“I want to write about people I love, and put them into a fictional world spun out of my own mind, not the world we actually have, because the world we actually have does not meet my standards. Okay, so I should revise my standards; I’m out of step. I should yield to reality. I have never yielded to reality. That’s what SF is all about. If you wish to yield to reality, go read Philip Roth; read the New York literary establishment mainstream bestselling writers….This is why I love SF. I love to read it; I love to write it. The SF writer sees not just possibilities but wild possibilities. It’s not just ‘What if’ – it’s ‘My God; what if’ – in frenzy and hysteria. The Martians are always coming.” — Phillip K. Dick, writer, philosopher and science fiction god.

As I’m sure you already know, Blade Runner (1982) is one of my very favorite films of all time, so I was totally jazzed to write up this month’s bookclub selection, VALIS (1981), and its author, Phillip K. Dick [1928 - 1982]. Blade Runner, of course, was based on PKD’s novel, Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? (1968), and although the film altered the book quite a bit, PKD wholeheartedly supported both the changes and the film itself.

But don’t take my word for it. PKD himself wrote a letter to that effect dated October 11, 1981 to one Mr. Jeff Walker, executive producer and film marketing guru [Remember when Tim Burton cast Michael Keaton as the lead in Batman (1989) and everyone freaked out? Jeff Walker is the reason that film made a bazillion dollars at the box office].

And I quote:

What I am saying is that all of you collectively may have created a unique new form of graphic, artistic expression, never before seen. And, I think, BLADE RUNNER is going to revolutionize our conceptions (sic) of what science fiction is and, more, can be.

As for my own role in the BLADE RUNNER project, I can only say that I did not know that a work of mine or a set of ideas of mine could be escalated into such stunning dimensions.  My life and my creative work are justified and completed by BLADE RUNNER. — Phillip Dick, The Official Site

High praise indeed.

[And he didn't even see the "good" version! Pardon my French, but HOLY SH*T! This would be like Darlton writing ME a letter and saying something I wrote blew their minds. I bet Walker has this letter framed on his desk! Hm. Now I'm wondering what Mr. Dick would have thought of LOST?]

Despite his early death (he was only 53, and yes, 53 is YOUNG), PKD’s works remain interesting to Hollywood to this day. Genre-ly speaking, [HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!] only Stephen King has more books adapted to film. Unfortunately, like Stephen King’s, most PKD film adaptations are no great shakes. Luckily, NOBODY (so far that I can tell) has been dumb enough to greenlight an adaptation of VALIS.

[Although, I DARE you to read the novel and try to argue how much of LOST's a-doings are NOT derived from this novel. Good luck with that, btw.]

FUN PKD FACTS:

• He had a twin sister, Jane. She died at six weeks old. Losing his twin sister had a profound effect on PKD throughout his life. And for some weird reason, according to my resource, he blamed his mother for Jane’s death. ["Phil's traumatic sense of separation from her, an experience common to many twins. . .contributed to the dualist (twin-poled) dilemmas that dominated his creative work - science fiction (SF)/mainstream, real/fake, human/android. It was out of these pressing dualities that the two vast questions emerged which Dick often cited as encompassing his writing: What is Real? and What is Human?" -- PKD Official Site].
• From seventh grade on, he suffered from bouts of vertigo [extreme and sudden dizziness. My college roommate had this. It really sucks].
• He was randomly diagnosed as schizophrenic. That is, throughout his life, some doctors diagnosed him as having the mood disorder and some said he was “perfectly sane.” [When you're a writer, this happens more often than not.]
• Reading The Wizard of Oz as a kid was a seminal moment for his development as a storyteller.
• He was married five times [ouch!] and had three children.

[Twin poled, people!! TWIN POLED!!]

2 – 3 – 74

This next bit is so bizarre, I’ll have to directly quote it.

In February and March 1974, Dick experienced a series of visions and auditions [I think he means auditory hallucinations -- like hearing voices] including an information-rich “pink light” beam that transmitted directly into his consciousness. A year after the events, in March 1975, Dick summarized the 2-3-74 experiences that would pervade his writing for the final eight years of his life:

“I speak of The Restorer of What Was Lost The Mender of What Was Broken.”

“March 16, 1974: It appeared – in vivid fire, with shining colors and balanced patterns – and released me from every thrall, inner and outer.

“March 18, 1974: It, from inside me, looked out and saw the world did not compute, that I – and it – had been lied to. It denied the reality, and power, and authenticity of the world, saying, ‘This cannot exist; it cannot exist.’

“March 20, 1974: It seized me entirely, lifting me from the limitations of the space-time matrix; it mastered me as, at the same time, I knew that the world around me was cardboard, a fake. Through its power of perception I saw what really existed, and through its power of no-thought decision, I acted to free myself. It took on in battle, as a champion of all human spirits in thrall, every evil, every Iron Imprisoning thing.”

[Whoa. Sounds like Mr. Dick had a party in Room 23, don't it?]

Naturally, critics and academics alike missed the entire freakin’ point and argued over whether PKD’s visions were “real” or not. [Duh.] The truly interesting thing, however, is how these visions galvanized PKD’s writing the last 8 years of his life. VALIS, published only a year before his death in 1982, was written during this period. Keep an eye out for the “pink light” as you read along this month.

VALIS is a flipping complicated book to summarize [aren't they all?], and I don’t want to spoil too much of the plot for you. Luckily, I found a simple review on Amazon.com that fits the bill.

VALIS is “the first of Dick’s three final novels (the others are Divine Invasion and The Transmigration of Timothy Archer). Known as science fiction only for lack of a better category, “Valis” takes place in our world and may even be semi-autobiographical. It is a fool’s search for God, who turns out to be a virus, a joke, and a mental hologram transmitted from an orbiting satellite.

The proponent of the novel, Horselover Fat, is thrust into a theological quest when he receives communion in a burst of pink laser light. From the cancer ward of a bay area hospital to the ranch of a fraudulent charismatic religious figure who turns out to have a direct com link with God, Dick leads us down the twisted paths of Gnostic belief, mixed with his own bizarre and compelling philosophy. Truly an eye opening look at the nature of consciousness and divinity.”

Good term to know while reading VALIS: GNOSTICISM

“Gnosticism expresses a specific religious experience, an experience that does not lend itself to the language of theology or philosophy, but which is instead closely affinitized to, and expresses itself through, the medium of myth. Indeed, one finds that most Gnostic scriptures take the forms of myths. The term “myth” should not here be taken to mean “stories that are not true”, but rather, that the truths embodied in these myths are of a different order from the dogmas of theology or the statements of philosophy.” — The Gnosis Archive

It’s easy to get brain freeze from considering the nature of “reality.” Take careful note: Don’t let the philosophy get you down! Take a page from  PKD fan and flickr pro Torley:

All I really need to know I learned from Philip K. Dick:

* It never happened. Or did it?
* Androids used for slave labor have issues.
* Real animals make us feel better about ourselves.
* It’s easier to believe a lie than dismiss the truth.
* When in Rome… well, we’re all living in Rome.
* You, too, can change your personality like clothing.
* Horselover Fat is not a porn star’s name.
* Superior mutants are sexy.
* Nazis are always evil, no matter what universe you’re in.
* Telepaths are a complicated lot.
* Paranoia is ideal for the adventurous.
* Sometimes, it’s OK to go insane.
* Some memories are best left repressed.
* Words control people.

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!

We hope you enjoy this month’s Bookclub selection and urge you to keep an eye out for the WTAL BOOKCLUB PODCAST on VALIS in early February.

Happy reading!