Byron 'Giggsy'’s Comments (group member since Aug 31, 2009)

Byron 'Giggsy'’s comments from the Philip K Dick group.

http://sciencefictionworld.com/books/...

I'm sure many of you have seen the first PKD android, but now there is a new improved version 2.0 - I thought I'd pass this along.

I have done very little drugs in my life because I don't need them. :) I think Dick may fall into that same category.

As far as the debate, like Steven says, his later work become more polished. I think he grew from a great SF mind and a good writer to both a great SF mind and a great writer, so I like his later works the best.

Also, Drew recommended 'Divine Invasions: A life of Philip K. Dick' by Lawrence Sutin. I happily tracked down an out-of-print copy 2 years ago and haven't read it yet (hopefully this year), but I also noticed that this was just reprinted in the US. I saw last month my local bookstore had 6 copies of it. A few weeks later they had only 3 copies... but hopefully this title will now be easily findable for fans. The new version has an updated introduction by Sutin, but otherwise I believe was the same.

Last month I would have told you Ubik. I just re-read it and wasn't impressed quite a much but still loved it. That book is such a mindfuck when reading it the first time, but since there were no surprises coming this time it didn't have quite the effect. I'm going to have to go with Flow My Tears the Policeman Said... that book is always on my mind since I read it.

I've read 8 Dick novels and 2 short story collections. I'm hoping to add at least 5 more novels in 2011.

Aug 31 - http://www.marketwatch.com/story/seve...

Radio Free Albemuth picked up for distribution! And the official site is becoming more active: http://radiofreealbemuth.com/

Also, imdb is listing Adjustment Bureau with a release date of March 2011.

Still not seeing anything that guarantees Flow My Tears The Policeman Said will be made, but it does sound like Derek Anderson really wants to make it.

I don't want to turn this into a film thread, but now that director Vincenzo Natali has a hit currently in theatres (Splice) I thought I'd point out his second film which was definiately Dickian: 'Cypher', its a dystopian corporate espionage. You can get more details from wiki or a movie site if you like, but I think you all will like it... I actually had to double-check after watching to make it wasn't actually a PKD story I didn't know about.

I read Jeff Noon's "Vurt" based on Mike recommendation and I would agree it is a good pick for PKD fans.

On the movie side, some thought Christopher Nolan's Memento was inspired by Dick... Nolan as a new movie coming out in the US on July 16 named 'Inception'... it looks Dickian as well.

As of June 03, 2010, ten of PKD's early works in the public domain in the United States are available in ebook form from Project Gutenberg

http://www.gutenberg.org/browse/autho...

Mike wrote: "I'll re-recommend a UK writer Jeff Noon to anyone looking for outlandish surrealism in their sci-fi fiction. Vurt and Pollen and .... gah, it's all good, mostly."

I took Mike's recommendation and just finished reading Jeff Noon's Vurt. And I must say I quite liked it. Its hard to guarantee others will like based just on being a Dick fan, but I think its a good recommendation. It reminded a little more of William Gibson than Dick though, especially Gibson's Count Zero and the threads with Voodoo Loa.

I also like how the surrealism flows and makes sense within the context. I hate it when someone just makes something weird and confusing that relate together at all and then just slaps the surrealism label on it.

I've been reading sci-fi for a few years now and PKD is my favorite author. I'm starting to read more than ever, so I hope to knock out many more Dick and other classic sci-fi authors over the next few years.

Ubik was the first Dick book I read, and it remains my favorite. I've also read Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep, World Jones Made, A Scanner Darkly, Radio Free Albemuth, and Flow My Tears, the Policeman Said. Haven't read many short stories yet.

I purchased all 3 Library of America collections of his, which gives me 13 of his most popular novels.. not sure which I'll read next, but I recommend these versions to others, as a way of getting some good novels at a great price.. they are hardcover with thin but quality paper so that the books aren't too thick, and have a built in bookmark. There is now a boxed set of all 3 books: http://www.loa.org/volume.jsp?Request...

Besides Dick, I've read some Arthur C Clarke, William Gibson, and Orson Scott Card and am reading Dune now.

outside of books, I live in Omaha, Nebraska, USA and am a big sports fan, particulaly soccer and car racing.

Feel free to chat with me anytime

As of now, The World Jones Made is the only minor book of his I've read. It is noticable that the book is by a new/inexperienced author, but overall I'd still say it was good, very enjoyable, and worth recommending to Dick fans