Whatever your bent may be for reading material it would be difficult these days to ignore the genre of 'Science Fiction' which has become such a mainstay of the popular entertainment sector. Arguably the beginnings of this style of storytelling began with Mary Shelley's ground breaking novel "Frankenstein" which she wrote in response to a vivid dream and which was published in 1818. Later avant guard writers appeared like Jules Verne, H.G. Wells, Isaac Asimov, Ray Bradbury, Robert Heinlein, Arthur C. Clarke and Philip K. Dick in France, Britain and the USA. Science fiction grew out of a gothic horror mode of storytelling but gradually embraced a machine aesthetic and then later futuristic technological worlds where mankind lives synchronously in alternate utopian/dystopian realities.
Philip K. Dick was a complicated individual who wrote short stories that have had a substantial impact on how society sees itself and its progress into the future. His first story was published in 1951 and although his work was published regularly he was never taken seriously by the mainstream publishing fraternity. As a result he experienced financial difficulties over a long period of time until the end of his life despite winning recognition and a Hugo Award in 1963. The science fiction world considered him a genius and he eventually succeeded in writing 44 novels and 121 stories, all of which were published during his life. To date, 11 popular films have been made from his stories including "Total Recall", "Minority Report", "Blade Runner" and "Paycheck".
Science Fiction has been a big part of my life and there are other writers that i admire immensely but Philip K Dick's imagination has somehow become entwined with how i view the world and what i believe will happen to mankind. His stories and the subsequent films made from them have combined to form an aesthetic substrate that lies beneath and seeps through to subtly inform the creative decisions i make. It doesn't mean that i agree with or accept all his ideas and opinions but i do respect his persistent, intelligent questioning of reality and human existence.
I can confidently assert with the assistance of hindsight that Philip K Dick was way ahead of his time and should have received full support and nurture from the academic and literary community. Who knows what he might have been able to accomplish if he had been able to get the financial assistance he needed. Many of his personal struggles were linked to decisions made due to financial need which resulted in a complicated web of relationships and events that dogged his life. It's too easy to just grant posthumous acclaim to individuals who have contributed so much to the arts and society and this happens regularly because talent and gifts are often ignored due to cultural prejudice, elitism and pride.
Many of Dick's predictions have or are coming to pass for good or ill. It is true unfortunately, that people with vision and difference are often ignored and ostracised because of that difference and particularly so in Dick's case.
Please take the time to learn a bit more about this extraordinary individual and his work. You'll be amazed at what he was able to accomplish in his lifetime!
Philip K. Dick was a complicated individual who wrote short stories that have had a substantial impact on how society sees itself and its progress into the future. His first story was published in 1951 and although his work was published regularly he was never taken seriously by the mainstream publishing fraternity. As a result he experienced financial difficulties over a long period of time until the end of his life despite winning recognition and a Hugo Award in 1963. The science fiction world considered him a genius and he eventually succeeded in writing 44 novels and 121 stories, all of which were published during his life. To date, 11 popular films have been made from his stories including "Total Recall", "Minority Report", "Blade Runner" and "Paycheck".
Science Fiction has been a big part of my life and there are other writers that i admire immensely but Philip K Dick's imagination has somehow become entwined with how i view the world and what i believe will happen to mankind. His stories and the subsequent films made from them have combined to form an aesthetic substrate that lies beneath and seeps through to subtly inform the creative decisions i make. It doesn't mean that i agree with or accept all his ideas and opinions but i do respect his persistent, intelligent questioning of reality and human existence.
I can confidently assert with the assistance of hindsight that Philip K Dick was way ahead of his time and should have received full support and nurture from the academic and literary community. Who knows what he might have been able to accomplish if he had been able to get the financial assistance he needed. Many of his personal struggles were linked to decisions made due to financial need which resulted in a complicated web of relationships and events that dogged his life. It's too easy to just grant posthumous acclaim to individuals who have contributed so much to the arts and society and this happens regularly because talent and gifts are often ignored due to cultural prejudice, elitism and pride.
Many of Dick's predictions have or are coming to pass for good or ill. It is true unfortunately, that people with vision and difference are often ignored and ostracised because of that difference and particularly so in Dick's case.
Please take the time to learn a bit more about this extraordinary individual and his work. You'll be amazed at what he was able to accomplish in his lifetime!
