Episode 10: Philip K. Dick: Adrift in the Multiverse

Episode 10: Philip K. Dick: Adrift in the Multiverse

Author: SpectreVision Radio April 18, 2018 Duration: 1:24:13
In 1977, Philip K. Dick read an essay in France entitled, "If You Find this World Bad, You Should See Some of the Others." In it, he laid out one of the dominant tropes of his fictional oeuvre, the idea of parallel universes. It became clear in the course of the lecture that Dick didn't intend this to be a talk about science fiction, but about real life - indeed, about his life. In this episode, Phil and JF seriously consider the speculations which, depending on whom you ask, make PKD either a genius or a madman. This distinction may not matter in the end. As Dick himself wrote in his 8,000-page Exegesis: "The madman speaks the moral of the piece." REFERENCES Philip K. Dick, excerpts from “If You Find This World Bad You Should See Some Of The Others” R. Crumb, The Religious Experience of Philip K. Dick Emmanuel Carrère, I Am Alive and You Are Dead: A Journey into the Mind of Philip K. Dick “20 Examples of the Mandela Effect That’ll Make You Believe You’re In A Parallel Universe” Philip K. Dick, The Man in the High Castle Weird Studies, "Episode 9: On Aleister Crowley and the Idea of Magick" Weird Studies, "Episode 4: Exploring the Weird with Erik Davis" William Shakespeare, The Tempest Sun Ra, Space is the Place Zebrapedia (crowdsourced online transcribing/editing of the Exegesis) Ramsey Dukes (Lionel Snell), Words Made Flesh Daniel Dennett, Consciousness Explained Bernado Kastrup, Why Materialism is Baloney Gordon White, Star.Ships: A Prehistory of the Spirits Nick Bostrom, “Are You Living in a Computer Simulation?” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

At the heart of Weird Studies, a podcast from SpectreVision Radio, you’ll find long-form conversations between Professor Phil Ford and writer J. F. Martel. Their discussions aren’t simple reviews or straightforward analyses; instead, they wander through the tangled undergrowth where art and philosophy meet, giving generous time to concepts that resist easy understanding and to creative works that fracture our ordinary sense of the world. This podcast deliberately lingers in that ambiguous space, treating the “weird” not as a genre but as a particular mode of experience-one that reveals the cracks in what we comfortably assume is real. Each episode feels like joining a deep, meandering dialogue between two friends who are both deeply knowledgeable and endlessly curious, covering a vast terrain that includes literature, film, music, and esoteric thought. It’s a show for anyone who suspects that the most profound truths are often found in the shadows, the anomalies, and the strangely beautiful. As part of the SpectreVision Radio network, which specializes in content that explores the uncanny edges of creativity, Weird Studies builds a unique community of listeners who are eager to think differently. You won’t find pat answers here, but you will encounter compelling questions and a shared sense of exploration that makes each installment a distinctive journey.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 230

Weird Studies
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