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Człowiek, który pamiętał przyszłość. Życie Philipa K. Dicka
Najnowsza publikacja poświęcona życiu i twórczości Philipa K. Dicka. Podzielona została na trzy części. Pierwsza to szczegółowe kalendarium życia, druga to analiza metafizycznych przeżyć ilustrowana fragmentami jego utworów, a trzecia jest próbą neurologicznego wyjaśnienia poszczególnych przeżyć i stanów Dicka.
Całość tworzy spójny obraz, przy czym oprócz tekstów literackich i listów autor zamieścił też wspomnienia Tess (żony pisarza) czy Tima Powersa.
Całość tworzy spójny obraz, przy czym oprócz tekstów literackich i listów autor zamieścił też wspomnienia Tess (żony pisarza) czy Tima Powersa.
344 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2013
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320 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews
August 16, 2021
DNF, quit on page 173.
The book is divided into three parts: a 150-page biography, followed by a 50-page "esoteric explanation" of PKD's work and a 20-page "neurological explanation" of his notoriously strange mid-1970s experiences. There's also a short epilogue analysing PKD's responses to a personality test he completed in the 1950s. I quit part way through part two.
I would defy anyone to write a dull biography of PKD, given all the amazing things he did, wrote and thought. So this book's biographical part can't fail to be readable. It's mostly derived from previous biographies and other secondary sources, although Peake also did a small number of additional interviews himself.
Interesting it may be, but pleasant it's not, and Peake's attitude to PKD's capacity for nastiness is unforgivably forgiving. At one point he reports an incident when PKD "pummelled" his wife Anne: "she reacted by clenching her fists and for a few seconds the situation could have turned very violent". Yes, thank goodness the woman being pummelled didn't start a violent incident.
Evidently parts two and three are where Peake opens up the throttle and lets his own theories rip. Now I love a bit of Fortean fandango as much as the next Dickhead, but I found part two's "esoteric explanation" to be simultaneously far-fetched and prosaic. For me, the idea that PKD was literally a precog is both silly and boring. What happened to the poetry of autosuggestion or the beauty of chance?
It looks as if Peake goes on from there to elaborate some far-out theories regarding time, consciousness and alien abduction. But by this stage, despite my avid enthusiasm for discussions of time and consciousness (aliens I can take or leave*), I was getting fed up, and too many other books in the pile by my chair were calling to me like sirens.
*Or perhaps they can take or leave me. Ho ho. See what I did there?
The book is divided into three parts: a 150-page biography, followed by a 50-page "esoteric explanation" of PKD's work and a 20-page "neurological explanation" of his notoriously strange mid-1970s experiences. There's also a short epilogue analysing PKD's responses to a personality test he completed in the 1950s. I quit part way through part two.
I would defy anyone to write a dull biography of PKD, given all the amazing things he did, wrote and thought. So this book's biographical part can't fail to be readable. It's mostly derived from previous biographies and other secondary sources, although Peake also did a small number of additional interviews himself.
Interesting it may be, but pleasant it's not, and Peake's attitude to PKD's capacity for nastiness is unforgivably forgiving. At one point he reports an incident when PKD "pummelled" his wife Anne: "she reacted by clenching her fists and for a few seconds the situation could have turned very violent". Yes, thank goodness the woman being pummelled didn't start a violent incident.
Evidently parts two and three are where Peake opens up the throttle and lets his own theories rip. Now I love a bit of Fortean fandango as much as the next Dickhead, but I found part two's "esoteric explanation" to be simultaneously far-fetched and prosaic. For me, the idea that PKD was literally a precog is both silly and boring. What happened to the poetry of autosuggestion or the beauty of chance?
It looks as if Peake goes on from there to elaborate some far-out theories regarding time, consciousness and alien abduction. But by this stage, despite my avid enthusiasm for discussions of time and consciousness (aliens I can take or leave*), I was getting fed up, and too many other books in the pile by my chair were calling to me like sirens.
*Or perhaps they can take or leave me. Ho ho. See what I did there?
March 6, 2015
Part I: This section is a standard biography of Philip K. Dick. Large sections are drawn from Lawrence Sutin's and Anne Dick's books. Having recently read both of those, I found myself skimming through a lot of this section, especially the early years.
