My presentation will be a critical examination of Philip K. Dick’s last novel, Radio Free Albemuth, (written in 1976 and published posthumously in 1985), and the film of the same name (released in 2010). In addition to a reasonably detailed content comparison, the focus will be on how both the novel and the film illustrate PKD’s approach to science fiction, especially the questions he asks concerning ‘what is reality’, and ‘what does it mean to be human’. I will also discuss the problematic issue of the adaptation of PKD’s novels and short stories into films [more than any other American SF writer, and counting!], and the critical reception some of the films have received.
About the presenterAlan Robertson Lehman
Alan Lehman has a Ph.D. in sociology and currently teaches classes in statistics and research methods for the Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice at the University of Maryland, College Park. His research centers on medical (and also now legal) marijuana.