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General Chat => Help! => Topic started by: shaolin_monkey on 13 October, 2017, 01:05:52 PM

Title: Introducing a youngster to Philip K Dick
Post by: shaolin_monkey on 13 October, 2017, 01:05:52 PM
Hi all

My daughter is really into the Electric Dreams series, and has asked if she can read some of my PKD books.

The thing is, I've no idea where to start! I don't want to put her off by shoving something like The Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldritch under her nose. I was thinking maybe a book of short stories, like Beyond Lies the Wub.

Any thoughts or suggestions?
Title: Re: Introducing a youngster to Philip K Dick
Post by: TordelBack on 13 October, 2017, 01:48:29 PM
Beyond Lies the Wub is a great idea, PKD's short fiction tends to be more focused that his longer stuff - assuming you mean the collection that reprints first volume of the Collected Works?  Many good things in there.

An alternative would be Selected Stories of PKD from a few years back, which includes BLtW and many of the film-adapted stories, Minority Report, Paycheck, We Can Remember it for you Wholesale (=Total Recall), The Adjustment Team (=Adjustment Bureau), Second Variety (=Screamers) as well as stuff like the excellent Roog.
Title: Re: Introducing a youngster to Philip K Dick
Post by: Tjm86 on 13 October, 2017, 02:30:49 PM
I would have to agree that the short stories is probably the best place to start.  Is it worth her having a go with the short stories that they used for the series to compare?  I know it can be a little risky but then perhaps looking at how the short story stacks up against the adaptation might make for an interesting conversation.  Plus, as Tordel's says, the collected short fiction is a treasure trove. 

It is worth bearing in mind though that Dick's fiction bears its pulp roots with pride.  Consider the generation that he belongs to; Heinlein, Asimov, Clarke ...  Sometimes this can jar a bit when you stack it alongside more modern writers, I find.
Title: Re: Introducing a youngster to Philip K Dick
Post by: TordelBack on 13 October, 2017, 02:40:41 PM
Very true, although equally some of it manages to be pretty timeless. 

Meant to add that 'Beyond Lies the Wub' was the first PKD story I ever read, aged about 10 or 11, before I even knew who Dick was or paid much attention to author's names in anthologies.  It's absolute strangeness haunted me for years, and coming across it again post-Bladerunner, when we were all gobbling down anything we could find with his name on it, I was thrilled to make the connection.  It's a good 'un.
Title: Re: Introducing a youngster to Philip K Dick
Post by: Richard on 13 October, 2017, 03:18:51 PM
I wouldn't bother showing her the stories the TV episodes are based on, or she'll think that's all he ever did.
Title: Re: Introducing a youngster to Philip K Dick
Post by: shaolin_monkey on 13 October, 2017, 06:05:59 PM
Thanks for the recommendations folks!  I have the compilation called 'Beyond Lies the Wub' on my bookshelves, I'm pretty sure.  I'll start her with that.

Thanks for the recommendation re Selected Stories of PKD - had a look on Amazon, and quite tempted to get that for myself!  The hardback looks lovely, and I'm sure I'll enjoy revisiting the stories, even if it turns out I have them on my shelves already!
Title: Re: Introducing a youngster to Philip K Dick
Post by: Dandontdare on 14 October, 2017, 12:00:26 AM
It would be interesting to avoid mentioning which stories have TV or film adaptations (you'd need old copies that don't spoiler it on the blurb) and then wait for that "hey this is a bit like ... waitaminute..." moment
Title: Re: Introducing a youngster to Philip K Dick
Post by: Proudhuff on 21 November, 2017, 06:31:23 PM
Quote from: shaolin_monkey on 13 October, 2017, 01:05:52 PM
Hi all

My daughter is really into the Electric Dreams series, and has asked if she can read some of my PKD books.

The thing is, I've no idea where to start! I don't want to put her off by shoving something like The Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldritch under her nose. I was thinking maybe a book of short stories, like Beyond Lies the Wub.

Any thoughts or suggestions?


The father thing?
Title: Re: Introducing a youngster to Philip K Dick
Post by: TordelBack on 21 November, 2017, 08:53:41 PM
Apologies for hijacking this thread, but do we know which PKD story Pat 'Damnation Alley' Mills alleges* was plagiarised by a 2000AD drold, only to be rumbled by the readers?


*in 'Be Pure, Be Vigilant, Behave!'.
Title: Re: Introducing a youngster to Philip K Dick
Post by: Dandontdare on 21 November, 2017, 09:34:23 PM
I think it was all of them wasn't it?  ;)
Title: Re: Introducing a youngster to Philip K Dick
Post by: ZenArcade on 21 November, 2017, 11:43:24 PM
Earlier stuff is quite accessible. Ganeymede Take Over, Game Players of Titan.  His short stories are excellent, the second variety is a classic. Z
Title: Re: Introducing a youngster to Philip K Dick
Post by: O Lucky Stevie! on 22 November, 2017, 12:08:22 AM
In response to shaolin's op, PKD's sole children's book is well worth tracking down

(http://www.isfdb.org/wiki/images/2/24/NCKNGLIM1988.jpg)
Title: Re: Introducing a youngster to Philip K Dick
Post by: JOE SOAP on 22 November, 2017, 12:19:42 AM
Quote from: TordelBack on 21 November, 2017, 08:53:41 PM
Apologies for hijacking this thread, but do we know which PKD story Pat 'Damnation Alley' Mills alleges* was plagiarised by a 2000AD drold, only to be rumbled by the readers?


