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Fall 2008
English 98/198
2 Unit(s)

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About the Course:

    Philip K. Dick has been described as "not only a visionary creator of speculative fiction but also an illuminating and original thinker on issues ranging from the merging or quantum physics and metaphysics; to the potential scope of virtual reality and its unforseen personal and political consquences; to the discomforting relation between schizophrenia (and other psychiatric diagnoses) and societal "joint hallucinations"; to, not least, the challenge to primary human values posed in an age of technological distance and spiritual despair" (Lawrence Sutin). Dick is also know for being a UC Berkeley pseudo-alum (he dropped out rather than take ROTC training), an obsessive cat and sheep enthusiast, a Hugo award winner, an LSD addict, an incorrigible phobic, and a self-proclaimed doomsday pessimist.

    The course will explore three texts--The Minority Report, Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?, and A Scanner Darkly--each representing a distinct period in Dick's writing.  Also, each text is accompanied by a film adaptation that will be watched and discussed in class.  Discussion will center on emerging themes, societal/audience reaction, and other proposed topics. 

How to Enroll:

    Please send an email (to cthacker AT berkeley.edu) with your name, year, and any questions about the class so we can get an idea of how many plan to enroll. 

CCNs will be given out on the first day of class: September 2.