Blog

The Josephine Ulrick Literature and Poetry prizes offer an eye-popping $20,000 to the winner in each category. Now in its tenth year, this is the first time the twenty grand prize pool has been awa...  >

Elsewhere
Ultimate Guide to Writing Better Than You Normally Do >

Other

< Back to Blog
0 Comments

Philip K. Dick on Blade Runner

JA March 26

American author Philip K. Dick passed away in 1982, the same year that Blade Runner, the adaptation of his novel Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep, was released. As a result he never got to see the full film, but he did manage to catch a glimpse of some scenes on TV, causing him to write this letter to Jeff Walker, the head of the film’s marketing crew, in October 1981. (via Kottke)

Dear Jeff

I happened to see the Channel 7 TV program “Hooray for Hollywood” tonight with the segment on BLADE RUNNER. (Well, to be honest, I didn’t happen to see it; someone tipped me off that BLADE RUNNER was going to be a part of the show, and to be sure to watch.) Jeff, after looking – and especially after listening to Harrison Ford discuss the film – I came to the conclusion that this indeed is not science fiction; it is not fantasy; it is exactly what Harrison said: futurism. The impact of BLADE RUNNER is simply going to be overwhelming, both on the public and on creative people – and, I believe, on science fiction as a field. Since I have been writing and selling science fiction works for thirty years, this is a matter of some importance to me. In all candor I must say that our field has gradually and steadily been deteriorating for the last few years. Nothing that we have done, individually or collectively, matches BLADE RUNNER. This is not escapism; it is super realism, so gritty and detailed and authentic and goddam convincing that, well, after the segment, I found my normal present-day “reality” pallid by comparison…. I think, BLADE RUNNER is going to revolutionize out conceptions of what science fiction is and, more, can be…

New letters walker-bladerunn

On a side note, those interested in letter-writing should gallivant over to a new monthly event headed by broadcaster and writer Marieke Hardy at the Trades Hall this Sunday (March 29) at 2.30pm. Women of Letters will feature ‘strong, opinionated, smart-arse’ women writing and readings missives on a number of topics, including ‘A Letter to a Night I’d Rather Forget’ and ‘A Letter to my First Pin-Up’. Audience members will also be invited to scribe their own correspondence during the musical interlude. Tickets are $10 at the door.


 

Our Friends


 

Only the comment field is required. Omitting the ID fields increases your risk of being mistaken for spam.