Phillip K. Dick's Piracy of Influence
Like a lot of folks, I knew the work of California’s mad genius Phillip K. Dick, well before I’d ever cracked open one of his books. Well before he began popping up in the zeitgeist of the 21st century.
PKD's literary world consists of trenchcoats, cigarettes, and brunettes. All surrounded by a cosmos full of powerful technology serving (or using) simple human beings, lulled into easy belief. Soon, dear Thrill Seekers, this reality--like a whipcrack--vanishes. At that moment, PKD unleashes monstrous paranoia by deploying psychic terrorists, deranged bureaucrats or omnipotent hallucinations. All usually backed by the quarterly earnings of the Corporation. These things have become hallmarks of most modern Science-Fiction. The films of Terry Gilliam, whether realized or not, have frequently mined PKD's mountain.
Despite the inherent visuals in the language, PKD uses these genre trappings to elevate his stories into high art and examine the human condition. PKD's' character…
PKD's literary world consists of trenchcoats, cigarettes, and brunettes. All surrounded by a cosmos full of powerful technology serving (or using) simple human beings, lulled into easy belief. Soon, dear Thrill Seekers, this reality--like a whipcrack--vanishes. At that moment, PKD unleashes monstrous paranoia by deploying psychic terrorists, deranged bureaucrats or omnipotent hallucinations. All usually backed by the quarterly earnings of the Corporation. These things have become hallmarks of most modern Science-Fiction. The films of Terry Gilliam, whether realized or not, have frequently mined PKD's mountain.
Despite the inherent visuals in the language, PKD uses these genre trappings to elevate his stories into high art and examine the human condition. PKD's' character…
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