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What If Our World Is Their Heaven? The Final Conversations of Philip K. Dick

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Two things were always true with Philip K. Dick: first, that whenever you looked in the direction in which he waves his wand, nothing was as it seems. And second, that whenever you looked at the magician himself, what you saw was what you got.

In this collection of transcripts of taped interviews, made with Dick during what turned out to be his last weeks on earth, we are treated to the unedited, off-the-cuff ramblings of the master. Are they worth it? They are, on at least four counts.

The first pleasure is just hearing his voice again. The second is learning various little bits that we didn't know before: about his reactions to seeing the first rushes of _Blade Runner_, which was just going into editing (he was pleased and enthusiastic, and not at all put out that the whole Mercerism theme was excised.) And about the book he was planning to begin next, The Owl in Daylight. The third pleasure is watching his creative process unfold as he massages the material for _The Owl_, plotting it and composing it right before our eyes. And the fourth is the confirmation that he is as quirky, as compassionate, as obsessed, as unpredictable, as brilliant, when speaking ad libitum as he was in his written work. What we saw in his novels turns out to be what his friends always got.

Other major themes include his 1974 "pink light" experience, and his relationship with the characters in his last novel, The Transmigration of Timothy Archer.

For the completist fan, this short book is a delightful find, and one worth snapping up quick since there's no telling how long it'll be in print. But for those with only a few PKD novels under their belts, and a curiosity about what made him tick, there's a far more indispensable volume to check out first, namely the extracts from his diaries which were published in 1991 as "In Pursuit of Valis: Selections from the Exegesis".

Reading this book is like sitting down to a one-on-one conversation with Philip K. Dick. His unique and surprisingly upbeat personality shines though more here than in any biography. Despite personal trials and delusions Philip K. Dick retained a sense of humor and it's fascinating to hear that come through in his own words. I appreciate the fragmented sentences and "and um's" left intact because they truly convey the atmosphere of being in a room listing to Philip K. Dick. One of the most interesting things about reading this book is seeing Philip K. Dick's momentum and thought progression as he plots out a story idea (tragically one that he never had time to finish.) His interpretation of the well-known interferences in his life from either extraterrestrial or divine sources is fascinating but somewhat brief, it seems not to overshadow his existence, but merely become another accepted aspect of it. This book brings this sci-fi legend into human terms. For those interested in Philip K. Dick's personality this book is probably the most authentic and enlightening available.

PKD is fascinating as always, but at $17 I expect a lot more than 20 pages worth of content clumsily spread across 200 pages via narrow paper, wide margins, huge type, blank pages and double-spacing. This is a magazine article pretending to be a book! For your best bang-for-buck PKD insights, save your pennies for Sutin's excellent Divine Invasions.

I love this book! If you are a PKD fan, you have to get this! I've read everything the man has written and this last conversation gives you a unique insight into the sometimes hilarious, and always genesis mind of this century's (or I guess it was last century's) great writers and visionaries.Whether you're a would-be writer or a Sci-Fi fan, this book is such a fun ride, full of wit and aplomb that only Phil could rattle off.

...And,if you read this book you'll realize just what a crying shame it truly is...The world was cheated out of "The Owl in daylight",a book that just might have ended up being his greatest. This book,(What if our world is their Heaven?)is simply a transcription of some tape interviews PKD made shortly before his untimely death in 1982.Of course this could be seen by the cynical as an attempt by those in the late PKD's circle of friends to somehow cash in on the mystique that surrounds this enigmatic science fiction legend,Its a quick read...not terribly lengthy...but the true genius of this book is the glimpse a hardcore PKD fan can get of two things...One,"The Owl in Daylight",still in the conceptual phase at the time of his death(Oh,why oh,why'd ya have die Phil?) Two,just how quickly this man's mind worked,especially as to regards the way he wrote a novel(ABSOLUTELY mind boggling).I will say that If you haven't read the Sutin Bio,parts of PKD's exegesis and I'd say,at least 10 or so of his key works you may not get a whole lot of enjoyment out of this book,But a real delight for the hardcore fan as well as a heartbreaking reminder of all the great books we could of had in the last 20 years if Phil was still around.

Was it chance or fate that led Gwen Lee to record these last words of PKD?
Whatever, this book is a must read for anyone who wants to probe the depths of the PKD spirit. Here Dick laid out the plotline and central character, Ed Firmley, for his next great novel, THE OWL IN DAYLIGHT. Who needs more of it actually written? Any reader can fill in the blanks. Dick was taking the next giant step to solving the puzzle of man's existence here on earth. By positing the existence of this Nanoman race from a planet without music or sound, Dick set up the premise for another brilliant novel.

The very notion that an other world Nanoman, could implant himself via biochip into Ed Firmley's brain is ground breaking. That this would transform this hack musician into a Beethoven like composer is a light year ahead of man's current understanding of himself. What a gas that Firmley would then make the choice to allow himself to implanted into the brain of this celestial Entity. Yes, Firmley did have to exchange this puny earthly existence for a world constructed from rainbow colors. But to him it was like dying and going to heaven.

I enjoyed reading this, and so will you if you're a fan of Phil's art. I read it all the way through the day it arrived. I had known about Phil as a writer since Blade Runner, then found his name again later on in life in one of the Gnostic gospel books in reference to sudden spiritual awakenings. This book completes our PKD collection, excluding the Exegesis of course, hint, hint... Buy this book if you're a PKD fan. The conversation about the making of Blade Runner compared to the original book with the electric animals is unforgetable.

Only for PKD fansn w that want to know more abot PKD's personality and creative process.

Transcribed uhsand ahs...so you get everything he said,''

If you have not read The Transmigration of Timothy Archer, start with this interview. It will deepen the experience.The Transmigration of Timothy Archer

A comfortably disorienting walk with a old friend.
When I 1st was introduced to P.K.D. in the mid 70's It came, like so much of my life during that time, from one I admired, trusted and learned ao much from. "Ever read Phillip K. Dick?", he asked seiing that I was looking for my next book. "No.", I said, takimg the book.
Even though I was a reader from an age not old enough for school yet, and though sci-fi was my subject of choice most often the author was new to me. I can't recall the title of the novel but if my memory is not as shot as some tell me it is, the story was 'different' to say the least.
Today "different' is the highest compliment I give to art, music and stories. I remember Sister Dominic answering this 3rd grader's question (somwthing most nun's had come to dread or ignore) about the difference between creating and making something. Always to the point, she told me "men make things. Only God can create a thing/ Things are made from other things. Creations come to be from nothing." It was probably the only reply from the catholic school I have come to hold as 'gospel'.
the worlds P.K.D. created were as origional, complex, mysteries luring the reader into an almost overwhelming existence.
This book is time spent with the creator and the interviewer asking questios and soliciting reflection on things we, had we been there, would have asked.
If you're a P.K.D. reader then you want to read this.