The World as Viewed by Philip K. Dick

Philip K. Dick is one of the most celebrated science fiction authors of all time. He has written over fifty novels and well over one hundred short stories (Mackey). In these novels and stories, he provides his views on the universe, humanity, reality, and the future. He attempts to answer questions concerning these topics that some are afraid to even ask. These themes, along with the theme of good and evil, permeate his works. He values individuality and places an emphasis on the dangers of technology in his writings. Thoroughly reading through Dick’s pieces leads the reader to wonder if Dick is hitting the nail on the head or not with his predictions that our world is being ruined by technology. He also holds a many worlds theory, which in a way can support the idea that technology is ruining our world. With the many worlds theory, an opinion can be formulated that anything that can happen has happened. This means that not every universe is experiencing destruction through technology and that our universe might be the unfortunate one that is being driven down by technology.

Philip K. Dick loves to question what our reality is. Is this reality? Where is it heading? Dick loves to play with qualities of good and evil. This helps him to answer the question of what it means to be human, which is depicted extremely well in his novel The Man in the High Castle and the movie Blade Runner, which was adapted from his novel Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? Blade Runner is not the only film that was adapted from a work of Philip K. Dick. Other notable films that have been influenced by Dick’s works are Minority Report, Total Recall, The Adjustment Bureau, and A Scanner Darkly (Vest). Jason P. Vest wrote a book titled Future Imperfect: Philip K. Dick at the Movies, which expands upon each of his movies and the themes that they implement. This book will be used as a source in this research paper to show how his books and their themes have developed in Hollywood. Blade Runner will be researched in this paper to better understand Dick’s views on what it means to be human and will also portray Dick’s fascination with the theme of good versus evil. Steven Best and Douglas Kellner from UCLA dissect Blade Runner in their research paper “The Apocalyptic Vision of Philip K. Dick” and also use his works to show what he believed about the future concerning technology.

Many of Dick’s actions lead to the thought that he might have been crazy. With heavy drug use and a number of claimed visions into the future, it isn’t surprising that the term crazy has been tossed around when referring to Dick. Other terms that could be used to describe him would be “mystic” or “visionary.” Whether or not he is truly crazy is not the point, though. The point is that Dick wrote science fiction arguably better than anyone else. Through his writings, Dick analyzes our reality in a way that others do not perceive. His views on what reality is, what we are, and where we are going are all seen through research of his plentiful, mysterious science fiction masterpieces.

Philip K. Dick was born on December 16, 1928 in Chicago, Illinois (Mackey). He was born with a twin sister who shortly passed after birth. His parents divorced at an early age, and he moved to Berkeley, California when he was nine. From an early age, Dick showed a wild imagination and wide range of intelligence. He frequently visited therapists starting at the age of fourteen, and mastered the manipulation of psychoanalysis tests quickly. “At will he could appear normal, normally abnormal, or (his forte) abnormally normal, and, by varying his symptoms, he ran circles around his hapless first psychiatrist” (Carrère and Bent, 9). When he was a teenager, he had a recurring dream in which he was seeking a magazine to complete his collection that held the secrets of the universe. This dream drove him to a point of insanity in which he wished to never have the dream again. From then on, he never experienced it but had hoped to once again have it (Carrère and Bent). He shortly attended college at University of California at Berkeley, but dropped out when he refused to join the ROTC (Mackey).

The spark in Dick’s writing career was provided when he met writer Anthony Boucher while working his job at University Radio, an electronics store. Dick, being a shy and self-conscious writer, did not immediately approach Boucher. It was his second wife, Kleo, who presented Boucher with her husband’s writings. Boucher praised Dick for his writings, which gave Dick the inspiration he needed to succeed as a science fiction writer. Dick’s first publication came in a 1951 issue of Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction, of which Boucher was editor-in-chief, with his short story “Roog” (Carrère and Bent). This publication was the first time Dick had been paid for his work, and thus led him to the realization that he could make a living off of writing.

