{"product_id":"philip-k-dick-and-philosophy-9780812697346","title":"Philip K. Dick and Philosophy","description":"\u003cdiv\u003eScience fiction writer Philip K. Dick (1928–1982) is the giant imagination behind so much recent popular culture—both movies directly based on his writings, such as \u003ci\u003eBlade Runner\u003c\/i\u003e (based on the novel \u003ci\u003eDo Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?\u003c\/i\u003e), \u003ci\u003eTotal Recall\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eMinority Report\u003c\/i\u003e, and \u003ci\u003eThe Adjustment Bureau\u003c\/i\u003e plus cult favorites such as \u003ci\u003eA Scanner Darkly\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eImposter\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eNext\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eScreamers\u003c\/i\u003e, and \u003ci\u003ePaycheck\u003c\/i\u003e and works revealing his powerful influence, such as \u003ci\u003eThe Matrix\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eInception\u003c\/i\u003e.  With the much anticipated forthcoming publication in 2011 of volume 1 of \u003ci\u003eExegesis\u003c\/i\u003e, his journal of spiritual visions and paranoic investigations, Dick is fast becoming a major influence in the world of popular spirituality and occult thinking.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIn \u003ci\u003ePhilip K. Dick and Philosophy: Who Adjusts the Adjustment Bureau?\u003c\/i\u003e, twenty Dick fans and professional thinkers confront the fascinating and frightening ideas raised by Dick’s mind-blowing fantasies. Is there an alien world behind the everyday reality we experience?  If androids can pass as human, should they be given the same consideration as humans?  Do psychotics have insights into a mystical reality?  Would knowledge of the future free us or enslave us? This volume will also include Dick's short story \"Adjustment Team,\" on which \u003ci\u003eThe Adjustment Bureau\u003c\/i\u003e is based.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003ePhilip K. Dick and Philosophy\u003c\/i\u003e explores the ideas of Philip K. Dick in the same way that he did: with an earnest desire to understand the truth of the world, but without falsely equating earnestness with a dry seriousness. Dick’s work was replete with whimsical and absurdist presentations of the greatest challenges to reason and to humanity—paradox, futility, paranoia, and failure—and even at his darkest times he was able to keep some perspective and humor, as for example in choosing to name himself ‘Horselover Fat’ in VALIS at the same time as he relates his personal religious epiphanies, crises, and delusions. With the same earnest whimsy, we approach Philip K. Dick as a philosopher like ourselves—one who wrote almost entirely in thought-experiments and semi-fictional world-building, but who engaged with many of the greatest questions of philosophy throughout the Euro-American tradition.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003ePhilip K. Dick and Philosophy\u003c\/i\u003e has much to offer for both serious fans who have read many of his novels and stories, and for those who may have just recently learned his name, and realized that his work has been the inspiration for several well-known and thought-provoking films. Most chapters start with one or more of the movies based on Dick’s writing. From here, the authors delve deeper into the issues by bringing in philosophers' perspectives and by bringing in Dick’s written work. The book invites the reader with a casual familiarity with Dick to get to know his work, and invites the reader with little familiarity with philosophy to learn more. At the same time, we have new perspectives and challenging connections and interpretations for even the most hard-core Dick fans, even though we never speak to “insiders” only.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eTo maximize public interest, the book prominently addresses the most widely-known films, as well as those with the most significant fan followings: \u003ci\u003eBlade Runner\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eTotal Recall\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eMinority Report\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eA Scanner Darkly\u003c\/i\u003e, and \u003ci\u003eThe Adjustment Bureau\u003c\/i\u003e. Along with these “big five” films, a few chapters address his last novels, especially VALIS, which have a significant cult following of their own. There are also chapters which address short stories and novels which are currently planned for adaptation: \u003ci\u003eRadio Free Albemuth\u003c\/i\u003e (film completed, awaiting distribution), \u003ci\u003eThe Man in the High Castle\u003c\/i\u003e (in development by Ridley Scott for BBC mini-series), and “King of the Elves” (Disney, planned for release in 2012).\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"D. E. Wittkower","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48286876696827,"sku":"9780812697346","price":36.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0779\/3917\/9771\/files\/9780812697346.jpg?v=1772482894","url":"https:\/\/indiepubs.com\/products\/philip-k-dick-and-philosophy-9780812697346","provider":"IndiePubs","version":"1.0","type":"link"}