However, it is not all rehash. Peake does mention the important recent research about the age of Dick's first wife, as reported in the PKDOtaku online newsletter. Peake also reports the contents of his correspondence in 2013 with PKD's longtime friend Ray Powers, and with PKD's widow, Tessa. Powers has some insight into the infamous November 1971 break-in that is far more lucid than the bizarre theories strung out by Dick and interviewer Paul Williams. Working with Tessa, Peake traced the various versions of the well-known 1974 incident in which Dick discovered his son's undiagnosed inguinal hernia. Peake's conclusion is that this is actually a fairly mundane story that became more elaborate and more miraculous in the retelling--not a manifestation of otherworldly forces in PKD's life.
Part II: Here Peake explores the "esoteric" explanations for events in PKD's life. I believe the author gives far too much credence to many of Dick's crackpot ideas like orthogonal time. He cites a list of examples that he claims as examples that PKD may have received precognitive information from the future. While his list did not convince me of any psychic abilities, I did see several coincidences mixed in with evidence of a troubled writer who had an amazing sense of intuition, and the ability to tap into the imagery of his subconscious mind in a highly creative way. Peake also comes up with the bizarre theory that PKD was an alien abductee or that he was a human/extraterrestrial hybrid, with advanced knowledge encoded in his DNA. Peake's quotes from PKD on the topic feel to me like a creative writer playing around with a fad that was popular at the time, rather than evidence of alien hijinks.
Part III: Diagnosing PKD from 30+ years removed is a favorite game of his biographers, but here Peake brings some very valuable insight to the topic. Peake believes that many of the symptoms that PKD attributed to agoraphobia and anxiety attacks were in actuality symptoms of "classic migraine." Peake suffers from the condition himself, and points out multiple written passages that describe what he believes are migraine auras and related symptoms. Peake also concludes that PKD's problems probably sprung from multiple physical and psychological sources, which is conclusion I can heartily agree with. In my opinion, Part III and the Epilogue are what make this book worthwhile, in contrast to the weak Section II. Section I reports some tidbits of interesting new information, but also repeats a lot of information that PKD fans will have already read in other biographies.
However, it is not all rehash. Peake does mention the important recent research about the age of Dick's first wife, as reported in the PKDOtaku online newsletter. Peake also reports the contents of his correspondence in 2013 with PKD's longtime friend Ray Powers, and with PKD's widow, Tessa. Powers has some insight into the infamous November 1971 break-in that is far more lucid than the bizarre theories strung out by Dick and interviewer Paul Williams. Working with Tessa, Peake traced the various versions of the well-known 1974 incident in which Dick discovered his son's undiagnosed inguinal hernia. Peake's conclusion is that this is actually a fairly mundane story that became more elaborate and more miraculous in the retelling--not a manifestation of otherworldly forces in PKD's life.
Part II: Here Peake explores the "esoteric" explanations for events in PKD's life. I believe the author gives far too much credence to many of Dick's crackpot ideas like orthogonal time. He cites a list of examples that he claims as examples that PKD may have received precognitive information from the future. While his list did not convince me of any psychic abilities, I did see several coincidences mixed in with evidence of a troubled writer who had an amazing sense of intuition, and the ability to tap into the imagery of his subconscious mind in a highly creative way. Peake also comes up with the bizarre theory that PKD was an alien abductee or that he was a human/extraterrestrial hybrid, with advanced knowledge encoded in his DNA. Peake's quotes from PKD on the topic feel to me like a creative writer playing around with a fad that was popular at the time, rather than evidence of alien hijinks.
Part III: Diagnosing PKD from 30+ years removed is a favorite game of his biographers, but here Peake brings some very valuable insight to the topic. Peake believes that many of the symptoms that PKD attributed to agoraphobia and anxiety attacks were in actuality symptoms of "classic migraine." Peake suffers from the condition himself, and points out multiple written passages that describe what he believes are migraine auras and related symptoms. Peake also concludes that PKD's problems probably sprung from multiple physical and psychological sources, which is conclusion I can heartily agree with. In my opinion, Part III and the Epilogue are what make this book worthwhile, in contrast to the weak Section II. Section I reports some tidbits of interesting new information, but also repeats a lot of information that PKD fans will have already read in other biographies.
November 28, 2022
I skimmed most of this so I'm hesitant to count it as "read" but it was definitely interesting in parts. I sure have read a lot of Philip K. Dick!! I wanna reread him!!!
