Week 7 (Rachel)

What does Brown (2001) identify as the central themes and concerns of the novel? What elements conform to the wider generic features of SF?

Brown makes a point to note that Dick’s novels go against in the grain of other SF in that they tend to be pessimistic.

Brown states that dicks novels originally conform to the genre in that they have ‘Alien worlds, precognition, ray-guns” (Brown, 20001, vi) but Dick makes a point of noting that although brown uses these motifs, his novels are different from a lot of other sci-fi, in his creation on complex characters and complex themes. Particularly themes of philosophy not always dealt with SF writers. Brown explains that one of the ideas that Dick deals with throughout his body of work, is the concept of reality and our perception of reality. I personally find this theme quite hard to grasp. Although I feel that I partially understand these ideas I can’t express them myself. Like hearing a language but not being able to speak it. With the use of computers at the increase of technology in communication, I know that lines of reality are often debated over. It is not uncommon to use phrases such as 'that stuff on mtv is so fake' and although we toss words like 'fake' and 'real' alot, without giving them deep thought. I can see how this could show that the concept of reality as neccesarliy as set as we may perceive it to be. Dick presents opposing realities in The Man in the High Castle, using eastern philosophy in opposition to the totalitarian scheme, another key theme in the novel.

References

Dick, P.K. (2001: 1962) The Man in the High Castle. London: Penguin.