2012 Philip K. Dick Festival

[Kai Frederik Lorentzen]

"The conference’s guest of honor will be none other than Jonathan 
Lethem, the editor for Philip K Dick’s three volumes from the 
prestigious Library of America ..."

Yes, my edition of the /VALIS/ trilogy (plus /A Maze Of Death/) comes 
from that Library of America. While the pages are very beautiful - thin 
but tight paper, seducing chemical scent -, I never quite understood why 
Lethem chose the overall title "VALIS and Later Novels". You know, /A 
Maze of Death/ was written in the late 1960s and published in 1970, long 
before /VALIS/ and the others. Lethem is absolutely right that 'Maze' 
corresponds with the others in many ways, and so I think it makes sense 
to publish them all in one single volume. However, while I understand 
that "/VALIS/ and Two Later Novels plus an Earlier One" would sound way 
too clumsy and "/VALIS/ (Buy 3! Get 4!!)" a little too trashy for this 
"prestigious" edition, I do not quite see what speaks against "VALIS and 
Related Novels" ... Anyway, the notes and the chronology are useful and 
sometimes also entertaining: "Anthony Boucher, Dick's longtime mentor, 
dies. Writes unpublished biographical statement: ' ... Married, has two 
daughters and young, pretty, nervous wife ... Spends most of his time 
listening to first Scarlatti and then the Jefferson Airplane, then 
/Götterdämmerung/, in an attempt to fit them all together. Has many 
phobias ... Owes creditors a fortune, which he does not have. Warning: 
don't lend him any money. In addition he will steal your pills.'" (p. 831)


On 27.05.2012 03:48, Dave Monroe wrote:

> http://www.philipkdickfestival.com/
>
>

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