American Writers (One Hundred Pages at a Time)

Philip K. Dick Book Club: Episode 79: The Minority Report

"The Minority Report" is a bit of a Rorschach test for us. We will invariably see it as a story on police powers and survelliance, but maybe all Dick was doing was writing a tale of Cold War institutions at war.

Episode 98: James Fenimore Cooper: The Pathfinder (Finale)

My final look at James Fenimore Cooper's The Pathfinder. We say goodbye to Natty for a while, but he will be back as old man Leatherstocking in The Pioneers.

Episode 97: James Fenimore Cooper: The Pathfinder (4)

Part 4 of my review of James Fenimore Cooper's "The Pathfinder".

Philip K. Dick Book Club: Episode 78.6: The Man Who Japed (6)

The finale of my series on Philip K. Dick's novel "The Man Who Japed".

Philip K. Dick Book Club: Episode 78.5: The Man Who Japed (5)

Part five of my series on Philip K. Dick's novel "The Man Who Japed".

Philip K. Dick Book Club: Episode 78.4: The Man Who Japed (4)

Part four of my series on Philip K. Dick's novel "The Man Who Japed".

Philip K. Dick Book Club: Episode 78.3: The Man Who Japed (3)

Part three of my series on Philip K. Dick's "The Man Who Japed".

Philip K. Dick Book Club: Episode 78.2: The Man Who Japed (2)

Part two of my series on Philip K. Dick's novel, "The Man Who Japed."

Philip K. Dick Book Club: Episode 78.1: The Man Who Japed (1)

Part one of a series on Philip K. Dick's novel "The Man Who Japed."

Philip K. Dick Book Club: Episode 77; Autofac

Finally we come to Philip K. Dick's clearest expression of one of his long running concepts, the "Autofac", as important today as it ever was.

Philip K. Dick Book Club: Episode 76: Human Is

"Human Is" brings an end to an informal series of Philip K. Dick short stories on adultery, beginning with "Out in the Garden", "Beyond the Door," and "Of Withered Apples".

Philip K. Dick Book Club: Episode 75: The Mold of Yancy

In "The Mold of Yancy", Dick examines how the media can shape public perception and figures that the best way to create ideological conformity is to plague the world with banality and charming folk wisdom. A fascinating idea.

Episode 96: James Fenimore Cooper: The Pathfinder (3)

Part 3 of my comments on James Fenimore Cooper's "The Pathfinder". This is the section where Natty (Pathfinder) has his heart broken.

Philip K. Dick Book Club: Episode 74: The Chromium Fence

In the story "The Chromium Fence", Philip K. Dick explores technology and the debate over transhumanism. Are we forced to particpate in the updates of consumer goods? Windows updates for everyone.

Episode 95: James Fenimore Cooper: The Pathfinder (2)

Part 2 of my series on James Fenimore Cooper's "The Pathfinder." We end up where we began, but we have lots of fun doing it.

Philip K. Dick Book Club: Episode 73: Surface Raid

In "Surface Raid," Philip K. Dick explores posthumanism in ways similiar to that of "Planet for Transients," but with deeper themes and emotional punch. Who is going to reclaim the earth after a war? What role will technology play? Will war divide humanity into different species?

Episode 94: James Fenimore Cooper: The Pathfinder (1)

In "The Pathfinder", James Fenimore Cooper picks up just a few months after the events of "The Last of the Mohicans". We see Natty Bummpo up to his old games, helping guide people to forts in the midst of war.

Philip K. Dick Book Club: Episode 72: Psi-Man Heal My Child!

In this story, Philip K. Dick comes close to presenting a general theory of the post-human. Are they a threat? Are they the future? Are they are comrades? Are they outsiders? 

Episode 93: James Fenimore Cooper: The Last of the Mohicans (4)

And now, the finale of James Fenimore Cooper's "The Last of the Mohicans".

Episode 92: James Fenimore Cooper: The Last of the Mohicans (3)

Part 3 of my review of James Fenimore Cooper's "The Last of the Mohicans".

Philip K. Dick Book Club: Episode 71: Service Call

Do consumer goods control our minds? How does mass media, radio, or just the products in your hope affect your ideology? These are some of the questions explored in Philp K Dick's story, "Service Call".