March 22, 2021
A primeira parte do livro é uma biografia mais ou menos convencional. Não há muita pesquisa original. No mais das vezes, o autor se baseia em biografias anteriores. Mesmo assim, acho que é uma boa síntese da vida de um dos autores mais significativos da literatura americana do século XX. Por outro lado, as outras partes - em particular a segunda, intitulada a explicação esotérica - busca orientar a vida do PKD rumo a algo transcendente. Para alguns, pode ser interessante, mas eu não fiquem especialmente interessado. A terceira parte, intitulada uma explicação neurológica, traz uma tentativa de orientar a vida do PKD por elementos de determinadas anomalias ou funções cerebrais. Curioso, mas, para dizer a verdade, acho que para a imensa maiores interessados, a primeira parte do livro basta. O restante é para aqueles interessados em um certo tipo de conhecimento esotérico.
September 5, 2014
Brilliant book. Having only seen a documentary on Philip K Dick before reading this I feel that I know a lot more now having read this. It references all the other biographies and uses so many accounts of the key protagonists in his life that I can't help but think this is a pretty fair account.
The only downsides are that there may be too much of the author in this biography and in particular at the very beginning the author claims that Philip K Dick pioneered a style of writing that has the narrative jump from one characters perspective to another’s without announcing it to the reader. This of course is just the modernist style that Joyce and Woolf had actually pioneered previously. Philip K Dick pioneered so many ideas (and may well still be ahead of the times) that there is no need to resort to unsubstantiated claims.
If you like Philip K Dick, it's well worth a read. If you have read other biographies on him, this might well be a good way to find out where the truth might stand by comparing them. I intend to read other biographies for this very reason. All in all a fantastic read and great insight into the crazy world of Philip K Dick!
The only downsides are that there may be too much of the author in this biography and in particular at the very beginning the author claims that Philip K Dick pioneered a style of writing that has the narrative jump from one characters perspective to another’s without announcing it to the reader. This of course is just the modernist style that Joyce and Woolf had actually pioneered previously. Philip K Dick pioneered so many ideas (and may well still be ahead of the times) that there is no need to resort to unsubstantiated claims.
If you like Philip K Dick, it's well worth a read. If you have read other biographies on him, this might well be a good way to find out where the truth might stand by comparing them. I intend to read other biographies for this very reason. All in all a fantastic read and great insight into the crazy world of Philip K Dick!
November 17, 2013
A concise, well-researched essay that attempts to understand what exactly happened to Philip K. Dick in 1974. I thought this one had a much more legitimate feel than the other PKD biographies I've read, and regarding his more 'mystical' experiences, this had a sober, believable and authoritative 'Esoteric' and 'Neurological' theories. He writes grippingly on a subject he's obviously passionate about (evidenced in his previous books, best of which I believe to be Labyrinth of Time).
Brilliant, actually. As a huge PKD fan I did learn some intricacies that I wasn't aware of previously.
Brilliant, actually. As a huge PKD fan I did learn some intricacies that I wasn't aware of previously.
December 14, 2023
An in depth, well researched and non judgemental timeline of PKD's life, followed by an analysis of his later views, lifestyle and exegesis. Its pretty crazy how he found time to write so much while going through FIVE marriages.. but hey, those were the days when one could live off publishing pulp, I guess? This is a pretty critical biography, certainly nothing sycophantic, but its concise and well worth a read for any serious PKD fan, critic or researcher.
December 22, 2015
O livro é dividido em partes, sendo que a parte biográfica é leitura recomendada principalmente para os apreciadores da obra de Philip K Dick. As outras partes podem ser puladas, não carecendo,no entanto, de algum interesse para os esotéricos ou para os apreciadores da obra de Dunne (An experiment with time).
January 11, 2017
Good exposition
First part of the book is a very good biopic compiled from available sources. The rest of the book is a competent supposition on the causes of Dick's world view. Having read my first Dick novel in 1965, and having been a fan since. I very much enjoyed this book and highly recommend it to those interested in the psychological aspects of Dick's work
First part of the book is a very good biopic compiled from available sources. The rest of the book is a competent supposition on the causes of Dick's world view. Having read my first Dick novel in 1965, and having been a fan since. I very much enjoyed this book and highly recommend it to those interested in the psychological aspects of Dick's work
June 6, 2016
A primeira metade é interessante, pois foca na biografia propriamente. Mas a segunda, na qual o autor tenta explicar (com quase nenhuma pesquisa) as razões da visões etc de PKD, é bem boba e dispensável.
