've seen it several times and I'm really interested in the book. On my shelf to read I have The Zap Gun, Vulcan's Hammer, Time Out of Joint, and In Milton Lumky Territory. Lots and lots of great reading awaits me.
Great I have started "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sleep?" and I like it so far. Will definitely or in time check out "Ubik" next. Thanks for the recommendations!
Absolutely top-notch. I love how passionate you are about Philip K. Dick, and I want nothing more than to forget everything I'm currently reading, sit my butt down, and crack open Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep. Brilliant, Jakob!
+CravingBooks Thanks Hanaa! That means a lot. Go read some PKD -- I can't wait to hear your thoughts. I think you'd particularly like Ubik or Scanner Darkly (...Darkly maybe being a potentially good "fucked-up read" tho I'm not sure haha)
The major difference between Do Androids - and Blade Runner is the core concern that the andys are NOT human because of their lack of their concern for others (something humans too often also lack), as compared with Dekard's careful concern about not killing someone who is test-ably and prove-ably human, by the test he's been given to apply. Dick's stated inspiration for this story was reading an interview with someone who worked in a concentration camp who said; 'the wails of the children made it hard to sleep'. That Dekard's test is challenged by an other police organisation that uses a different test, but that the police station may be staffed by andys, and then that Pris and Rachel are identical in form, but not alike mentally... The TV religion of Mercerism parallels this by being factually and prove-ably a TV series using actors, but remains a religion because people can take hold of handles on the TV to experience the religious figures' pain and suffering. Let's say that the film is basically sympathetic to the replicant 'supermen who are unable to fly' being oppressed, when this is actually supremely irrelevant due to the conditions on Earth, while the book, as you suggest, is concerned that the attempt to 'other' people is false, counter-productive and results in a stalemate.
Hey man I am from India I haven't read for a while trying to get back into it I loved reading 22.11.63 and gone girl and watched blade runner and the man in the high castle and I think it was a probably a mistake so with handmaid I didnt made the same mistake again but I read the book then the show ( cause why not) so I wanted get into him so this is exactly what I wanted thank you for this and please continue doing this cause I have a hectic schedule and sometimes doing something like reading is so hard this helps a lot
Hey dude! Happy new year! Thank you so much for your message. Really happy to hear you're enjoying Philip K. Dick and my videos. Unfortunately, I've slowed down on video making to pursue other projects. That said, if you haven't seen my others, I do have a bit of a backlog lol. Also, if you're looking for a fun read, I've actually self-published a fantasy novel with some cyberpunk-y elements to it. So if you're looking for a quick fun read, check that out here! www.amazon.com/dp/B07JBD28H5/ref=nav_timeline_asin?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1
I loved Ubik! I think I've only read three of his novels and this one was so good, and as you mentioned, completely bonkers. I need to dive back into his resume and read a couple of new ones. Thanks for reminding me of how awesome of a writer he was.
+Danmartinlikesyou Oh cheers dude! I would go Electric Sheep or Scanner Darkly in that case. But he's got so many, you can't go wrong. Thanks for watching :)
Just discovering this video (I was looking all over youtube for some old PKD interviews & documentary). As a Dickhead myself I think you did a great job talking about the author and sharing the love. "Do Androids..." is also the one I always recommend to people who want to try PKD. Not just because it's his most famous, but i think it's more accessible and the plot is easier to follow than some of his other stuff. It also has some genius ideas like the Mood Organ, Mercerism, and many other concepts... My personal favorite would be "The Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldritch". Very creepy and trippy. I also recently finished "A Scanner Darkly" and loved it. I agree with you, it's one of his finest, but it's also very different from his other work. Probably because it was so personal to him. The movie adaptation is by far the best and closest to the original novel. Have you read some of PKD biographies? The man had such a fascinating life.
Great vid...Flow My Tears, the Policeman Said, was my first book I read by PKD. It's levels upon levels upon levels. Like Bladerunner. Everytime I watch it I feel I'm coming closer and closer to the realization I'm the android and PKD is simply helping ease the blow of that shock. That's art.
This work has always impressed me especially with how many boundaries in story telling he broke and shaped sci-fi for the better. My favorite sci-fi concept is alternate reality.
+The Lawn Gnome Completely agree. Also agree with you down below about William Gibson. He's another one of my faves. If I read some more of him, he might even get a Where to Start video one day. But that's quite down the line... Thanks for watching! :)
Great review man!!! Very helpful! I am a fan of all the movies... and so i would love to appreciate his writing! Upon looking up his writings there are many! You are a very fun, intelligent, and inquisitive guy! Thanks for your review~
Yesterday I just bought Martian Time-Slip. Although you have not mentioned it, I hope it's still a novel by him worth a read =). I'm really excited to read it anyways =). If I like it I will certainly read Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep!
+Eva Hoo It's a good one, though not my favourite. It's a mix of his sort of psychedelic stuff and his more slow-going literary stuff. So it's a good mix. And I did hold it up at the beginning actually haha. Enjoy - plz let me know how it goes :)
Now Wait For Last Year was my first Dick. It revolves around a toxic, addictive time-travel drug which was developed as a weapon of war. The plot is like Mr. Toad’s wild ride... Some of my other favorite Dicks are The Penultimate Truth, Simulacra, Dr. Bloodmoney, and the incoherent but wild The Unteleported Man a.k.a. Lies, Inc. There are so many more like Maze of Death and Clans of the Alphane Moon.. But skip Counter-Clock World and Dr. Futurity.
