Galactic Pot Healer - Philip K Dick

Another twisted sci-fi mind-f*ck from the master of written surrealism.

The Game Players of Titan - Philip K Dick

The Broken Bubble - Phillip K Dick

Our Friends From Frolix 8 - Philip K Dick

Our Friends From Frolix 8 is a typical

The Days of Perky Pat - Philip K Dick

This is the fourth volume of the collected short stories of Philip K Dick, incorporating 18 stories written between 1954-1964.

Like all collections, there is some variety in the quality of the inclusions, but overall it is a very impressive body of work. Highlights include Minority Report, which inspired a film of the same name, but the short story in many ways has a far better plot line.

The title story, The Days of Perky Pat tells of a post-apocalyptic world where the adults are obsessed with playing a game centring on a Barbie-style doll (Perky Pat) and her material wants and acquisitions. In many ways it is a low-tech version of Second Life, created 40 years later.

It is sometimes hard to believe that Dick died in 1982. Many of his best works, written in the 1950s and 60s have been almost prophetic in nature, with aspects scarily familiar to those of us living in 2007.

Another great science fiction writer Robert Silverberg last year wrote an article reflecting on how the world is becoming more 'Phildidickian' every year, with the 21st century now producing a high-tech version of Perky Pat, a virtual girlfriend Vivienne interacting on a mobile phone near you.

The Transmigration of Timothy Archer - Philip K Dick

The Transmigration of Timothy Archer is the last book written by Philip Dick, and was published after his death. While Dick is most famous for his science fiction, he also wrote significant amounts of non-sci-fi, most of which is very good (The Man in the High Castle, In Milton Lumky Territory).

The character of Timothy Archer is based on James Pike, the late Episcopalian Bishop of California and a close friend of Dick's. A charismatic and highly successful church leader, Timothy Archer is also an intellectual, who finds his faith in Jesus shattered with the discovery of the Dead Sea scrolls in Israel. Following the suicide of his son, he begins to believe as fervently in the occult as he once did in Jesus and feels as obliged to spread the message of his new faith as passionately as he once preached Christianity.

The story is told through the eyes of Angel Archer, Timothy's daughter-in-law, an atheist and product of 1960s Berkley, California. In addition to their family ties, Timothy and Angel respect one another as intellectuals and have many conversations touching on philosophy, literature and history. Angel charts the downfall of Timothy Archer which eventually leads to the death of three people: his son (and Angel's husband) Jeff, his mistress (and Angel's best friend) Kirsten and finally Timothy himself.

In addition to being a well-written tragedy, Dick also paints a picture of Californian culture in the 1960s - including the intellectual community, destructive drug use and more liberal attitudes towards relationships. I found it a fascinating, absorbing and accessible read.