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Introducing a youngster to Philip K Dick

Started by shaolin_monkey, 13 October, 2017, 01:05:52 PM

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shaolin_monkey

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?

TordelBack

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.

Tjm86

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.

TordelBack

#3
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.

Richard

I wouldn't bother showing her the stories the TV episodes are based on, or she'll think that's all he ever did.

shaolin_monkey

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!

Dandontdare

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

Proudhuff

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?
DDT did a job on me

TordelBack

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!'.

Dandontdare


ZenArcade

Earlier stuff is quite accessible. Ganeymede Take Over, Game Players of Titan.  His short stories are excellent, the second variety is a classic. Z
Ed is dead, baby Ed is...Ed is dead

O Lucky Stevie!

In response to shaolin's op, PKD's sole children's book is well worth tracking down

"We'll send all these nasty words to Aunt Jane. Don't you think that would be fun?"

JOE SOAP

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 (Beyond Lies the Wub)?




TordelBack

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.

Dandontdare

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.