Hey guys!!! Thanks for the love! I don't know how you came across my little slice of the internet, but if you're fans of PKD, I've just published a fantasy novel with some cool cyberpunky elements over on Amazon. Check it out! :) :) www.amazon.com/Arcane-Kingdom-Online-Chosen-Adventure-ebook/dp/B07JBD28H5/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1540225433&sr=8-1&keywords=arcane+kingdom+online
I don't know how anyone can not want to read a book because of the cover. And people are really missing out on not reading PKD. You're preaching to the choir on this one to me. I've been reading and listening to audiobooks by Philip K Dick for at least 20 years and probably more likely 25. And the only 2 books I couldn't get into of his were The Man In The High Castle and The Transmigration Of Timothy Archer. My favourites are Clans Of The Alphane Moon and Flow My Tears The Policeman Said and A Scanner Darkly.And I can't quite remember the title of another one but it's about a disabled kid working in an electronics shop at the beginning. But those are just what I can remember off the top of my head. But I know for a fact if I actually spent a couple minutes thinking and looking up I could probably list about 15 that are my favourites. He's an absolute master of weird and engrossing. So sad he never really lived long enough to see the praise and love his books now receive (from those who know). But yes he certainly needs to be pushed more and I mean his books and audiobooks not the film's or adaptations. At one point I was reading so much PKD that I honestly used to dream his worlds as my own reality or my own reality with some of his quirks working through it. He's probably 1 or 2 on my favourite authors list. Terry Pratchett is interchangeable with him but for obviously different reasons but both as masterful as each other but in different ways.
I would have never thought to pick up any of his books prior to watching this video. I'm so intrigued by his work now! Great video! I will definitely look into his work :)
+Mia Kanani Oh cheers! Yeah I hope you dig him. He's certainly a weird one, but addictive if you get into it. Most of his books are only 200 pages, so you could read a whole swoop of them in a week or two ;)
+Jakob Tanner they sound very weird and unique, I love that in books. I'll have to see if they have them at my local library. I'll let you know once I read one what I thought :)
'The Man in the High Castle' is wonderful; the alternative realities are stacked in an odd way. The alternative reality novel within TMITHK is not OUR history of WWII, but yet another. Sometimes, reality shifts for the characters as well; Mr Tagomi briefly shifts into an alternative San Francisco where the Japanese Navy carrier in the harbour disappears, there is a new bridge within the city, people do not give him a seat in a crowded bar... we suspect that he crossed over briefly into OUR reality, while later he uses a fake Wild West-era gun to kill someone for real, suggesting that the concept of authenticity may be flawed... Also, the MITHK may be the author of the book you are reading, not the author of the underground 'we won' novel within the book... Have not seen the TV series.
The 1st Collected Short Stories is my current bedtime reading :) I've seen all the movies, but the only novel I've read is Do Androids Dream... Should probably read A Scanner Darkly, might make more sense than the film did lol (which I still thought was great!)
Just one thing, saying Dick was insanely prolific is a little bit strange if compared to how Asimov was prolific. Anyway, I really liked "do androids dream of electric sheep?".
haha, thanks! A lot of commenters didn't like it! I think it may have been harsh on the headphones (my bad guys) BUT the fine line between reality and illusion doesn't care about your ears :P :P :P
That static you inserted at the beginning not only scared me, it tore into my ears and sense of impending senility. Apart from that, enjoyed your efforts, thanks
for sure start with do androids dream of eletric sheep, its the most like a regular book while have philip k dick elements in it so its a good transition to his works
A truly Phildickian panel cartoon I saw many years ago. It shows someone drowning, and a robot speaking to them. The caption: I am your savior. If you wish to be saved deposit five cents in the slot. I am your savior. . .
I'd say start with short stories. Just about any collection would be fine, or you could start with my favorites, The Skull, Second Variety, and the novella Paycheck. Also, the difference between Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep and Blade Runner is the sardonic humor of the former. Blade Runner is so serious. Which is not to say that Androids isn't serious too, the spider scene in the book is more intense than anything in the movie. But stuff like the whole animal husbandry as a status symbol or making fun of religion with Mercerism, all that sort of thing is gone. Androids does both, and does both well.
Thank you for this video!!..It is engaging certaintly you will get more people reading him. I already read from him "Do androids dream of electric sheep" , "Solar lottery", "Valis" and planning to read "The man in the high castle".Indeed Philip K Dick writing is a mind altering expierience that is addictive.