For the bulk of his life, writing science fiction was the only thing Dick had. He led a very troubled life with few moments of total happiness and tranquility. He suffered from agoraphobia, which is a fear of situations that have the potential cause anxiety (Carrère and Bent). Dick was married and divorced five times. He attempted suicide twice late in his life. His life included frequent drug use, which was mainly confined to amphetamines, to keep up with his imagination that ran wild (Mackey). The life of a science fiction writer in the 1950’s and 1960’s was far from glamorous. Dick was in financial trouble for a majority of his life. This forced him to work extremely hard to produce his novels and short stories at a rapid rate. In 1976, Dick wrote an excerpt titled “The Short, Happy Life of a Science Fiction Writer” which revealed his financial struggles. He describes how he had hospital visits late in his life that came with $2,000 bills that he couldn’t even attempt to pay. He also suffered from having his electricity and utilities shut off on numerous occasions. Amidst all of this, writing science fiction was the one thing he lived for. “It’s going to take more than all this to make me give up science fiction writing, for one simple reason. I love to write it” (Dick and Sutin, 31).

Before looking at how Dick viewed reality, what it means to be human, and where humanity is going, it’s important to understand what went on in his mind. As previously stated, Dick can be seen as a mystic or visionary. This is depicted in R. Crumb’s comic “The Religious Experience of Philip K. Dick.” In this comic, Crumb illustrates Dick’s visions that he experienced in the 1970’s. Dick claims that he was placed in the early-Christian world at one point in his life. In the comic, it is explained that Dick received a vision warning him of his son suffering from a hernia. This prompted Dick to take his son immediately to a hospital, where a hernia was indeed found and life-saving surgery was performed the next day (Crumb). He also held the idea that the spirit of Elijah consumed him in 1974. “That heart and spirit returned to me…I do believe that… because it was at Passover that it happened, and there was some kind of vigorous spirit in me, and it was not me and yet was human and yet more than human” (Crumb). It is impossible to know whether or not Dick actually had these visions, but it shows that his imagination ran wild and most likely greatly contributed to his success as a science fiction writer.

Dick did not hold the most conventional views on what the reality is that we live in. His 1962 novel The Man in the High Castle greatly depicts his ideas on reality. It won the Hugo Award in 1963, one of Dick’s greatest accomplishments as a writer (Mackey). This novel is set in an alternate reality in which the Nazis and Japanese are the emerging powers of World War II. Dick’s belief in a multiverse can be seen in this novel. The use of the I Ching in the novel shows how little events have big consequences. Dick held the idea that every possible consequence could have been seen in other universes unrevealed to us. “It is impossible that ours is the only world; There must be world after world unseen by us, in some region or dimension that we simply do not perceive” (Dick 258). The Grasshopper Lies Heavy is a novel found within the novel The Man in the High Castle and explains the results of World War II as they are known in our reality today. In The Man in the High Castle, the I Ching reveals that The Grasshopper Lies Heavy is the truth, even though that is not exactly how the truth is perceived. This shows that there are multiple truths that are set in multiple realities. Dick does not see reality as one truth that is set in stone. There are multiple truths that can be found in multiple distinct realities.

In Christian Pascalau’s essay titled “Universes Colliding: The Nature of Reality in Philip K. Dick’s Writings,” Pascalau explores how Dick perceived reality. Dick is quoted in saying that “reality is that which, when you stop believing in it, doesn’t go away” (Pascalau 263). Dick was so successful in creating different realities because writing science fiction allowed for his imagination to run wild. Dick remarks that science fiction “embodies some of the most subtle, ancient, and far-reaching dreams, ideas, and aspirations of which thinking man is capable…no variety of idea can be excluded from s-f” (Mackey 1). Pascalau stresses the importance of accepting science fiction realities. To do this, it is imperative to forget all other realities that are known as true. “They have to merge with the world of text, to accept the reality that the text presents as the only valid reality” (Pascalau 265). Since Dick created so many different realities with his short stories and novels, it can be argued that Dick had trouble distinguishing his realities from true reality. This would have most definitely aided his stance on how he viewed reality. It can be argued that what we perceive as reality is simply what we are accepting as reality because it is what we want to be true. With this in mind, it is plausible to say that Dick viewed reality as subjective.

After attempting to answer what reality was, Dick shifted his focus on what it meant to be human. “At one time my theme was the search for reality, which I posed as: What is real? What isn’t? But I think really my theme, What is human? What isn’t? is more vital and was there all the time underlying the other” (Mackey 128). Dick couldn’t have been more right with these thoughts on how he approached his writings. The aforementioned novel The Man in the High Castle most definitely puts an emphasis on attempting to uncover what reality is, but the underlying theme of the novel shows what it means to be human. Dick sees humanity as a constant struggle between good and evil. One character in The Man in the High Castle who strongly depicts this struggle is Mr. Tagomi. He must make decisions that heavily revolve around good and evil. The novel initially depicts him as an antagonist due to his race, but Mr. Tagomi ultimately chooses to fight against the Nazis and their evil ways. Herr Baynes is another character in The Man in the High Castle who shows a fight between good and evil. He betrays his own blood, the Nazis, to seek good for the world.