October 6, 2019
The short, turbulent life of the SF writer
The biographical section of this book is interesting and includes some snippets of information I could not recall reading elsewhere. However, I have some concerns about accuracy. There is some ambiguity regarding dates (1952 and 1953 appear interchangeable at one point). He also misnames the Scott Meredith Agency on at least one occasion. And he can also lack clarity at times. At one point he discusses Dick’s love life during his last few years and appears somewhat confused as to the names and circumstances of those involved. A more rigorous editor would no doubt have picked up on these points. But then the book wanders into more contentious realms. In the final sections Peake postulates various explanations for the anomalies in Dick’s life. As something of a sceptic I found some of his musings regarding Dick’s possible precognitive abilities extremely tenuous. Dick was a notorious self-mythologiser and much of his own anecdotal evidence is unreliable to say the least. Peake appears keen to stretch what I suspect is nothing more than coincidence, faulty memory, and self-deception into something mysterious and otherworldly. In particular, the theories regarding the properties of time and how they might explain Dick’s supposed abilities are fascinating but highly speculative. Peake also discusses the possibility that Dick was an alien abductee; another possibility that is diverting but fanciful (I say this as a firm believer in a widely populated, but impossibly large, universe). The sections dealing with possible neurological and psychological explanations are less contentious and perhaps provide a more elegant interpretation of what Dick experienced. Peake, however, favours his more exotic analyses. Personally I would have preferred a more balanced approach to the study of this apocryphal aspect of Dick’s life but at least Peake’s more colourful theories are never dull. In conclusion, this is a book that is by turns fascinating and frustrating, but is definitely worth a read for all Dick aficionados.
3.5/5
The biographical section of this book is interesting and includes some snippets of information I could not recall reading elsewhere. However, I have some concerns about accuracy. There is some ambiguity regarding dates (1952 and 1953 appear interchangeable at one point). He also misnames the Scott Meredith Agency on at least one occasion. And he can also lack clarity at times. At one point he discusses Dick’s love life during his last few years and appears somewhat confused as to the names and circumstances of those involved. A more rigorous editor would no doubt have picked up on these points. But then the book wanders into more contentious realms. In the final sections Peake postulates various explanations for the anomalies in Dick’s life. As something of a sceptic I found some of his musings regarding Dick’s possible precognitive abilities extremely tenuous. Dick was a notorious self-mythologiser and much of his own anecdotal evidence is unreliable to say the least. Peake appears keen to stretch what I suspect is nothing more than coincidence, faulty memory, and self-deception into something mysterious and otherworldly. In particular, the theories regarding the properties of time and how they might explain Dick’s supposed abilities are fascinating but highly speculative. Peake also discusses the possibility that Dick was an alien abductee; another possibility that is diverting but fanciful (I say this as a firm believer in a widely populated, but impossibly large, universe). The sections dealing with possible neurological and psychological explanations are less contentious and perhaps provide a more elegant interpretation of what Dick experienced. Peake, however, favours his more exotic analyses. Personally I would have preferred a more balanced approach to the study of this apocryphal aspect of Dick’s life but at least Peake’s more colourful theories are never dull. In conclusion, this is a book that is by turns fascinating and frustrating, but is definitely worth a read for all Dick aficionados.
3.5/5
October 7, 2017
Eu não sou muito de biografias, mas decidi comprar este livro porque PKD foi um dos escritores que mais li na juventude. Todas aquelas estórias repletas de coisas psicodélicas e enigmas da mente me atraíam muito.
A vida de PKD foi muito doida, e por mais que o autor tente mostrar que PKD tinha poderes cognitivos ao final do livro ficou claro para mim que as anfetaminas e outras drogas pesadas que ele consumiu ao longo de sua vida detonaram seu cérebro. Isto não denigre a riqueza de seus escritos, mas com certeza hoje leria seus livros com outros olhos.
A vida de PKD foi muito doida, e por mais que o autor tente mostrar que PKD tinha poderes cognitivos ao final do livro ficou claro para mim que as anfetaminas e outras drogas pesadas que ele consumiu ao longo de sua vida detonaram seu cérebro. Isto não denigre a riqueza de seus escritos, mas com certeza hoje leria seus livros com outros olhos.
December 18, 2017
Fascinating look at PKD's life
I would recommend this book at all PKD fans. Peake did a great analysis of PKD's work and gives insight into the state of mind of my favorite SciFi author.