+adriana adriana I haven't read VALIS as I've been worried it's getting too close to the point when Dick starts to lose it a little. Is it good? Thanks for watching, it means a lot :)
+Jakob Tanner I enjoyed Valis,, but it is a hard one to go through.I tackled it as a piece of metafiction Philip K Dick talking about himself his esquizofrenia and drug use in a metaphorical manner joining eastern and western philosophy , metaphysics , hermetic philosophy trying to make meaning of it all.If you have read Jorge Luis Borges you might enjoy it there is some elements of him there .Thanks you for answering the comment :) .
good video man :) I have read do androids dream of electric sheep , before this video & I am watching the man in the high castle season 1 at the moment so I stumbled on your video , a random click but good stuff, maybe I will try ubik
You've definitely convinced me to read some of these books. I don't know if you've got access to channel 4 where you live, but there's a series called Philip k dicks electric dreams on at the moment. (When I first wrote this comment it weren't what I wrote. It said something like "great job, looks like you've got some loyal fans" which was very weird. I wonder if it was because dick was in the comment and it was being checked it weren't offensive or something?)
Great video, JT, loved your intro - so meta! You've been telling me to read Ubik since we met, and I know I need to get on that asap. I'm totally down with the pulp! Also, that edition of Man in the High Castle is so cool!!
+Claire Quigley (ClaireQuip Reads) Cheers Claire! Yeah it's from 1964, only two years after it first came out! And to think I found it in an Oxfam. This is some precious Americana ;)
I listened to the beginning of The Man in High Castle on audiobook a little while ago and found it quite odd... But I am very interested to read Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep.
+Books and Things Do it! I think you might really dig Ubik. Also have you read any Jonathan Lethem? He's a contemporary American novelist I think you might dig ;)
I've only read "The Man in the High Castle" which I only picked up because it was for my book club at the time. I'll be honest; your description of the book was far more interesting that my experience while reading it!! I'm not sure if it was just that I was expecting something a bit more thrilling and was disappointed that I ended up just following these characters on their day to day lives but I ultimately found the whole thing dull. I gave it to my mum who couldn't even finish it. I think if I was to try and more PKD, I'd go with "A Scanner Darkly" :) Great video though!! Loved the intro/outro :-p
+The Book Fox High Castle is definitely the dullest for me. I'd say give Ubik a go, it's got a few good "wtf" moments in the first 100 pages and then in the second 100 pages its just like "Ohhhh my gawd -- what is happening! Are these characters real? Am I real?" Whatever you choose, let me know how it goes :)
This video has me wondering "How the heck had I never heard of Philip K. Dick before and where have his books been all my life??" Must read one ASAP. Your intro and outro were brilliant too, it reminded me of this one time I opened a fortune cookie and the fortune read "SOS, HELP, I'VE BEEN KIDNAPPED AND AM BEING HELD IN THE COOKIE FACTORY" which cracked me up but then I was like "........wait, what if they're serious?" Lol.
+royaevereads Try UBIK! It's totally f-ing nuts. But quite satisfying and haunting by the end. Yeah that's terrifying about the cookie and I'm happy you liked the intro/outro...I was really nervous it was gonna freak people out too much hahaha
His books were blatantly hurried and his prose was generally a bit uninspired and bland yet hes still easily my favorite author which is a testament to his ingenuity
Roog; Solar Lottery; Eye in the Sky; Radio Free Albemuth; Confessions of a Crap Artist. Crap Artist is not science fiction and was rejected by publishers in the 1950s. Published first in a very limited edition in 1975 or so, and now one of 10 non-scifi PKD novels in print. All the non-scifi novels were originally rejected by publishers. Crap Artist makes Catcher in the Rye seem like a walk in the park. Be forewarned.
Alfred Bester's Demolished Man and Stars My Destination are really good pre-PKD sci-fi in a similar vein. Probably the next in line would be William Gibson's Neuromancer. Also, a little bit out there and different but definitely inspired by PKD, is Jonathan Lethem's Gun, With Occasional Music and Chronic City. Enjoy!!
I love his ideas, but not so much his writing style. It feels a bit rigid with the exception of 'the man in the high castle which is my favourite of his works.
Thanks Gaby! I've slowed down on making videos to focus on my writing. If you like cyberpunk/fantasy/sword and sorcery, you can check out my first book here :) www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07JBD28H5?pf_rd_p=1581d9f4-062f-453c-b69e-0f3e00ba2652&pf_rd_r=44SQFMFQ1DGXBVPQCRKC
I've read Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep last year or the year before, and I wasn't impressed by it. But I do have The Man in the High Castle on my shelves, so I hope I enjoy that more when I get around to it :) When did you first start reading PKD?
+Amanda Center (IntrovertX) I came to PKD about two years ago via Jonathan Lethem, whose been probably PKD's biggest champion. He singlehandedly got PKD to canonical status (or, at the very least, his works published in the special academic hardbound Library of America series). PKD's reintroduced me to sci-fi after I had foresaken it at university. Oooh I'm curious -- what didn't you fancy about Electric Sheep?
Jakob Tanner From what I can remember, my attention just wasn't grabbed by the characters and the world. I remember it feeling really masculine, but I can't remember why. Oh, the ambiguity!!
Flow my Tears! Three Stigmata!
Ish the Stomach flow my tears was damn good!
RIP Earphones users
Yeah, that was a total Dick move at the end.
Yeah
I knew this would be here.
The Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldritch. Read it.
Ahhhh the ultimate mix betwen mad men and the invvasion of the body snatchers.
