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Where to start with Philip K. Dick?

I know there are a couple Philip K. Dick threads, but they haven't had any posts in four years, so I thought I'd start a new one. I'm looking to get back into reading and I wanted to pick up a Philip K. Dick book. The only problem is that I don't know where to start. I'm looking for a novel, heavy in science fiction, and preferably one that hasn't been adapted into a movie yet. I'd really appreciate some recommendations. Thanks.

My favorite:

(from Wikipedia)

Quote:

Flow My Tears, The Policeman Said is a 1974 science fiction novel by Philip K. Dick about Jason Taverner, a genetically enhanced pop singer and television star who loses his identity overnight. The story is set in a dystopian version of the year 1988, in which America has become a police state in order to deal with a Second Civil War. The novel was awarded first prize in the John W. Campbell Awards for the best science fiction novel of the year in 1975. It was also nominated for a Nebula Award in 1974 and a Hugo Award in 1975.

Read it in high school and 19 years later, it's still my favorite PKD story.

I was totally gonna say "Flow My Tears, The Policeman said". It's great. Also, I know you don't want a movie, but "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep" is nothing at all like Blade Runner the movie. It deserves a good reading to be sure.

Flow My Tears, The Policeman Said, Ubik, The Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldritch are all good starting points. The Man in the High Castle, Clans of the Alpane Moon, The Game Players of Titan, Dr Bloodmoney and Martian Time Slip are all favorites of mine. His early stuff from the 50's is pretty weak and his last couple from the 70's are rather difficult-esp Valis.

Thanks a lot guys, I appreciate it. On your recommendations I think I'll start with Flow My Tears, the Policeman Said and perhaps move on to Ubik afterwards. Thanks again.

Ubik and Valis are my personal favorites, but I wouldn't recommend Valis for a Dick neophyte. I would say, after Flow My Tears, try The Man In The High Castle. If you want to dip into darker waters, I wholeheartedly recommend A Scanner Darkly. Valis if you want something a little more heady.

Edit: Oops, I see you want one that hasn't been made into a movie. Still, A Scanner Darkly is one of Dick's absolute best, so it's hard not to recommend it.

More votes for Flow My Tears the Policeman Said, Do Androids Dream of Electronic Sheep, and The Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldritch.

Mrs Danger likes A Scanner Darkly because it is a dead-on description of life in a house full of drug addicts. I didn't appreciate it.

Don't worry that Bladerunner was made from Do Androids Dream of Electronic Sheep. The movie used very little from the book, and none of the important stuff.

I would suggest:

Ubik (No movie, heavy in SF)
Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep (Probably the definitive PKD novel)
Man in the High Castle
Flow My Tears, The Policeman Said
Scanner Darkly
Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldritch
Valis

and, my own addition to the list:

The Philip K Dick Reader. - A collection of hist best/most famous short stories. There are actually five volumes of short stories, but I'd only suggest all five volumes for the hardcore PKD fan.

Sweet editions, but why are they so damn expensive?

Very high quality books. I have them both. Hopefully they'll publish more of these.

I read my first PKD book a few months ago, decided to go for Man in the High Castle. I liked it even if I didn't quite understand the ending.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cardiff Giant (Post 8956167)

I read my first PKD book a few months ago, decided to go for Man in the High Castle. I liked it even if I didn't quite understand the ending.

You don't know Dick!

I've said it once so I'll say it again ;)

Quote:

Originally Posted by benedict (Post 2090316)

Your question is a difficult one because PKD wrote (perhaps) four or five different kinds of fiction, to my way of thinking, although his obsessions/themes permeated nearly all of his work....

First there is the out-and-out non-SF material. Confessions of a Crap Artist was published (by an enthusuiast) during his lifetime although all the rest was posthumous. I believe it had been rejected and sat in a drawer for 30 years before someone took the "risk"! I'd take a look at that one and try out the rest of that block if you like it. From later on The Transmigration of Timothy Archer is also less sf-nal than his other material....