I would recommend this book at all PKD fans. Peake did a great analysis of PKD's work and gives insight into the state of mind of my favorite SciFi author.
February 2, 2020
Philip K. Dick é um dos mais consagrados escritores de ficção científica, um homem que acabou tendo uma vida um tanto conturbada e paranoica, que o levou a trazer muito de sua vida pessoal para as suas obras. Nesse livro o autor Anthony Peake entra de cabeça no mundo de PKD com uma grande pesquisa em que relata sua biografia de forma detalhada além de separar um espaço no livro para discutir vários episódios curiosos da vida do autor sob uma visão esotérica e neurológica para trazer à tona quem realmente é o homem por trás do mito.
Dentre os vários episódios curiosos e interessantíssimos da vida do autor temos a vez que ele recebeu uma luz rosa na testa que o trouxe várias revelações como o fato de haver várias linhas do tempo paralelas, o que o fez entrar em contato com um "eu" de outra linha do tempo em que os cristãos estão sendo perseguidos no Roma antiga; ou então a vez em que de repente ele acordou assustado por ter recebido a revelação de que seu filho pequeno possuía uma grave doença que causaria a sua morte de ela não fosse tratada rapidamente, doença essa que realmente foi descoberta em seu filho quando o levaram em um médico. No entanto, por trás desses acontecimentos impressionantes temos um homem que sofre de uma profunda depressão e problemas com drogas que foram se agravando com os anos, alguém completamente paranoico.
É um livro interessantíssimo para quem quer saber mais sobre o escritor e como a ideia de suas obras surgiram.
"Às vezes, enlouquecer é uma resposta apropriada à realidade." - PKD
Obs: O título original da obra é 'A Life of Philip K. Dick', algo que deveria ser traduzido como 'Uma Vida de Philip K. Dick', que é um título muito mais apropriado.
Dentre os vários episódios curiosos e interessantíssimos da vida do autor temos a vez que ele recebeu uma luz rosa na testa que o trouxe várias revelações como o fato de haver várias linhas do tempo paralelas, o que o fez entrar em contato com um "eu" de outra linha do tempo em que os cristãos estão sendo perseguidos no Roma antiga; ou então a vez em que de repente ele acordou assustado por ter recebido a revelação de que seu filho pequeno possuía uma grave doença que causaria a sua morte de ela não fosse tratada rapidamente, doença essa que realmente foi descoberta em seu filho quando o levaram em um médico. No entanto, por trás desses acontecimentos impressionantes temos um homem que sofre de uma profunda depressão e problemas com drogas que foram se agravando com os anos, alguém completamente paranoico.
É um livro interessantíssimo para quem quer saber mais sobre o escritor e como a ideia de suas obras surgiram.
"Às vezes, enlouquecer é uma resposta apropriada à realidade." - PKD
Obs: O título original da obra é 'A Life of Philip K. Dick', algo que deveria ser traduzido como 'Uma Vida de Philip K. Dick', que é um título muito mais apropriado.
July 1, 2020
Ler essa biografia do PKD foi de explodir a mente, a vida, a personalidade e a criatividade desse cara são intrigantes demais, assim como as obras que ele deixou seguem sendo fascinantes até hoje.
Sua vida foi marcada por muitos acontecimentos loucos, muitas experiências místicas e 'inexplicáveis', a segunda metade desse livro é cheia de teorias tentando explicar essas experiências e as possíveis habilidades de precognição do Philip, é bom demais essa parte do livro, amei demais a leitura!
"O mundo que a obra de Dick nos revela não é um lugar confortável nem seguro, e pode ser que nem seja um lugar, mas um horrível estado de espírito do qual lutamos em vão para nos libertar."
Sua vida foi marcada por muitos acontecimentos loucos, muitas experiências místicas e 'inexplicáveis', a segunda metade desse livro é cheia de teorias tentando explicar essas experiências e as possíveis habilidades de precognição do Philip, é bom demais essa parte do livro, amei demais a leitura!
"O mundo que a obra de Dick nos revela não é um lugar confortável nem seguro, e pode ser que nem seja um lugar, mas um horrível estado de espírito do qual lutamos em vão para nos libertar."
July 8, 2025
A quirky biography of a quirky science fiction writer.
Philip K. Dick was a prolific California science fiction writer who published 44 novels and more than a hundred short stories from 1951 through 1982, followed by countless posthumous books. His most famous novels are The Man in the High Castle (1962), which was adapted for a multi-season series on Amazon Prime, and Do Androids Dream of Electric Sleep? (1968), which was adapted for the movie Blade Runner (1982). Hollywood fell in love with Dick after his death; the movies Total Recall (1990), Screamers (1995), Impostor (2001), Minority Report (2002), Paycheck (2003), A Scanner Darkly (2006), Next (2007), and The Adjustment Bureau (2011), and several more, were also based on Dick stories or novels.
This is an exceptionally well-researched book with an idiosyncratic three-part structure. The first part is a standard chronological biography with sidebar articles on Dick's major works; the second part is an esoteric explanation of Dick's unusual experiences and beliefs (for instance, bizarre visions, precognitive abilities, poltergeists, and alien-human cross-bonding); and the third part is a neurological explanation of Dick's experiences. Warning: Part two is filled with paranormal nonsense, so keep reading through part three, a rational and scientific corrective. This strange approach works well for a subject as unusual as Dick, a remarkably talented pulp science fiction writer who was plagued by drug abuse, five marriages, and a bizarre assortment of physical and mental disorders that would have incapacitated most people.
For an insightful interview with Dick done in 1979 (two years before his death) by Charles Platt, see Philip K. Dick Full Interview Restored and Remastered. For a biographical documentary in which several of Dick's friends, ex-wives, and associates are interviewed, see The Penultimate Truth of Philip K. Dick.
Philip K. Dick was a prolific California science fiction writer who published 44 novels and more than a hundred short stories from 1951 through 1982, followed by countless posthumous books. His most famous novels are The Man in the High Castle (1962), which was adapted for a multi-season series on Amazon Prime, and Do Androids Dream of Electric Sleep? (1968), which was adapted for the movie Blade Runner (1982). Hollywood fell in love with Dick after his death; the movies Total Recall (1990), Screamers (1995), Impostor (2001), Minority Report (2002), Paycheck (2003), A Scanner Darkly (2006), Next (2007), and The Adjustment Bureau (2011), and several more, were also based on Dick stories or novels.
This is an exceptionally well-researched book with an idiosyncratic three-part structure. The first part is a standard chronological biography with sidebar articles on Dick's major works; the second part is an esoteric explanation of Dick's unusual experiences and beliefs (for instance, bizarre visions, precognitive abilities, poltergeists, and alien-human cross-bonding); and the third part is a neurological explanation of Dick's experiences. Warning: Part two is filled with paranormal nonsense, so keep reading through part three, a rational and scientific corrective. This strange approach works well for a subject as unusual as Dick, a remarkably talented pulp science fiction writer who was plagued by drug abuse, five marriages, and a bizarre assortment of physical and mental disorders that would have incapacitated most people.
For an insightful interview with Dick done in 1979 (two years before his death) by Charles Platt, see Philip K. Dick Full Interview Restored and Remastered. For a biographical documentary in which several of Dick's friends, ex-wives, and associates are interviewed, see The Penultimate Truth of Philip K. Dick.
March 4, 2021
I have always loved Anthony Peake's books, and this is quite different to his usual output. As a huge fan of Dick's work, I knew I would enjoy this and it was a great window into things I never knew about the author. It was well researched and introduced me to some works I was unaware of. Peake has written this enthusiastically, showing that they must also be a fan. If you like anything to do with Philip K Dick's work this is well worth a read
December 8, 2023
This is a pretty interesting look into the life of one of the greatest and most compelling sci fi authors of all time. If you're at all interested in the strange and intriguing life of PKD, this book offers a lot of pretty fascinating theories concerning his state of mind and circumstances surrounding him... I don't have many gripes with this book, but one that immediately comes to mind is that Peake uses the word "keen" like seven million times😂
June 27, 2018
A good starting point if you are interested in Philip K Dick. Anthony Peake does reference other biographies of PKD however he goes on to speculate what motivated him and what sort of a person was he. What may have been responsible for his visions. Not giving anything away but if you are a fan of PKD then you need to read this.
Ray Smillie
Ray Smillie
May 20, 2020
An enjoyable book on PKD life, in-which came many complications.
Anthony Peake's book on the complicated life of PKD is enjoyable and easy to read. Well researched and highly recommended.
Anthony Peake's book on the complicated life of PKD is enjoyable and easy to read. Well researched and highly recommended.
January 7, 2018
Author takes a lot of liberties with making unsubstantiated paranormal claims about PDK's life. Found this one hard to get through.
July 2, 2018
Very heavy reading. I don't think I realized how actually, um, non-standard the man's life was.
November 30, 2019
An enjoyable read that presents a well-researched insight into the extraordinarily colourful life of Philip K. Dick (Blade Runner, A Scanner Darkly, The Man in the High Castle).
December 16, 2019
Choć początkowo zapowiadała się dobrze, okazała się bardzo ciężka do przełknięcia.
February 14, 2025
A well guided tour around the genius' inland empire.
September 25, 2016
I liked the structure of this, which is half straight biog and half discussion of possible explanations for PKD's putative precog abilities and general weirdness. The stuff about migraine, TIA and autism was all very interesting - just as interesting as the discussion of whether time is indeed an illusion (and lunchtime doubly so of course) and whether PKD had been abducted by aliens... and whether he actually believed this himself, or not.
Man, though, why would you get married five times. And why would you marry someone who'd been married more than once?? Call me whatever you like but it would be a red flag for me. Anyway, like a lot of amazingly creative people, Philip K Dick sounds both fascinating and more annoying than you can possibly imagine. Which is basically the author's view I think - well, from the evidence it seems unavoidable.
Could have used a further edit I think, couple of places where either there was an error or a sentence/phrase could have been re-written to be clearer. Despite this, interesting and well-written.
Man, though, why would you get married five times. And why would you marry someone who'd been married more than once?? Call me whatever you like but it would be a red flag for me. Anyway, like a lot of amazingly creative people, Philip K Dick sounds both fascinating and more annoying than you can possibly imagine. Which is basically the author's view I think - well, from the evidence it seems unavoidable.
Could have used a further edit I think, couple of places where either there was an error or a sentence/phrase could have been re-written to be clearer. Despite this, interesting and well-written.
October 23, 2013
This is an interesting read and a worthy addition to the ever growing world of PKD literature. The first part is a fairly breezy biography, decidedly not the 1000 page PKD bio I want and it seems will never get. Dickheads will know most of what Peake covers here already, but there were new snippets here and there. There's a section relating to PKD's theories about time that I found quite stimulating, as well as a section offering possible medical diagnoses relating to PKD's mystical experiences. The final section refers to a psychometric test PKD took in the 1950s with an interesting analysis of his results. I have to say that PKD comes across as a crazy, manipulative bastard in this book, especially in his treatment of his various wives and girlfriends. On the other hand, Peake seems to agree with the general consensus these days that PKD is probably the most influential SF writer of our time, even though he's been dead 30 years now. It's hard to disagree.
June 15, 2016
Btw Bryon Cranston seems about right
Not usually one for autobiographies or biographies...the latter in particular as they're usually written by sycophants or people who for one reason or another wish to perpetuate myths. However this book is objective and balanced and has some fascinating insights into who the man is (or what his make up may well have been) behind the myth. I have found it particularly insightful into the relation between the author, his characters and their real life counter parts, both real and perceived... This may seem like a contradiction in terms, but who's to know?
Not usually one for autobiographies or biographies...the latter in particular as they're usually written by sycophants or people who for one reason or another wish to perpetuate myths. However this book is objective and balanced and has some fascinating insights into who the man is (or what his make up may well have been) behind the myth. I have found it particularly insightful into the relation between the author, his characters and their real life counter parts, both real and perceived... This may seem like a contradiction in terms, but who's to know?
November 25, 2016
A well researched and even handed life story of one of the most fascinating writers and personalities in science fiction circles. Peake does not shy away from Dick's less savory interactions with women (and some men) that were forgiven on the basis of his abundant talent nor the many theories regarding the source of Dick's religious preoccupations in the late stages of his life and is adept at maintaining the thread between the themes of his best known works and his later Exegesis. All in all a very worthwhile survey of a writer's work and life who has merited the attention of numerous authors over the past several years.
March 1, 2014
The life of PKD seemed an endless stream of drug abuse, broken marriages, and mental collapse. That he wrote Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep (the basis for Bladerunner), and the stories that would inspire Total Recall are small comfort. Don't be fooled - there is nothing to his final work, the Exegesis, his alleged 'masterpiece,' that can't be explained by abusing meth. Didn't finish the book, time to move on.
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