Philip K Dick change my life I love all his writing specially when he takes me to another world
Same here
To anyone new to Philip K Dick- I gotta say: I totally agree with the recommendations here. HOWEVER, I know sometimes its really hard to motive yourself to read a new book, or you might not ¨get¨ PKD. In that case, start with his short stories- esp ¨We can remember it for you wholesale¨ or ¨The preserving machine¨ (only 9 pages long but super powerful)
Most of his short stories are online as free pdfs. Theyre really tripped out but still easy to follow and would make a great newcomers introduction.
I felt the need to say this because he is an incredible writer who I feel everyone ought to give a chance to- even if you dont have the motivation to read a whole book rn lol
PS- If you like his work, do what I did and go buy some afterwards to support their publication
Beyond lies the Wub is great too.
I love Phillip K Dick, he's why I write fiction and a constant reservoir of inspiration. I started with probably is most difficult novel, Valis and it remains a favorite of mine. Also Do Androids Dream of Electric Sleep, making my way to Ubik now.
I had a brutal childhood and escaped into Science Fiction.First Dick I read was "Eye In The Sky" - I read it in about 1961 when I was 9. IT has most of the themes he later developed, interestingly enough. SO I read things like Martian TIme-slip when it was serialized as "All WE Marsmen" in the sci-fi mag "Worlds of Tomorrow" and eagerly awaited each new release. OF course, I joined the sci-fi book club and .. lo and behold.. here was a non serialization that became a hardcover release. I was 13 when I first read "The Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldritch". It changed me. I began to be an advocate for him ( Heinlein was the big kahuna back then) and pressed his novels to whomever showed an interest. It was rather odd to me when , in the 90s scholarly articles and critical assessments were beginning to document my own reading experiences. But really as time as gone on, his rep has only grown and deservedly so. Thanks for the video.
Since you mentioned Thomas Pynchon, I have to say he's probably the number one author I'd recommend if someone were looking to read something similar to Dick's works. Gravity's Rainbow is definitely something any Philip K. Dick fan should try.
second that. i plan to read it again possibly this year
Buying it now, Ty.
Philip K. Dick was a genius. That doesn't mean he didn't have limitations, like any author, but I can't say better than that about anybody. He has been accepted by the Library of America. This doesn't mean he has to be liked by everybody, but that he should have been read by a wider audience, as have J.G.Ballard, Brian Aldiss, Kurt Vonnegut, Ursula LeGuin and Ray Bradbury. Despite this, many people, including those who have read within the science fiction genre, haven't heard of him. I would assume this means he's still something special waiting to be discovered, and isn't public property, but has a balanced readership. Of course, the gaps that still exist, means there's still grey areas. It's not that simple.
AS an anecdote to the pulp abstract in his writing, there's an excellent example I think, in "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep". There, Isodore and the android girl[spoilers!], discuss their love of old pulp science fiction magazines, but the weird irony of this is of course, that they and the plot of the novel, is that they and the places they are living in, are the very same as what they're talking about! He's being very matter of fact about the fictional reality they live in, that like ourselves, it is to them, totally concrete and believeable.
It's part of his brilliance, that only he could I think, have done it with such panache, and got away with it.
I enjoy his short stories and am a huge fan of UBIK as it was the first PKD book I read.
I just splashed dish water in my eyes. Don’t wear headphones until the end 😩😩😩😩
I started with man in High Castle and followed it with Do Androids dream of Electric sheep and a large book of short stories. Now I'm about halfway through three Stigmata and will likely do Ubik next. His books are addicting and he keeps the pace going, even if there is no action.
i've always recommend start with A Maze of Death, which was my starting point...
Valis blew my mind
just finished my third go-around of it. of course, i love esotericism and gnostic christianity, so yeah, i love it
Truly enjoyable video. Thanks. I worked in a bookstore but I didn't have as much fun as you have. I learned a few things: Books are heavy. I know what will sell. Anyone can write a book. People LOVE books about the breed they own. People like to buy books on how to do things. Fiction is sold less than non fiction.
I hope you own the bookstore because you are better than to work in a store.
Bit late to your site, but had to comment. I - as you say - found PKD in 1976 , purely by accident. Blew my 13 year old mind and proceeded to read 30 novels ... and was laughed at at school by people who judged the books on the completely unrelated covers which were even LESS to do with the contents in the pages than they are now. Nice to hear you enthuse about the door scene, I LOVED that !Your recommendations are spot on too.
3:41 - said Jakob with a sudden dry tone of voice. Jakob was proud of his collection of Philip K Dick's books; rightly so.
I actually love PKD all the more for his pulpy tendencies. It makes his mind-bending, trippy books all the more crazy and unreal. (And funny.) If you can't tolerate any pulpy elements to your philosophical explorations of the nature of reality, he's not the writer for you. But I've only just begun to really read his stuff, after initially pacing myself on his books. I'm currently reading one of his non-genre books, Humpty Dumpty in Oakland. Of the other six I've read, I'd rank them this way:
1. Flow My Tears...
2. Ubik
3. The Three Stigmata...
4. The Man in the High Castle
5. The Penultimate Truth
6. Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?