*in 'Be Pure, Be Vigilant, Behave!'.

I thought it was One Man's Meat (http://www.2000ad.org/?zone=prog&page=profiles&choice=563) (Beyond Lies the Wub)?

(https://futureshockd.files.wordpress.com/2013/01/one-mans-meat-prog-563-art-massimo-belardinelli.jpg?w=490&h=530)

Title: Re: Introducing a youngster to Philip K Dick
Post by: TordelBack on 22 November, 2017, 05:26:47 AM
Ah-hah, of course, thanks Joe! Have to dig out the Prog in question now, but from memory a pretty significant lift, but no worse than 50% of all Future Shocks, or Pat Mills strips for that matter ('The 6 Million Dollar Man, but with Deathlok's computer', etc.). As you may have guessed I'm reading 'Be Pure, Be Vigilant, Behave', and despite my undying love of Mills, the double standards are really beginning to wear.
Title: Re: Introducing a youngster to Philip K Dick
Post by: Dandontdare on 22 November, 2017, 02:39:50 PM
Quote from: TordelBack on 22 November, 2017, 05:26:47 AM
Ah-hah, of course, thanks Joe! Have to dig out the Prog in question now, but from memory a pretty significant lift, but no worse than 50% of all Future Shocks, or Pat Mills strips for that matter ('The 6 Million Dollar Man, but with Deathlok's computer', etc.). As you may have guessed I'm reading 'Be Pure, Be Vigilant, Behave', and despite my undying love of Mills, the double standards are really beginning to wear.
I ground to a halt about a third of the way through Pat's book - it seems churlish to accuse an autobiography of being self-centred, but why can't he just say "the comic" or "the ABC Warriors"? Every time it's MY comic, MY ABC Warriors. Yes Pat, we know you created them, ease back on the possessive pronouns a bit. I get the same sort of feeling reading this as listening to a politician speak - you can't put your finger on an explicit lie or falsehood, but the tone and wording just gives the impression that the story is being spun and you're getting a very biased version of events.
Title: Re: Introducing a youngster to Philip K Dick
Post by: Proudhuff on 22 November, 2017, 03:14:33 PM
Quote from: ZenArcade on 21 November, 2017, 11:43:24 PM
Earlier stuff is quite accessible. Ganeymede Take Over, Game Players of Titan.  His short stories are excellent, the second variety is a classic. Z

I'll second that.

David.
Title: Re: Introducing a youngster to Philip K Dick
Post by: TordelBack on 22 November, 2017, 04:01:38 PM
Quote from: Dandontdare on 22 November, 2017, 02:39:50 PM
I ground to a halt about a third of the way through Pat's book - it seems churlish to accuse an autobiography of being self-centred, but why can't he just say "the comic" or "the ABC Warriors"? Every time it's MY comic, MY ABC Warriors. Yes Pat, we know you created them, ease back on the possessive pronouns a bit. I get the same sort of feeling reading this as listening to a politician speak - you can't put your finger on an explicit lie or falsehood, but the tone and wording just gives the impression that the story is being spun and you're getting a very biased version of events.

In an effort to prevent further dreailing of this thread, I've tagged some thoughts onto Bad City Blue's review thread: Be Pure!  Be Vigilant! Behave! (http://forums.2000ad.com/index.php?topic=44679.new#new)
Title: Re: Introducing a youngster to Philip K Dick
Post by: O Lucky Stevie! on 24 November, 2017, 05:04:58 AM
Quote from: JOE SOAP on 22 November, 2017, 12:19:42 AM
Quote from: TordelBack on 21 November, 2017, 08:53:41 PM
Apologies for hijacking this thread, but do we know which PKD story Pat 'Damnation Alley' Mills alleges* was plagiarised by a 2000AD drold, only to be rumbled by the readers?


*in 'Be Pure, Be Vigilant, Behave!'.

I thought it was One Man's Meat (http://www.2000ad.org/?zone=prog&page=profiles&choice=563) (Beyond Lies the Wub)?

Not to be confused with No Exit (http://www.2000ad.org/?zone=prog&page=profiles&choice=559) which --intentionally or not-- reads like an expansion of a scene from Ubik (http://www.technovelgy.com/ct/content.asp?Bnum=1615).

Oh, & whilst we are on the subject, surely Stevie isn't the sole squaxx who has noticed how Alan Hebden's early first Future Shock First Contact (http://www.2000ad.org/?zone=prog&page=profiles&choice=27) is a point by point retelling of Katherine MacLean's most famous story Pictures Don't Lie (https://www.gutenberg.org/files/51193/51193-h/51193-h.htm)*? Albeit Hebden does improve upon Maclean's original ending.



*also adapted by Al Feldstein & Bill Gaines with art by Joe Orlando as Chewed Out (http://eccomic.blogspot.com.au/2013/06/weird-science-12-1952.html) in Weird Science #12.