Some of his stuff, particularly in the early days is perhaps fairly described as "intelligent pulp". I think much of it is great. It has been a long time since I read it so I don't really know what to recommend.... to dip your toes in further, there are the collected short stories. These have all been gathered together in to five volumes.

Despite the crackpot reputation, there is a cerebral aspect to much of his work. Shifting realities came to the fore as time went on: a paranoia perhaps caused by ingesting too many amphetamines when PKD was writing against the clock! You could try the deservedly award-winning The Man in the High Castle.

Continuing with the near-omnipresent themes of identity (What is real? What is human?) consider Ubik, The Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldritch, Martian Timeslip or say, <A HREF="http://www.sfsite.com/01b/nw96.htm" target=blank">Now Wait for Last Year</a>.

And, then, of course, there are the Valis books. Most "normal" is Radio Free Albemuth, an interesting read. Right after this you can read the alternative version, VALIS itself and/or another take on things The Divine Invasion!

:) Not to mention the best PKD books Dick never wrote namely:<ul><li>Philip K Dick is Dead Alas - Micheal Bishop<li>The Crying of Lot 49 - Thomas Pynchon<li>Double Helix Fall - Neil Ferguson<li>The Lathe of Heaven - Ursula Le Guin</li></ul>.... and doubtless others which I've forgotten (some of Jack Womack's stuff is tinged with PKD!). You might also care to try the collaborations: Deus Irae with Roger Zelazny is worth reading while The Ganymede Takeover with Ray Nelson is probably less so!

I will also recommend Flow My Tears.

However one of my favorites for expressing his kind of mystical theology is Galactic Pot Healer. It is my most re-read of his books.

I also really dug Divine Invasion but it is borderline batshit crazy. :lol:

Quote:

Originally Posted by burnside986 (Post 8955200)

Sweet editions, but why are they so damn expensive?

They're not that pricey if you take advantage of the large discounts Amazon.com gives on most hardcovers, and when you keep in mind you're getting four books in one of the volumes, and five in the other.

What turned me onto him was "Time Out Of Joint" which I had to read for college. Blowed my mind up!

All those short stories in the "readers" seriers are excellent.

Philip K. Dick, James Morrow, and Arthur C. Clarke are my favorite sci-fi writers. I can't read anyone else.

I'm also a fan of all the movies made from Dick's novels/stories, but as much as I like the Blade Runner, Total Recall, or Scanner Darkly movies, you should definitely read MAN IN THE HIGH CASTLE first.

And another vote for Ubik here.

Quote:

Originally Posted by toddly6666 (Post 9015261)

I'm also a fan of all the movies made from Dick's novels/stories...

Really? You liked Next, Impostor, Screamers, and Paycheck?

As for me, I started with reading Martian Time Slip.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jay G. (Post 9100013)

Really? You liked Next, Impostor, Screamers, and Paycheck?

As for me, I started with reading Martian Time Slip.

Next was based on a Dick story? hmm, I did not know that...I thought it was entertaining but forgettable - the same with Paycheck. I never saw Imposter...and I forgot about Screamers which I really like...

Ubik is the best I've read that hasn't been made into a movie.

I really enjoyed Now Wait for Last Year too.

If you want something similar and even crazier than Benjamin Button, read Philip K. Dick's Counter-Clock World....It's not appreciated enough...everything goes backwards in this - you know what a person does instead of eating? Well in Counter-clock world, during breakfast, lunch and dinner, people vomit out their food that already existed in their bellies since everything is going backwards

Quote:

Originally Posted by Walter Neff (Post 8984172)

Yes, the Library of America books are quite economical. They're even a little cheaper at Buy.com.

Re: Where to start with Philip K. Dick?

I have 3 volumes of short story collections by Philip K Dick that I picked up on the bargain book table in Books A Million a few years ago. They are probably my 3rd-5th most read books of his after The Man In The High Castle and Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep.