Just started it. So far, so good. Will have more to say later. :smile:

:up:

Hope you like the whole thing. It's quite a trip!

Also looking forward to your thoughts about it.

It’s my favorite PKD novel by a mile. Honestly a substantive philosophy thread could be made about that novel, or a philosophy reading group.

Very much so. He has other philosophical ones too, but this is among his very best.

And it covers quite a lot of territory. Not a bad idea to do a thread about this novel or PKD in general.

Yes, theoretically it would be a great thread with a lot of depth and complexity, but the only issue is I don't think enough folks here have read him, or are interested in philosophy of art. That said, I may make one at some point. Or, by all means, go for it. @Jamal has been bugging me about starting a thread.

One that I found even more philosophical, but sort of sickeningly so, was The Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldritch. If the majority of PKD novels feel like weird acid trips, that one was beyond the pale for me. I feel kind of scarred for life on that one, lol.

The Issue with The Three Stigmata... is that it's also rather heavily theological, and that can push away some people who would otherwise participate.

A Skanner Darkly is also very deep - about identity mostly, but lots of material. Several others, but Ubik can be interpreted in many ways.

I don't think a thread needs more than 4 or 5 people. And his books are also rather short, can be read in three or four days without much trouble.

It's up to you.

One that I found even more philosophical, but sort of sickeningly so, was The Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldritch. If the majority of PKD novels feel like weird acid trips, that one was beyond the pale for me. I feel kind of scarred for life on that one, lol. — Noble Dust

This will have to be my next PKD :grin:

A Skanner Darkly is also very deep - about identity mostly, but lots of material. Several others, but Ubik can be interpreted in many ways. — Manuel

This is at the top of my PKD to-read list; basically the last "late period" novel for me.

I don't think a thread needs more than 4 or 5 people. And his books are also rather short, can be read in three or four days without much trouble. — Manuel

True. Ok, you've inspired me. Don't expect the thread tomorrow, or possibly even next week, but the seed has been planted. And I follow through. :razz:

Any thoughts on VALIS? :groan:

This will have to be my next PKD :grin: — Jamal

You're a brave man. :grimace:

VALIS? Meh. I thought it was average. I suppose the fact that it was semi-autobiographical made it more tolerable. But Horselover Fat? Come on, it's silly.

Flow My Tears the Policeman Said, A Maze of Death and Martian Time Slip were much better.

And of course,A Scanner Darkly.

I forgot quite a bit, as I went on an obsessive binge and read like 14 books of his in three weeks. At my peak I was doing one a day. I couldn't get enough. But the consequence of that is that my memory of a lot of them is extremely patchy, if that.

But Horselover Fat? Come on, it's silly. — Manuel

Silliness is a PKD hallmark, though. The outfits people wear in UBIK alone are testament to this. I need to re-read VALIS; I wasn't ready for it, I don't think. PKD being a philosophical guy himself makes the semi-autobiographical nature of that one at least theoretically intriguing. But I get that it's polarizing.

Flow My Tears didn't do a lot for me. I found The Penultimate Truth much more compelling.

@Noble Dust, @Manuel, @Jamal

If you'll pick one particular book and give me a couple of days to read it, I'll participate. Preferably one that's fairly accessible. I don't promise I'll have much to contribute, but I'll see what I can do.

We've had some interesting discussions about art here, but we haven't really dug into lichicher.

I'll need time (including time to re-read it), but I'm serious about a UBIK by Philip K. Dick thread. I don't know if you would enjoy it, Clarky, but it is accessible in the sense that it moves at a dizzying pace and the prose is simple. The contents of the plot, on the other hand...accessible? Uh, no. But I'd love to have you on board.

we haven't really dug into lichicher. — T Clark

Which is ironic, since we've held several short story contests.

Which is ironic, since we've held several short story contests. — Noble Dust

I'm not really interested in writing stories. I like reading them; talking about them; and figuring out what they are, how they work, and how I experience them.

Went to library page on the web, downloaded "Ubik." As I always say at times like these - What a wonderful world we live in.

a UBIK by Philip K. Dick thread. — Noble Dust

I'm ready to get started whenever you and the other interested parties are. Please put a tag for me on the OP to make sure I don't miss it.

Woah, you read it already? Ok, I’ll see what I can do… I would like to re read it though, especially since I need to gather my thoughts in order to make a decent OP.

Woah, you read it already? Ok, I’ll see what I can do… I would like to re read it though, especially since I need to gather my thoughts in order to make a decent OP. — Noble Dust

I'm not in any hurry, I just wanted you to know I'm ready when you are. Keep in mind I don't have to work for a living, so I have plenty of time to read.

Well, I mean, what did you make of it?

Assuming you haven't 100% finished, I'll just say, a certain part of it, is quite "trippy", for lack of a better word, in the best sense of that word.

@Well, I mean, what did you make of it? — Manuel

I read it because @Noble Dust indicated he is going to start of thread about it. I don't want to lay my thoughts out till he does.

Ah. I see. So all we have to do is wait for @Noble Dust to create a thread about PKD. Damn, that's like a big responsibility. Not easy to create a thread about one the most philosophical of sci-fi writers. Wonder how that will go.

But no pressure. :lol:

Ah. I see. So all we have to do is wait for Noble Dust to create a thread about PKD. Damn, that's like a big responsibility. Not easy to create a thread about one the most philosophical of sci-fi writers. Wonder how that will go.

But no pressure. — Manuel

He wants to reread the book before he starts the thread.

I know. I was merely teasing, as he sounded a bit hesitant about it.

It'll be great. Literature has plenty of material for philosophy.

À la recherche du temps perdu #5: The Captive / The Fugitive
by Marcel Proust

Rereading Kant’s Critique of Pure Reason by Theodor Adorno, his introductory lecture course given in 1959.

Clear and deep and great fun to read, highly recommended for anyone interested in Kant, whether you’ve read the CPR or not (though some familiarity with the ideas is definitely required).

I just finished The Snail On The Slope by The Strugatsky brothers. I disliked it at first, but found it very rewarding and challenging by the end. Definitely will require a re-read.

I hadn’t even heard of that one.

I had to dig, since I enjoyed Roadside Picnic but didn’t respond much to the description of Hard To Be a God, their other most well known novel. Snail is very bizarre and rather hard to follow but I ended up feeling very rewarded. Plus it’s short and moves quickly.

very bizarre and rather hard to follow — Noble Dust

Perfect!

In other words, a must-read.

If I read any SF in the near future it’ll be Ubik again so I can say something interesting in your possibly forthcoming discussion.