Episode 91: James Fenimore Cooper: The Last of the Mohicans (2)

Part two of my review of James Fenimore Cooper's "The Last of the Mohicans". In this episode we learn more about one of the best villans in early U.S. history, the Huron warrior Magua.

Philip K. Dick Book Club: Episode 70: The Hood Maker

Just in time for the U.S. release of the episode of "Philip K. Dick's Electric Dreams" comes my thoughts on the 1955 story. (Plus a few words on the episode.)

Episode 90: James Fenimore Cooper: The Last of the Mohicans (1)

In thie episode we begin out look at the second of James Fenimore Cooper's Leatherstocking Tales, the epic adventure story "The Last of the Mohicans."

Philip K. Dick Book Club: Episode 68: Nanny

In "Nanny", Philip K Dick explores child rearing and automation. What will the robotics revolution mean for raising children? Can robots do a better job than distracted and flawed adults?

Episode 89: James Fenimore Cooper: The Deerslayer (5)

And now the conclusion to James Fenimore Cooper's "The Deerslayer."

Philip K. Dick Book Club: Episode 67: Foster You're Dead

What is the relationship between war and consumerism? What was the impact on children of the Cold War-era brinkmanship? To what degree is totalitarianism defined by our freedom of choice to buy or not buy products? These are some of the questions exposed in Dick's story "Foster You're Dead"

Episode 88: James Fenimore Cooper: The Deerslayer (4)

In this section of my review of "The Deerslayer", I discuss torture and the morality of denying marriage. As the Deerslayer is on "furlough" from his captivity,all of the characters must make important decisions and their solidarity is put to variosu tests.

 

Episode 87: James Fenimore Cooper: The Deerslayer (3)

In this episode, we dive deeper into James Fenimore Cooper's novel "The Deerslayer": a ransom, a rescue, and a kidnapping.

Philip K. Dick Book Club: Episode 66: War Veteran

The Philip K. Dick Book Club moves onto 1955. In "War Veteran" Dick plays with time travel and conspiracies and the ongoing conflict between Earth and the colonies.

Philip K. Dick Book Club: Episode 65: Strange Eden

And now for a story I really do not like, "Strange Eden". "Strange Eden" is a story of ancient alien explorers mixed with some mighty strange sexual politics.

Episode 86: James Fenimore Cooper: The Deerslayer (2)

In this episode I look at chapters 7 through 12 of James Fenimore Cooper's novel, "The Deerslayer." In this section, the Deerslayer, Natty Bummpo, makes his first kill and the mystery of the box of pirate treasure is examined.

The Philip K. Dick Boook Club: Episode 64: The Father-Thing

In this episode of the Philip K. Dick Book Club, we look at the short story "The Father-Thing". It is a story about who children see the emotional instability of their parents. It is also (it seems) a story of childish imagination and adventure in a suburban environment.

Episode 85: James Fenimore Cooper: The Deerslayer (1)

Time to insanely charge into the Leatherstocking Tales. We will begin with the first in the series (although the last one published), "The Deerslayer." So, let's meet Natty Bummpo and his friends as they arrive at Glimmerglass.

Philip K. Dick Book Club: Episode 63: The Turning Wheel

In "The Turning Wheel", Philip K. Dick explores Eastern religions and the broader realtionship between the technocratic life and the religious life. It is one of his strongest early stories dealing with technology.

Episode 84: Louisa May Alcott: Jo's Boys (2)

Our final episode in this series on Louisa May Alcott. In the second half of "Jo's Boys" our major heroes face adult challanges and even life and death choices.

Philip K. Dick Book Club: Episode 62: Progeny

In this episode, I look at Philip K. Dick's story "Progeny." How much power should we give to those we raise and educate our children? Can the posthuman (transhuman?) be achieved simply through education?

Episode 83: Louisa May Alcott: Jo's Boys (1)

It is ten years after the events of "Little Men" and we check in on the adulthood of the graduates of Plumfield. In this episode, we look at Alcott's final novel "Jo's Boys".

Episode 82: Louisa May Alcott: Little Men (3)

The finale of my series on Louisa May Alcott's "Little Men."

Philip K. Dick Book Club: Episode 61: The Last of the Masters

In this episode we look at Dick's sole tale looking specifically at anarchism. While anarchist themes run throughout his works, he only examined the concept directly in this sci-fi tale, "The Last of the Masters." And through this tale, Dick explores the germ of the state and the relationships between automation and freedom and government.