Philip K. Dick Kick
Tribute to the Dean of Dystopia
For those who might not be familiar with Philip K. Dick, he was one of the greatest science fiction writers of the late twentieth century. With 44 novels and over 100 short stories to his name, this prolific writer has undoubtedly been influential during recent times. This is probably due to the fact that his fiction tends to grapple with heavy themes concerning authoritarian conglomerates and dystopian regimes. In many ways, his books were filled with stark warnings for the very present that we’ve come to inhabit.
Whether they know it or not, it’s pretty safe to say that most people today are familiar with at least one story written by Philip K. Dick. That’s because several of his stories have been the inspiration for blockbuster films and riveting TV shows. Here’s a short list just off the top of my head (there are others, but this isn’t an exhaustive listing):
Movies:
- Blade Runner (1982) based on the novel Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?
- Total Recall (1990) is based on the short story We Can Remember It for You Wholesale.
- Minority Report (2002) is based on the 1956 novella The Minority Report.
- A Scanner Darkly (2006) is based on the book by the same name.
