by Philip K. Dick
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by David Mitchell
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by William S Burroughs
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by Philip K. Dick
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by Philip K. Dick
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Product Description
Books in Canada
Dick began writing in the 1950s, a decade haunted by the Cold War and a decade which witnessed the blossoming of science fiction. While this form of literature was already haunting the margins of culture as early as 1926, when Hugo Gernsback identified it as "scientifiction", it was the terror of science gone mad-the atomic bomb-that gave science fiction its first, heroin-like shot in the arm.
In some ways the fear of nuclear war is just another expression of a theme that has seized the attention of literary theorists, philosophers and social scientists alike: how stable is "reality"? This is the great postmodern question, which has led theorists like Jean Baudrillard to conclude that even protests against the current multinational consumer system are programmed by the system, Michel Foucault to argue that the totalitarian momentum of this system seeks to colonize that last refuges of human freedom, one of these being our unconscious minds, and Daniel Bell to open up the possibility that the consumption of images and simulacra will continue to the point where "reality" may be nothing more than a series of products that one can purchase.
In Time out of Joint (1959) Dick presents the idea that the reality one lives is engineered for an ulterior purpose. The reader comes to suspect, along with main character Ragle Gumm, that the sham reality of 1950s Old Town hides some terrible disaster. Not only do the people outside of Gumm's "family" fail to notice anomalies, but Gumm guesses that there is actually a conspiracy to maintain the hoax. He wonders why he is being kept in this small town and encouraged by everyone to continue solving a daily puzzle in the newspaper: "Where Will the Little Green Man be Next?"
The central role that a photo of Marilyn Monroe plays in helping Gumm and his "family" to solve the mystery of their existences shows Dick with his finger on the pulse of time, identifying enduring cultural landmarks and fascinations.
Patrick R. Burger (Books in Canada) --This text refers to the Paperback edition.
In some ways the fear of nuclear war is just another expression of a theme that has seized the attention of literary theorists, philosophers and social scientists alike: how stable is "reality"? This is the great postmodern question, which has led theorists like Jean Baudrillard to conclude that even protests against the current multinational consumer system are programmed by the system, Michel Foucault to argue that the totalitarian momentum of this system seeks to colonize that last refuges of human freedom, one of these being our unconscious minds, and Daniel Bell to open up the possibility that the consumption of images and simulacra will continue to the point where "reality" may be nothing more than a series of products that one can purchase.
In Time out of Joint (1959) Dick presents the idea that the reality one lives is engineered for an ulterior purpose. The reader comes to suspect, along with main character Ragle Gumm, that the sham reality of 1950s Old Town hides some terrible disaster. Not only do the people outside of Gumm's "family" fail to notice anomalies, but Gumm guesses that there is actually a conspiracy to maintain the hoax. He wonders why he is being kept in this small town and encouraged by everyone to continue solving a daily puzzle in the newspaper: "Where Will the Little Green Man be Next?"
The central role that a photo of Marilyn Monroe plays in helping Gumm and his "family" to solve the mystery of their existences shows Dick with his finger on the pulse of time, identifying enduring cultural landmarks and fascinations.
Patrick R. Burger (Books in Canada) --This text refers to the Paperback edition.
From Library Journal
Written in the late 1950s and early 1960s, these titles follow Dick's familiar theme that things and people are not quite what and who they seem, basically challenging reality. Though dead for 20 years now, Dick still is hugely popular among sf readers and Blade Runner nuts, so pop for these.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Paperback edition.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Paperback edition.
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