I actually don't think Do Androids..? is the best starting point, especially if you've seen Blade Runner a hundred times as I have, because the book comes across as so goofy in comparison. Still love it. Ubik is the best of what I've read, but Flow My Tears, which was the first PDK I read, is my favorite, and a great starting point. I've read it twice and could easily read it again. I love the movie of A Scanner Darkly a lot. I've seen it several times and I'm really interested in the book. On my shelf to read I have The Zap Gun, Vulcan's Hammer, Time Out of Joint, and In Milton Lumky Territory. Lots and lots of great reading awaits me.
PKD is one of my favourite authors I have read about 26 of his novels and lots of his short stories
Ubik and 3 Stigmata are masterpieces
I've only read one Philip K Dick book - Valis. And it was awesome!
Great I have started "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sleep?" and I like it so far. Will definitely or in time check out "Ubik" next. Thanks for the recommendations!
Absolutely top-notch. I love how passionate you are about Philip K. Dick, and I want nothing more than to forget everything I'm currently reading, sit my butt down, and crack open Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep.
Brilliant, Jakob!
+CravingBooks Thanks Hanaa! That means a lot. Go read some PKD -- I can't wait to hear your thoughts. I think you'd particularly like Ubik or Scanner Darkly (...Darkly maybe being a potentially good "fucked-up read" tho I'm not sure haha)
Well, we will be reading Scanner Darkly for our Fucked up Buddyreads, so it better be ;)
The major difference between Do Androids - and Blade Runner is the core concern that the andys are NOT human because of their lack of their concern for others (something humans too often also lack), as compared with Dekard's careful concern about not killing someone who is test-ably and prove-ably human, by the test he's been given to apply.
Dick's stated inspiration for this story was reading an interview with someone who worked in a concentration camp who said; 'the wails of the children made it hard to sleep'.
That Dekard's test is challenged by an other police organisation that uses a different test, but that the police station may be staffed by andys, and then that Pris and Rachel are identical in form, but not alike mentally...
The TV religion of Mercerism parallels this by being factually and prove-ably a TV series using actors, but remains a religion because people can take hold of handles on the TV to experience the religious figures' pain and suffering.
Let's say that the film is basically sympathetic to the replicant 'supermen who are unable to fly' being oppressed, when this is actually supremely irrelevant due to the conditions on Earth, while the book, as you suggest, is concerned that the attempt to 'other' people is false, counter-productive and results in a stalemate.
Hey man I am from India I haven't read for a while trying to get back into it I loved reading 22.11.63 and gone girl and watched blade runner and the man in the high castle and I think it was a probably a mistake so with handmaid I didnt made the same mistake again but I read the book then the show ( cause why not) so I wanted get into him so this is exactly what I wanted thank you for this and please continue doing this cause I have a hectic schedule and sometimes doing something like reading is so hard this helps a lot
Hey dude! Happy new year! Thank you so much for your message. Really happy to hear you're enjoying Philip K. Dick and my videos. Unfortunately, I've slowed down on video making to pursue other projects. That said, if you haven't seen my others, I do have a bit of a backlog lol. Also, if you're looking for a fun read, I've actually self-published a fantasy novel with some cyberpunk-y elements to it. So if you're looking for a quick fun read, check that out here! www.amazon.com/dp/B07JBD28H5/ref=nav_timeline_asin?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1
I must admit Austin Powers knows a lot about Philip K Dick
I loved Ubik! I think I've only read three of his novels and this one was so good, and as you mentioned, completely bonkers. I need to dive back into his resume and read a couple of new ones. Thanks for reminding me of how awesome of a writer he was.
+Danmartinlikesyou Oh cheers dude! I would go Electric Sheep or Scanner Darkly in that case. But he's got so many, you can't go wrong. Thanks for watching :)
Just discovering this video (I was looking all over youtube for some old PKD interviews & documentary). As a Dickhead myself I think you did a great job talking about the author and sharing the love. "Do Androids..." is also the one I always recommend to people who want to try PKD. Not just because it's his most famous, but i think it's more accessible and the plot is easier to follow than some of his other stuff. It also has some genius ideas like the Mood Organ, Mercerism, and many other concepts...
My personal favorite would be "The Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldritch". Very creepy and trippy. I also recently finished "A Scanner Darkly" and loved it. I agree with you, it's one of his finest, but it's also very different from his other work. Probably because it was so personal to him. The movie adaptation is by far the best and closest to the original novel.
Have you read some of PKD biographies? The man had such a fascinating life.
Great vid...Flow My Tears, the Policeman Said, was my first book I read by PKD. It's levels upon levels upon levels. Like Bladerunner. Everytime I watch it I feel I'm coming closer and closer to the realization I'm the android and PKD is simply helping ease the blow of that shock. That's art.
need to read more PKD books, especially Ubik and A Scanner Darkly...but The Man in the High Castle was amazing.
+Knowledge Lost Yeah it was a really impressive achievement MHC. I can see why some say it's his best. I think you'd really enjoy A Scanner Darkly :)
The movie was excellent, will probably love the book too
This work has always impressed me especially with how many boundaries in story telling he broke and shaped sci-fi for the better. My favorite sci-fi concept is alternate reality.
