Every now and then I arrive to Barnes and Noble (or Borders, or perhaps a Waldenbooks), my mind savoring with an expectation that perhaps this day I will walk out hurridly, books in hand, the cash register receipt still warm, hurrying– perhaps even recklessly speeding back home for some mind porn.
The books in the Dark Tower series by Stephen King fit into this category, or perhaps the newest graphics design magazine often outrageously overpriced because it’s British, or should I say, European, and therefore meriting a hundred percent increase in price from normal mundane magazines. Sometimes the books are chosen randomly, perhaps from the sci-fi section or the best-seller section (my reading material isn’t very worldly), or some technical computer books.
Yesturday it was the collection of short stories of Phillip K. Dick (immediately provoking snickers from my less dorky roommates). He wrote the stories which were the basis for many blockbuster movies, including Total Recall (perhaps not the 3 breast part), Minority Report, Bladerunner, and the newest movie from Bennifer, Inc.: Paycheck.
Dick’s (okay, stop snickering) hallmark is the utter strangeness of his stories, with similarities to Twilight Zone (which he preceded). In terms of social commentary and marginally in terms of writing style, Vonnegut has him beat, but in terms of cleverness, Dick beats him handily (har har).
Maybe tommorow I’ll write a witty observational piece instead of a book report. Good night to my audience of perhaps two people.
