In Memory of Philip K. Dick, science fiction author

Philip K. Dick died today in 1982 of complications of a stroke he’d suffered a few days earlier. Mr. Dick is buried in the cemetery in my hometown of Fort Morgan, Colorado.

“The Man in the High Castle” (1962), an alternate history to the ending of World War II,  is his only novel to win a Hugo Award.

Here are a few of his quotes:

  • Don’t try to solve serious matters in the middle of the night.
  • Reality is that which, when you stop believing in itm doesn’t go away.
  • Reality is whatever refuses to go away when I stop believing in it.
  • It is sometimes an appropriate response to reality to go insane.
  • This, to me, is the ultimately heroic trait fo ordinary people; they way no to the tyrant and they calmly take the consequences.

His books and short stories that were adapted for movies:

  • “We Can Remember It for you Wholesale” became “Total Recall” (twice) – original with Arnold Schwarzenegger and the recent remake with Colin Farrell
  • “The Minority Report” became “Minority Report” with Tom Cruise
  • “Imposter” became “Imposter” (twice) First, a British program, and the next with Gary Sinise, Vincent D’Onofrio, and Madeleine Stowe
  • “Paycheck” was a story that became a movie by the same name starring Ben Affleck
  • “A Scanner Darkly” by the same name starred Keanu Reeves,,Winona RYder, and Robert Downey Jr.
  • “Second Variety” became “Screamers” with Peter Weller, but it went straight to video
  • “The Golden Man” became the movie “Next” with Nicolas Cage
  • “Adjustment Team” became “The Adjustment Bureau” with Matt Damon
  • “Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep” became the extremely popular and cult-following movie, “Blade Runner”, with Harrison Ford, Rutger Hauer, Sean Young, and Darryl Hannah

Sadly missed by this reader,

Until next time,

Kaye

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