Another Dickian work that is used to answer what it means to be human is Blade Runner, the movie adapted from Dick’s novel Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? (Vest). The main character of Blade Runner is Rick Deckard (played by Harrison Ford), a bounty hunter whose job it is to kill replicants. Replicants are genetically engineered robots that are indistinguishable from humans. At first, Deckard is hesitant to accept the task of retiring replicants, yet he still agrees to undertake the role. This shows a struggle between good and evil. Eventually, Deckard realizes that there are moral obligations that he must hold himself to that keep him from continuing his job of retiring replicants. He eventually runs away with Rachael, a replicant herself, because he does not prematurely define humanity as simply having a heartbeat.

In Blade Runner, Dick ditches customary definitions of what it means to by human by posing new standards. “Rejecting the classic equation of the human being with language and rationality, Dick instead chooses empathy to characterize the human” (Best and Kellner 8). In the film, empathy tests are administered to differentiate humans from replicants. The movie shows that the replicants show a deeper appreciation for life, and they value loyalty to each other over media and society. Most replicants “more passionately value their lives than the people whose existence they supposedly threaten” (Vest 12). It can be said that Dick answered the “what is human?” question differently than the average person. Dick never claimed that there was a simple, clear-cut answer to this question. “To me, nothing is as important a question. And the answer comes very hard” (Best and Kellner 7). Based off of what he wrote about, it can be understood that he defined humanity as a struggle between good and evil, and he also defined it through an appreciation for life.

Another recurring theme that Dick shows in his works is the future fate of the world. As a science fiction writer, a number of his novels and short stories take place in the future. One short story in particular, The Minority Report, takes place in a futuristic universe where crimes are prevented by mutants who have the ability to see into the future (Vest). The 2002 film adaptation, directed by Steven Spielberg and starring Tom Cruise, was widely successful. This story shows how Philip K. Dick saw the future. Interestingly enough, a concept similar to the one shown in The Minority Report has been implemented into modern crime prevention. From February until May of 2003, the Bush Administration implemented a program known as “Total Information Awareness,” a computer program that supposedly collected a magnitude of data on a person that could be used to predict and prevent future terrorist activity (Best and Kellner). Though the program ended due to questions of privacy invasion, the data software is still “quietly thriving at the N.S.A.” (Harris).

Another story that depicts the future in terms of dangers of technology is Blade Runner. In the film, replicants exhibit amazing human-like qualities that show an incredible advancement in the science field. The programmed life span of the replicants is short, and they are created purely as mechanisms of labor. This causes rebellion in Deckard’s sci-fi world of oppressing capitalism (Best and Kellner). In today’s society, technological advancements are being made far beyond what could have been imagined during Dick’s era. Nonetheless, Dick’s imagination gave him the ability to write about such advancements far before they were a reality. Dick is fearful of whether or not technology is used in the right ways. “Replicants are like any other machine. They can be a benefit or a hazard” (Scott 1982). Dick doesn’t see all of technology as bad; he simply sees all technology as having the potential to be bad. In this ever-changing world of technological advancements, Dick would be very fearful of the fate of our world.

While Blade Runner is one of Dick’s most popular Hollywood adaptations, there are many other films that have been adapted from Dick’s works. As previously stated, movies such as Total Recall, Minority Report, A Scanner Darkly, and The Adjustment Bureau are all adapted from Dick’s works. With that being said, Dick’s influence in Hollywood does not stop there. Numerous movies have implemented the very ideas that are seen throughout Dick’s works, such as the ideas of what it means to be human, what reality is, and where we are going. One director in particular, Christopher Nolan, strongly exhibits qualities of Dick in his movies. The movie Inception, which was released in 2010, delves into the many levels of the dream world. This often raises the question of “what is reality?” The Dark Knight trilogy, arguably the most successful trilogy in film history, greatly reflects Dick’s ideas on what it means to be human. The main character, Bruce Wayne, is in a constant struggle between good and evil as he fights for justice in his hometown of Gotham. “You either die a hero or live long enough to see yourself become the villain” (Nolan 2008). One of Nolan’s early films, Memento (released in 2000), follows a man named Leonard with devastating memory loss who is trying to find the man who killed his wife. Leonard’s only clues, aside from his very limited memory, come from tattoos that he has scattered around his body. This often raises questions of “what is reality?” because Leonard must place a great deal of trust in the information he is given, even though he can never be certain that the information is completely true.