+The Lawn Gnome Completely agree. Also agree with you down below about William Gibson. He's another one of my faves. If I read some more of him, he might even get a Where to Start video one day. But that's quite down the line... Thanks for watching! :)
Yea I read Neuromancer and that was just a crazy creative book.
my next 3 pkds to read: clans of the alphane moon, martian time slip, 3 stigmata...then time out of joint, radio free albemuth, we can build you
Great review man!!! Very helpful! I am a fan of all the movies... and so i would love to appreciate his writing! Upon looking up his writings there are many! You are a very fun, intelligent, and inquisitive guy! Thanks for your review~
Huge fan, we so need a Ubik movie, my personal favourite book is VALIS, it bent my life into the construct I exist in.
Yesterday I just bought Martian Time-Slip. Although you have not mentioned it, I hope it's still a novel by him worth a read =). I'm really excited to read it anyways =). If I like it I will certainly read Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep!
+Eva Hoo It's a good one, though not my favourite. It's a mix of his sort of psychedelic stuff and his more slow-going literary stuff. So it's a good mix. And I did hold it up at the beginning actually haha. Enjoy - plz let me know how it goes :)
my three best stigmata, from the man in the alpha truth, are flow my ubik the android maze
VALIS melted my brain and gave me nightmares for a month - totally worth it
Thank you brother much love from Peru 🇵🇪
ajdjasjsdja i also laugh a lot in that part of ubik, when he cant open the door or brush his teeth
Now Wait For Last Year was my first Dick. It revolves around a toxic, addictive time-travel drug which was developed as a weapon of war. The plot is like Mr. Toad’s wild ride... Some of my other favorite Dicks are The Penultimate Truth, Simulacra, Dr. Bloodmoney, and the incoherent but wild The Unteleported Man a.k.a. Lies, Inc. There are so many more like Maze of Death and Clans of the Alphane Moon.. But skip Counter-Clock World and Dr. Futurity.
what a nice young man.
yes indeed, what a thoroughly bloody nice chap.
Hey guys!!! Thanks for the love! I don't know how you came across my little slice of the internet, but if you're fans of PKD, I've just published a fantasy novel with some cool cyberpunky elements over on Amazon. Check it out! :) :) www.amazon.com/Arcane-Kingdom-Online-Chosen-Adventure-ebook/dp/B07JBD28H5/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1540225433&sr=8-1&keywords=arcane+kingdom+online
@@jakobtanner2523 marvellous!
I don't know how anyone can not want to read a book because of the cover. And people are really missing out on not reading PKD. You're preaching to the choir on this one to me. I've been reading and listening to audiobooks by Philip K Dick for at least 20 years and probably more likely 25. And the only 2 books I couldn't get into of his were The Man In The High Castle and The Transmigration Of Timothy Archer. My favourites are Clans Of The Alphane Moon and Flow My Tears The Policeman Said and A Scanner Darkly.And I can't quite remember the title of another one but it's about a disabled kid working in an electronics shop at the beginning. But those are just what I can remember off the top of my head. But I know for a fact if I actually spent a couple minutes thinking and looking up I could probably list about 15 that are my favourites. He's an absolute master of weird and engrossing. So sad he never really lived long enough to see the praise and love his books now receive (from those who know). But yes he certainly needs to be pushed more and I mean his books and audiobooks not the film's or adaptations. At one point I was reading so much PKD that I honestly used to dream his worlds as my own reality or my own reality with some of his quirks working through it. He's probably 1 or 2 on my favourite authors list. Terry Pratchett is interchangeable with him but for obviously different reasons but both as masterful as each other but in different ways.
The french author Emanuelle Carrere wrote a book about Philip K. Dick
I would have never thought to pick up any of his books prior to watching this video. I'm so intrigued by his work now! Great video! I will definitely look into his work :)
+Mia Kanani Oh cheers! Yeah I hope you dig him. He's certainly a weird one, but addictive if you get into it. Most of his books are only 200 pages, so you could read a whole swoop of them in a week or two ;)
+Jakob Tanner they sound very weird and unique, I love that in books. I'll have to see if they have them at my local library. I'll let you know once I read one what I thought :)
Mia Kanani did you ever read any?
'The Man in the High Castle' is wonderful; the alternative realities are stacked in an odd way.
The alternative reality novel within TMITHK is not OUR history of WWII, but yet another.
Sometimes, reality shifts for the characters as well; Mr Tagomi briefly shifts into an alternative San Francisco where the Japanese Navy carrier in the harbour disappears, there is a new bridge within the city, people do not give him a seat in a crowded bar... we suspect that he crossed over briefly into OUR reality, while later he uses a fake Wild West-era gun to kill someone for real, suggesting that the concept of authenticity may be flawed...
Also, the MITHK may be the author of the book you are reading, not the author of the underground 'we won' novel within the book...
Have not seen the TV series.
The 1st Collected Short Stories is my current bedtime reading :) I've seen all the movies, but the only novel I've read is Do Androids Dream... Should probably read A Scanner Darkly, might make more sense than the film did lol (which I still thought was great!)
