Philip K. Dick was one of the most popular science fiction novelists of the 20th century, but the contradictory and wily writer has troubled critics who attempt encompassing explanations of his work. This book examines Dick's writing through the lens of ontological uncertainty, providing a comparative map of his oeuvre, tracing both the interior connections between books and his allusive intertextuality. Topics covered include time travel, alternate worlds, androids and simulacra, finite subjective realities and schizophrenia. Twenty novels are explored in detail, including titles that have received scant critical attention. Some of his most important short stories and two of his realist novels are also examined, providing a general introduction to Dick's body of work.

About the Author
Umberto Rossi is an Italian independent scholar and literary journalist. He has published essays on science fiction, postmodernist fiction, war literature and the 20th century U.S. novel.

Reviews
"Offers a comprehensive, provocative, and useful exploration of Dick's fictional oeuvre...insightful...excellent...may well become a standard reference...Twisted Worlds, due to its happy convergence of exemplary research and good writing, is that rarest of specimens: a scholarly book that meets its publisher's hype...splendid study...is the new decade's best academic study of Dick's fiction, as well as one of the great critical works published about Dick's writing...Rossi deserves our thanks, our respect, and our admiration"-Journal of the Fantastic in the Arts; "a clear demonstration of the effect of intensity that Dick's novels can produce"-Science Fiction Studies.



Book Information
ISBN 9780786448838
Author Umberto Rossi
Format Paperback
Page Count 316
Imprint McFarland & Co Inc
Publisher McFarland & Co Inc
Weight(grams) 422g
Dimensions(mm) 229mm * 152mm * 16mm