Philip K. Dick Quotes

A collection of quotes by Philip K. Dick.

Philip K. Dick (1928-1982) was an American science fiction author known for his unique and thought-provoking works. Born in Chicago, Illinois, he showed an early interest in writing and began submitting stories to magazines while still in high school. Dick's writing career took off when he sold his first story, "Roog," to a science fiction magazine in 1951.

Throughout his lifetime, Dick wrote more than 120 short stories and 44 novels, all of which showcased his imaginative and often dystopian portrayals of futuristic worlds. His works were highly philosophical, exploring themes of identity, reality, perception, and the human condition. Many of his novels have been adapted into successful films, including "Blade Runner," "Total Recall," and "Minority Report."

Despite his significant contribution to the science fiction genre, Dick's success and recognition as a writer largely came posthumously. Throughout his life, he struggled with financial difficulties and personal challenges. He was known for his eccentricity and experienced periods of mental instability, which often filtered into his writing.

Philip K. Dick's work continues to inspire and influence writers, filmmakers, and fans alike, earning him a dedicated following and a lasting legacy in the world of science fiction. His ability to create compelling narratives that delve into the nature of reality and consciousness has cemented his place as one of the most influential science fiction authors of the 20th century.

Fear, Jason said, can make you do more wrong than hate or je

Fear, Jason said, can make you do more wrong than hate or jealousy. If you're afraid you don't commit yourself to life completely; fear makes you always, always hold something back.

You will be required to do wrong no matter where you go. It

You will be required to do wrong no matter where you go. It is the basic condition of life, to be required to violate your own identity. At some time, every creature which lives must do so. It is the ultimate shadow, the defeat of creation; this is the curse at work, the curse that feeds on all life. Everywhere in the universe.

Life Science Identity

This is why I love SF. I love to read it; I love to write it

This is why I love SF. I love to read it; I love to write it. The SF writer sees not just possibilities but wild possibilities. It's not just What if... It's My God; what if... In frenzy and hysteria.

To live is to be haunted.

To live is to be haunted.

Life Live Haunted

The electric things have their life too. Paltry as those liv

The electric things have their life too. Paltry as those lives are.

You of all people, the void communicated. Out of everyone, i

You of all people, the void communicated. Out of everyone, it is you I love the most.

The mentally disturbed do not employ the Principle of Scient

The mentally disturbed do not employ the Principle of Scientific Parsimony: the most simple theory to explain a given set of facts. They shoot for the baroque.

Religion Science Conspiracy Theories Mentally Disturbed

I, for one, bet on science as helping us. I have yet to see

I, for one, bet on science as helping us. I have yet to see how it fundamentally endangers us, even with the H-bomb lurking about. Science has given us more lives than it has taken; we must remember that.

Activity does not necessarily mean life. Quasars are active.

Activity does not necessarily mean life. Quasars are active. And a monk meditating is not inanimate.

And of course, in my writing, there is the constant theme of

And of course, in my writing, there is the constant theme of music, love of, preoccupation with, music. Music is the single thread making my life into a coherency.... It's my job and my vice mixed together. You can't hope for better than that: having your job and your sin commingled.

Life Music Love Vices

Any given man sees only a tiny portion of the total truth, a

Any given man sees only a tiny portion of the total truth, and very often, in fact almost...perpetually, he deliberately deceives himself about that precious little fragment as well.

Everything is true,' he said. 'Everything anybody has ever t

Everything is true,' he said. 'Everything anybody has ever thought.''Will you be all right?''I'll be all right,' he said, and thought, And I'm going to die. Both those are true, too.

Life Death Truth Thought

I will never fully understand; that is the nature of such cr

I will never fully understand; that is the nature of such creatures. Or is this Inner Truth now, this that is happening to me? I will wait. I will see. Which it is. Perhaps it is both.

The basic tool for the manipulation of reality is the manipu

The basic tool for the manipulation of reality is the manipulation of words. I you can control the meaning of words, you can control the people who must use the words.

I was twelve when I read my first sf magazine

I was twelve when I read my first sf magazine

Science Fiction

I want to write about people I love, and put them into a fic

I want to write about people I love, and put them into a fictional world spun out of my own mind, not the world we actually have, because the world we actually have does not meet my standards. Okay, so I should revise my standards; I'm out of step. I should yield to reality. I have never yielded to reality. That's what SF is all about. If you wish to yield to reality, go read Philip Roth; read the New York literary establishment mainstream bestselling writers

Authors & Writing

Reality is whatever refuses to go away when I stop believing

Reality is whatever refuses to go away when I stop believing in it.

Science fiction writers, I am sorry to say, really do not kn

Science fiction writers, I am sorry to say, really do not know anything. We can't talk about science, because our knowledge of it is limited and unofficial, and usually our fiction is dreadful.

Science Fiction

Reality is that which, when you stop believing in it, doesn'

Reality is that which, when you stop believing in it, doesn't go away.

Drug misuse is not a disease, it is a decision, like the dec

Drug misuse is not a disease, it is a decision, like the decision to step out in front of a moving car. You would call that not a disease but an error of judgment.