Just one thing, saying Dick was insanely prolific is a little bit strange if compared to how Asimov was prolific. Anyway, I really liked "do androids dream of electric sheep?".
hes tell us of the shit we are in and how to get out of it...very important for what we are going through now!
I hope I remember this when I want to read another of his books! Only read Do Androids Dream of Sheep.
+1book1review Ooh definitely try another! Do Ubik :)
I upvoted from the start of the video, perfect,loved it...^^
haha, thanks! A lot of commenters didn't like it! I think it may have been harsh on the headphones (my bad guys) BUT the fine line between reality and illusion doesn't care about your ears :P :P :P
I heard Kim Stanley Robinson describe _Ubik_ thus: All the characters are dead unless they aren't, and they go to Des Moines in 1939.
That static you inserted at the beginning not only scared me, it tore into my ears and sense of impending senility. Apart from that, enjoyed your efforts, thanks
That blast of white noise a few seconds in is Not Acceptable. I'm not kidding.
for sure start with do androids dream of eletric sheep, its the most like a regular book while have philip k dick elements in it so its a good transition to his works
Great job, man. Looks like you've got some loyal fans.
Cheers dude! Thanks for the love :)
All his books are great
You a good reviewer, you dont waffle, your on point. Good one. I havent read any of his books, whick one do recommend to read first....?
A truly Phildickian panel cartoon I saw many years ago. It shows someone drowning, and a robot speaking to them. The caption: I am your savior. If you wish to be saved deposit five cents in the slot. I am your savior. . .
I'd say start with short stories. Just about any collection would be fine, or you could start with my favorites, The Skull, Second Variety, and the novella Paycheck. Also, the difference between Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep and Blade Runner is the sardonic humor of the former. Blade Runner is so serious. Which is not to say that Androids isn't serious too, the spider scene in the book is more intense than anything in the movie. But stuff like the whole animal husbandry as a status symbol or making fun of religion with Mercerism, all that sort of thing is gone. Androids does both, and does both well.
Listening to Ubik...your words are encouraging, the robot just rose up and exploded and i was like wtf lol
I started with The Man in High Castle.
Never seen blade runner but I have read 'do androids dream of electric sheep?' It was a while ago but I enjoyed it. Must read more of his
+Booky Lorra Oooh you should totally watch Blade Runner. It's super cool! Like cyber noir ;)
Wheres your book shop ? Wonderful video ... Keedp reading & thanks
Death on the installment plan by Celine is also a classic.
Awesome stuff man! Just picked up my first book by him Electric Dreams !
Thank you for this video!!..It is engaging certaintly you will get more people reading him. I already read from him "Do androids dream of electric sheep" , "Solar lottery", "Valis" and planning to read "The man in the high castle".Indeed Philip K Dick writing is a mind altering expierience that is addictive.
+adriana adriana I haven't read VALIS as I've been worried it's getting too close to the point when Dick starts to lose it a little. Is it good? Thanks for watching, it means a lot :)
+Jakob Tanner I enjoyed Valis,, but it is a hard one to go through.I tackled it as a piece of metafiction Philip K Dick talking about himself his esquizofrenia and drug use in a metaphorical manner joining eastern and western philosophy , metaphysics , hermetic philosophy trying to make meaning of it all.If you have read Jorge Luis Borges you might enjoy it there is some elements of him there .Thanks you for answering the comment :) .
A cather in the rye poster and PKD? You just have won a new subscriber, sir
Today is March 2, 2022. Philip K. Dick died today 40 years ago on March 2, 1982
good video man :) I have read do androids dream of electric sheep , before this video & I am watching the man in the high castle season 1 at the moment so I stumbled on your video , a random click but good stuff, maybe I will try ubik
Ah thanks for watching Kakashi! Let me know if you ever read Ubik and what you think :)
Jakob Tanner yea for sure I will let you know , I still need to read it , I have a big backlog but I will try to make time at some point
You've definitely convinced me to read some of these books.
I don't know if you've got access to channel 4 where you live, but there's a series called Philip k dicks electric dreams on at the moment.
(When I first wrote this comment it weren't what I wrote. It said something like "great job, looks like you've got some loyal fans" which was very weird. I wonder if it was because dick was in the comment and it was being checked it weren't offensive or something?)
Great video! You sold me. Going to pick up Ubic now......
+Book Pal Have fun! Thanks for watching :)
I was honestly just saying that I need to read some Phillip K Dick! That was yesterday, so that's so eerie 😱😱😱😝 this was well-timed.
+That's What She Read Perfect! Happy to help! And thanks for watching. Let me know which one you go for :D
Great video, JT, loved your intro - so meta! You've been telling me to read Ubik since we met, and I know I need to get on that asap. I'm totally down with the pulp! Also, that edition of Man in the High Castle is so cool!!
+Claire Quigley (ClaireQuip Reads) Cheers Claire! Yeah it's from 1964, only two years after it first came out! And to think I found it in an Oxfam. This is some precious Americana ;)
Nice introduction! Thank you
I listened to the beginning of The Man in High Castle on audiobook a little while ago and found it quite odd... But I am very interested to read Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep.
+Books and Things Do it! I think you might really dig Ubik. Also have you read any Jonathan Lethem? He's a contemporary American novelist I think you might dig ;)
I haven't, but perhaps I should!
