Ever read any Philip K. Dick? You should. Whether you realize it or not, we're all living in a world (or worlds, if you prefer) that he imagined.
Now's a great time to read (or re-read) Dick's great novel, The Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldritch. Over at his blog, PKD scholar David Gill is gonna spend the summer taking readers through the book and starting a conversation anyone can join:
"Scene by scene, chapter by chapter, I'll be analyzing the action, looking for common PKD themes and connections to other works, enjoying the new notes on the novel prepared by Jonathan Lethem for the Library of America release, and exploring scholarly work done on the novel ..."
I haven't read this novel in 20 years so I'm looking forward to it. I remember this book's surreal imagery, endlessly inventive plot, and how it ultimately revealed itself to be one of the strangest, trippiest novels of alien invasion ever written. John Lennon was blown away by the book and spent years trying to film it. Dick himself thought the book probably the weirdest thing he'd ever written. If I had to rank Eldritch, I'd put it just behind The Man in the High Castle and Dr. Bloodmoney, two of my faves.
Grab a copy from your bookstore or library and join the mind-bending fun. Gill kicks things off on July 15th so there's plenty of time to get started.
The nice and stately Library of America edition reprints this novel, and there's a spiffy trade paperback available. But for me, Dick's always best when read from a used cheap paperback. The mass-market softcover was his domain for decades. Because of his low-brow origins, the prestigious sci-fi award bearing his name is bestowed only to novels first appearing in paperback. Interesting how these cheap quickie editions often featured the best artwork.
the only book i've read by him was the one that inspired blade runner. but i've liked the things i've learned about the man himself recently. i'm due for a visit to my local used book store soon; i'll add this to my list of titles to look for. thx
Posted by: vrtualme | July 14, 2007 at 02:44 PM