05-16-2018, 09:14 AM
While DM has been watching Electric Dreams, I've been working my way through some Dick novels.
First up is Ubik.
I haven't read much of Dick's longer stuff, and don't recall his stories. I had the impression his reputation is built on sheer output. Sort of like Edgar Rice Burroughs. I read a lot of Burroughs growing up, and he was really addictive. His Tarzan books. Then the Mars stuff. But it was monotonous. After 20 or 30 pages I'd need a break. But then later in the day I'd need another fix. I should revisit Burroughs sometime to see what I think of his writing these days.
But in reading Ubik, I was surprised by just what a great writer Dick is. He's a complete storyteller, in his word choice, setting up scenes, creating interesting characters, deftly describing them, world building, and thematically nailing something genuinely important. Just an incredibly well-balanced storytelling. And the first half of Ubik blew me away.
Then came the second half, which gets very trippy, very mental. It's what Dick does best, and it's what makes much of his work hard to translate into film. A very cerebral work, highly recommended.
Afterwards, I did some searches for Ubik as a movie. There have been attempts. But it's a tough cookie to eyeball. Wikipedia's Ubik article mentions various attempts. The general consensus is that it is a brilliant novel, but largely unfilmable.
We'll see what the future brings. But well worth a read.
Now I'm tackling Dick's The Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldritch.
First up is Ubik.
I haven't read much of Dick's longer stuff, and don't recall his stories. I had the impression his reputation is built on sheer output. Sort of like Edgar Rice Burroughs. I read a lot of Burroughs growing up, and he was really addictive. His Tarzan books. Then the Mars stuff. But it was monotonous. After 20 or 30 pages I'd need a break. But then later in the day I'd need another fix. I should revisit Burroughs sometime to see what I think of his writing these days.
But in reading Ubik, I was surprised by just what a great writer Dick is. He's a complete storyteller, in his word choice, setting up scenes, creating interesting characters, deftly describing them, world building, and thematically nailing something genuinely important. Just an incredibly well-balanced storytelling. And the first half of Ubik blew me away.
Then came the second half, which gets very trippy, very mental. It's what Dick does best, and it's what makes much of his work hard to translate into film. A very cerebral work, highly recommended.
Afterwards, I did some searches for Ubik as a movie. There have been attempts. But it's a tough cookie to eyeball. Wikipedia's Ubik article mentions various attempts. The general consensus is that it is a brilliant novel, but largely unfilmable.
We'll see what the future brings. But well worth a read.
Now I'm tackling Dick's The Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldritch.
I'm nobody's pony.