Dick’s indirect Hollywood influence is not limited to Christopher Nolan movies, though. Another widely popular movie that exhibits Dickian themes is The Matrix. In this movie, humans are placed into a reality known as “the Matrix” while their bodies in actual reality are being used for energy by machines. While this movie clearly raises questions of what reality is, it also shows Dick’s ideas on what it means to be human. The main character, Neo, is in a struggle between good and evil as he attempts to rebel against the machines that are in control of the human race. By looking at famous Hollywood hits, it is clear to see that Dick was writing about popular themes in the science fiction genre far before they were widely used Hollywood. This shows his magnificent imagination and strong ability to attempt to answer the hard questions that our world presents.

Many things can be derived from looking at the many works of Philip K. Dick. His answers to the questions “what is reality?,” “what does it mean to be human?,” and “where are we going” are all seen in each of his novels and short stories. The question of what reality is can be seen in his award-winning novel The Man in the High Castle. His view on reality includes a belief in the multiverse theory. The idea that “anything that can happen, has happened” permeates The Man in the High Castle. Dick uses the limitless genre of science fiction to apply his brilliant imagination by creating realities that are unbeknownst to man. Dick’s attempt to answer what is means to be human can be seen especially well in The Man in the High Castle and Blade Runner, the movie-adaptation of his short story Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? Dick sees humanity as a constant struggle between good and evil, which is seen in both The Man in the High Castle and Blade Runner. Blade Runner also shows Dick’s views on how humanity should be defined. Rather than defining what it means to be human by the presence or absence of a heartbeat, Dick focuses on empathy as a human quality. In many ways, Blade Runner shows that future humans will begin to lack human-like qualities as technology takes over our world. The idea of technology taking over our world is one of the many ways that Dick attempted to show us where we are going. Dick’s predictions on the future are amazingly coming true in some ways. His short story Total Recall showed a future in which crimes are prevented before they happen, which is strikingly similar to the United States software used in the “Total Information Awareness” program.

Dick’s magnificence could be tied to drug use, or possibly his mind is on a completely different level than that of a normal human being. Regardless, Dick’s works show that he truly was a gifted individual. Dick is finally getting the praise he deserved. It is unfortunate that he never saw the fame he deserved when he was alive, but it is fitting that way; Dick never sought fame or high acclaim, he simply wrote science fiction because it is what he loved to do. His passion for science fiction is what made him such an incredible writer. The world may never see another science fiction author as gifted as Philip K. Dick. His influence in science fiction is far-spread and will continue to permeate today’s world.

Works Cited

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Studies/Critical Methodologies 3.2 (2003): 186. Humanities International Complete. Web. 17 Nov. 2014.

Blade Runner. Dir. Ridley Scott. Perf. Harrison Ford, Rutger Hauer, and Sean Young. Warner

Bros., 1982.

Carrère, Emmanuel, and Timothy Bent. I Am Alive and You Are Dead: A Journey into the Mind

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Crumb, Robert. “The Religious Experience of Philip K. Dick.” Weirdo. #17 ed. N.p.: Last Gasp,

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The Dark Knight. Dir. Christopher Nolan. Perf. Christian Bale, Heath Ledger, and Aaron

Eckhart. Warner Bros. Pictures, 2008.

Dick, Philip K., and Lawrence Sutin. The Shifting Realities of Philip K. Dick. New York:

Pantheon, 1995. Print.

Dick, Philip K. The Man in the High Castle. New York: Vintage, 1992. Print.

Harris, Shane. “Giving In to the Surveillance State.” The New York Times. The New York Times,

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Mackey, Douglas A. Philip K. Dick. Boston: Twayne, 1988. Print.

Paşcalău, Cristian. “Universes Colliding: The Nature Of Reality In Philip K. Dick’s Writings.”

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Vest, Jason P. Future Imperfect: Philip K. Dick at the Movies. Westport, CT: Praeger, 2007.

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