Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Philip K. Dick: Stanisław Lem Is a Communist Committee (2015)

culture.pl

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

211–215 of 215 posts

Re: Philip K. Dick: Stanisław Lem Is a Communist Committee (2015)

#211

Post by alexey-salmin »

Trasmatta wrote: post #18
munchler wrote: post #10

> This plot [about an intelligent beam of light] wouldn’t be out of place in one of Dick’s mind-bending novels. This experience was, in fact, the basis of a novel he wrote called _Valis_.

One of my all time favorite books! The Empire never ended.

Can you share what you like about it? I love most of pkd works but this one I just couldn't finish, simply because it's so boring. Chapter after chapter nothing happens.

The only thing that stuck with me was that "cynicism is not a viable alternative to insanity" (not an exact quote), that's an interesting idea.

Re: Philip K. Dick: Stanisław Lem Is a Communist Committee (2015)

#212

Post by TeaBrain »

mrkstu wrote: post #102
TeaBrain wrote: post #86

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I agree that the book title is great, but I've never understood the fawning over the movie. The art design is great, but the movie script turned a contemplative story into a generic thriller with a unique aesthetic.

Hardly generic- it is somewhat generic after what has come since, as there has been so much cheap copying of the original.

The art design, which is the most influential aspect of the movie, is superb, but compared to the novel, the movie's script is that of a generic thriller.

Re: Philip K. Dick: Stanisław Lem Is a Communist Committee (2015)

#213

Post by TeaBrain »

DonHopkins wrote: post #190
mrkstu wrote: post #102

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Hardly generic- it is somewhat generic after what has come since, as there has been so much cheap copying of the original.

Yes, a definite instance of the "Seinfeld is Unfunny" Effect. https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/SeinfeldIsUnfunn...

In Blade Runner's case, the art design is superb. As I mentioned in my parent comment, that's not what I referred to as generic. The script though is what is generic and ham-fisted compared to the novel. It's also not a case of that meme, as I was comparing to the novel, and to earlier films which it is derivative of while taking just the skeleton of the plot from the novel.

Re: Philip K. Dick: Stanisław Lem Is a Communist Committee (2015)

#214

Post by pests »

mezentius wrote: post #163
pests wrote: post #155

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I haven’t read too much PKD but have been meaning to, do you mind dropping titles on what you mentioned at end of third paragraph?

Sure—in order of mention, that would be “A Scanner Darkly” and “Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?” The slyly comic tone of the latter may surprise those who’ve only seen its rather dour film adaptation (“Blade Runner”), which the original novel resembles only slightly.

Ah okay, thank you. I feel a bit lame as they are pretty recognizable titles. I never got into the blade runner movies outside of cultural knowledge of the plot and know nothing of "A Scanner Darkly". Going to add them to my reading list so thank you.

Re: Philip K. Dick: Stanisław Lem Is a Communist Committee (2015)

#215

Post by tincholio »

philistine wrote: post #27
skrebbel wrote: post #16

Wow this reads like the plot of a bad romcom! I can totally imagine Dick sitting angry in his study getting all worked up over how badly Lem hated US SF and how mean that is, not realizing Lem actually loved his work. All this lacks is the grand finale where the misunderstanding is revealed and they kiss & make out.

Philip K. Dick was vindictive, continually broke, terrible at titles, unlucky, and a wonderful writer. He never had a happy ending.

Seems like he honored his surname with his attitude :)
Post reply on HN