A Blog on Books

Philip K. Dick continues his trend of writing some of the strangest novels imaginable, and I’m all here for it! His works are endlessly fascinating, and Dr. Bloodmoney: Or How We Learned to Get Along After the Bomb is no exception—it’s a fever dream of a story, a brilliant exploration of Cold War fears, though with an oddly optimistic outlook. Sort of. Either way, it was an absolute thrill to read. First off, I love the title. It’s perfect. As a huge fan of Dr. Strangelove: Or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb , I find this novel to be a bizarre yet fitting science fiction counterpiece to Kubrick’s classic film. The two are completely unique, but they make for fascinating companion pieces. Interestingly, the book was actually written before the movie was released, but when it came time for revisions, editor Donald Wollheim suggested that Dick reference Dr. Strangelove —a change that, in my opinion, really works. As stated, this book is bizarre, but that’s what makes it...

When I picked up A Scanner Darkly by Philip K. Dick, I was expecting a fun, slightly offbeat read in the vein of Fight Club . I’ve read two of his other novels, Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? and The Man in the High Castle , and found them intriguing, so I was eager to dive into this one. The back cover promised a story about a cop trying to bust himself, which sounded like it would be a quirky, psychological ride. Boy, was I wrong. This was a much darker, more chaotic experience than I ever anticipated, and it’s a testament to both the writing style and the subject matter. I’ve noticed this pattern with Dick’s books—like The Man in the High Castle , where the blurb doesn’t fully prepare you for the depth or complexity of the story. A Scanner Darkly is no exception. A Darker, More Personal Story What I didn’t expect was the heavy tone that runs throughout the novel. While there are some moments of humour or absurdity, A Scanner Darkly is, at its core, a raw and terrifying exp...