The Man in the High Castle

[hereintheusa]

I have just started watching the Amazon "adaptation" of the classic Philip K Dick novel and its a top notch show.

Classic alternative history fare which centers on a world where the Axis powers won WWII. The Nazis control the eastern states of the US and Japan controls the pacific states with a neutral zone in the middle. Both the Nazis and the Japanese want to get hold of film footage which details our timeline in which they lost. The resistance is trying to smuggle these films out to show the world that they live in a false reality.

This story is set amongst a backdrop of an increasing Cold War between Japan and Germany which threatens to go nuclear.

The world building is fantastic and over the 10 episodes you are immersed in a really believable world.

Go watch it now.

[m4rkb]

Sound decent that. Nt one for the telly these days but it sounds like something to get into.

I'll check it out on pirate bay for a download.

[Lou Grant]

It'll be crap - the reviews and write ups I've seen (& the trailer) all make my heart sink.

Go read the book. Or if you've already read it, go re-read it.

[carcinogen]

I really like PKD. For me, his greatest work is: 'A Scanner Darkly' (dealing with surveillance and state snooping). I was amazed it became a film, I thought it impossible. And what's more, the film was actually good! With Downey Jr. & K Reeves. Amazing to me. If you read one PKD book, read A Scanner Darkly. I never got on with The Man in the High Castle tbh. 'Time Out of Joint' is another good PKD read. It's basically 'The Truman Show ' Very good. Of course, one must consider PKD was high on amphetamine when he wrote. Still, I really like his stuff. Blade Runner is nothing like his book either. Sorry, I'm ranting. BUT:

Here's a real nice BBC documentary on him, well worth a watch if you're interested:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4cK2MPgAHRk

[hereintheusa]

It'll be crap - the reviews and write ups I've seen (& the trailer) all make my heart sink.

Go read the book. Or if you've already read it, go re-read it.

Why dont you watch the show for yourself and then form a real opinion?

As I said it's a loose adaptation so if your expecting to see the novel on the small screen you will be dissapointed.

I have read the book and it is very different to the show but both can be enjoyed in their own ways.

[hereintheusa]

I really like PKD. For me, his greatest work is: 'A Scanner Darkly' (dealing with surveillance and state snooping). I was amazed it became a film, I thought it impossible. And what's more, the film was actually good! With Downey Jr. & K Reeves. Amazing to me. If you read one PKD book, read A Scanner Darkly. I never got on with The Man in the High Castle tbh. 'Time Out of Joint' is another good PKD read. It's basically 'The Truman Show ' Very good. Of course, one must consider PKD was high on amphetamine when he wrote. Still, I really like his stuff. Blade Runner is nothing like his book either. Sorry, I'm ranting. BUT:

Here's a real nice BBC documentary on him, well worth a watch if you're interested:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4cK2MPgAHRk

Your right High Castle is not an easy read. I only came to appreciate it second or third time.

Dicks books are fertile territory for movies etf because at their core is a really good idea. But the stories themselves do not lend themselves to a good translation into a movie or TV show.

Thanks for the link to the documentary. I am looking forward to watching that.

[colinthewarriormonkey]

I'm watching it and have just referred to it in a thread stating that it shows how a man who just wants to keep his head down can easily be turned into a freedom fighter, only watched 4 episodes so far, so will probably stay away from this thread as I don't want any spoilers.

Thoroughly enjoying it as is my wife and this really isn't her sort of thing.

[carcinogen]

I studied American History & Politics at Uni and managed to get myself onto a American Lit. course run by a brillaint nutcase tutor. I struggled, it wasn't my field at all, I just knew the tutor was charismatic and I wanted to be in his class. I barely made it though. But I remember writing an essay on 'Martian Time-Slip'. That's a pretty good PKD novel to explore.

[hereintheusa]

I studied American History & Politics at Uni and managed to get myself onto a American Lit. course run by a brillaint nutcase tutor. I struggled, it wasn't my field at all, I just knew the tutor was charismatic and I wanted to be in his class. I barely made it though. But I remember writing an essay on 'Martian Time-Slip'. That's a pretty good PKD novel to explore.

Not read that one but will definitely do so now. Thanks for the recommendation. Did you study Dick on the course?

[Basualdo]

I studied American History & Politics at Uni and managed to get myself onto a American Lit. course run by a brillaint nutcase tutor. I struggled, it wasn't my field at all, I just knew the tutor was charismatic and I wanted to be in his class. I barely made it though. But I remember writing an essay on 'Martian Time-Slip'. That's a pretty good PKD novel to explore.

Not read that one but will definitely do so now. Thanks for the recommendation. Did you study Dick on the course?

[hereintheusa]

Okay after re-reading my post I LOL as well. Nice catch bas.

Recently my team were talking about a thanksgiving pitch in and they all started talking about how one of the husbands was really good at smoking meat. Yes I was snickering to myself as they had a conversation about smoking meat. I am laughing now just thinking about it.

[Lou Grant]

In my personal opinion - best of his SF novels

The Man in the High Castle
Martian Time-Slip
Dr. Bloodmoney, or How We Got Along After the Bomb
Now Wait for Last Year
Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?
Time Out of Joint
A Scanner Darkly

Also well worth reading

Solar Lottery
We Can Build You
The Game-Players of Titan
The Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldritch
Counter-Clock World
Ubik
Flow My Tears, the Policeman Said
The Transmigration of Timothy Archer

Best of his non SF novels

In Milton Lumky Territory
Confessions of a Crap Artist
Humpty Dumpty in Oakland

There are a number of books to avoid - some of his earliest non SF books and some early SF novels that are basically short stories padded out into novels for reasons of needing the cash.

Worst offenders - The Cosmic Puppets, The Man Who Japed, Gather Yourselves Together, Vulcan's Hammer, Dr. Futurity

[deisegirl]

Started watching this, first episode has me interested anyway so might as well keep going!

[Suhari]

Interesting.

I started reading the book only a week or two back, as my holiday read. Never read a PKD before. Not really suited as my holiday read though: not a trash pick up/put down novel: far more involved than that.

Might check in on the Amazon show.

[carcinogen]

In my personal opinion - best of his SF novels
Time Out of Joint

Really enjoyed that. Some of his short stories are great too, obviously. May be a good place to start.

[Suhari]

Revisiting this. Only managed to watch the first one......god, nearly a year ago.

[Suhari]

Watched the first three.

Not sure it's all that.

[deisegirl]

I found the American characters quite dull but there's enough in it to make me watch the second series which I think is released next month.