I love me some PKD!
I've only read "The Man in the High Castle" which I only picked up because it was for my book club at the time. I'll be honest; your description of the book was far more interesting that my experience while reading it!! I'm not sure if it was just that I was expecting something a bit more thrilling and was disappointed that I ended up just following these characters on their day to day lives but I ultimately found the whole thing dull. I gave it to my mum who couldn't even finish it. I think if I was to try and more PKD, I'd go with "A Scanner Darkly" :) Great video though!! Loved the intro/outro :-p
+The Book Fox High Castle is definitely the dullest for me. I'd say give Ubik a go, it's got a few good "wtf" moments in the first 100 pages and then in the second 100 pages its just like "Ohhhh my gawd -- what is happening! Are these characters real? Am I real?" Whatever you choose, let me know how it goes :)
Jakob Tanner Ok, deal! Sometime over the next, shall we say, 10 years? I'll read Ubik and get back to you :-p
I'm also a big fan of Phillip k Dick! You should check out, "We Are The American Zombies."
Easy. Start with short stories. Then move into his early works. Hes such a diverse author hes got something for everyone
Which short stories do you recommend?
have you read the two alfred bester books in the sf masterworks series? both great
This video has me wondering "How the heck had I never heard of Philip K. Dick before and where have his books been all my life??" Must read one ASAP.
Your intro and outro were brilliant too, it reminded me of this one time I opened a fortune cookie and the fortune read "SOS, HELP, I'VE BEEN KIDNAPPED AND AM BEING HELD IN THE COOKIE FACTORY" which cracked me up but then I was like "........wait, what if they're serious?" Lol.
+royaevereads You should check out William Gibson too...he introduced the reading world to Cyberpunk. If you enjoy The Matrix you might like his work.
Cool!
+royaevereads Try UBIK! It's totally f-ing nuts. But quite satisfying and haunting by the end. Yeah that's terrifying about the cookie and I'm happy you liked the intro/outro...I was really nervous it was gonna freak people out too much hahaha
His books were blatantly hurried and his prose was generally a bit uninspired and bland yet hes still easily my favorite author which is a testament to his ingenuity
Martian Time Slip is really good.
Roog; Solar Lottery; Eye in the Sky; Radio Free Albemuth; Confessions of a Crap Artist. Crap Artist is not science fiction and was rejected by publishers in the 1950s. Published first in a very limited edition in 1975 or so, and now one of 10 non-scifi PKD novels in print. All the non-scifi novels were originally rejected by publishers. Crap Artist makes Catcher in the Rye seem like a walk in the park. Be forewarned.
Thanks for the suggestions. Enjoying PKD so far, who should i read after?
Alfred Bester's Demolished Man and Stars My Destination are really good pre-PKD sci-fi in a similar vein. Probably the next in line would be William Gibson's Neuromancer. Also, a little bit out there and different but definitely inspired by PKD, is Jonathan Lethem's Gun, With Occasional Music and Chronic City. Enjoy!!
KW Jeter's Noir
Great vid but I don't agree Dick has a clunky writing style. He's certainly not over-literary, but he has a nice fluid style.
Can you recommend any other sci-fi authors as good as Philip K Dick?
fuckin hire an audio person, or take a udemy class lmfao
my favourite is in a scanner darkly, i have to reread and reread it.
man wow. poor bruce.
We can remember it for you wholsesale.
I love his ideas, but not so much his writing style. It feels a bit rigid with the exception of 'the man in the high castle which is my favourite of his works.
Read some Saul Bellows if you love prose, I doubt other writers will put forward the strange concepts that PKD is known for.
What is real or already has occurred previously?
I loved this video haha
Thanks Gaby! I've slowed down on making videos to focus on my writing. If you like cyberpunk/fantasy/sword and sorcery, you can check out my first book here :) www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07JBD28H5?pf_rd_p=1581d9f4-062f-453c-b69e-0f3e00ba2652&pf_rd_r=44SQFMFQ1DGXBVPQCRKC
I've read Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep last year or the year before, and I wasn't impressed by it. But I do have The Man in the High Castle on my shelves, so I hope I enjoy that more when I get around to it :) When did you first start reading PKD?
+Amanda Center (IntrovertX) I came to PKD about two years ago via Jonathan Lethem, whose been probably PKD's biggest champion. He singlehandedly got PKD to canonical status (or, at the very least, his works published in the special academic hardbound Library of America series). PKD's reintroduced me to sci-fi after I had foresaken it at university. Oooh I'm curious -- what didn't you fancy about Electric Sheep?
Jakob Tanner From what I can remember, my attention just wasn't grabbed by the characters and the world. I remember it feeling really masculine, but I can't remember why. Oh, the ambiguity!!
Wow, the book is completely different from the series
Spoiler alert?
But great talk....P.K.Dick is great overall....✌️
Bukowski is also good
People don't read Dick, because HE SHOULD HAVE CHANGED HIS NAME!!! Anyways, I am going to buy "Ubik"... Thanks for the recommendation... IMHO
why do you look like a young Isaac Asimov?
Peter Watts ... You will watch this sooner or later
Valis?