DNA – The Source of Life, the Universe and Everything

By Simon Hope

Forty-two.

It’s like a Freemason’s handshake to fans of the Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. Forty-two. The answer to life, the universe and everything. Just one of a series of clever in-jokes that bind millions of Hitchhiker fans around the globe.

In 1979, soon after publication of the Hitchhiker’s Guide, author Douglas Adams was invited to a book signing at a small science fiction shop in Soho. As he drove he was held up by what he assumed to be a demonstration. It was only on arrival that he realised the massive crowds were there to meet him. Rarely has a book, particularly a sci-fi comedy novel, created a following of such scale. The Hitchhiker’s Guide had morphed from a cult radio series into a publishing success overnight. A phenomenon was born.

Life
Douglas Noel Adams was born in Cambridge on 11 March 1952 (one of his favourite gags being that he preceded Crick and Watson’s own discovery of DNA in Cambridge by some nine months). After a strange start to life – Adams claimed to have made a habit of walking into lamp-posts as a child – he quickly found his vocation. By the age of eleven his first piece of writing had been accepted into print – a short story for Eagle annual. Despite the many detours he would take along the way, it appears the writing bug was unshakeable from that early age.
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Philip K Dick (An Imagined Interview)

Interviewer’s Notes

Making contact with Phil was no easy task. Many emails went between myself and his current publishers. He expressed adamantly that he did not wish to go through another interview, but would answer questions over email. Upon my first ‘introduction’ email and the first question, he about faced and changed his mind. He simply answered, ‘We can meet if you wish’. I have no idea about his sudden change of heart and his allowing me to actually visit him and speak face to face. I can only surmise that he envisaged the interview as being more productive speaking in the same room, than conversing over email.

He set some rules.

He wished his location to remain a secret - I have purposely left actual description vague.

He allowed me to record him for transcription purposes, but asked that the recording not be published (though as you’ll see, he didn’t want it destroyed).

He asked me to choose my favourite story or novel and bring it along.

Finally, he wanted to see the finalised transcription of the interview and give the go ahead for publication.

The transcription is as close to the original recording as possible. Any grammar incorrectness is simply because it is as things were said.

PART ONE

Late 2005. Somewhere in England.

It’s late afternoon, I easily locate the address. I rap on the door. I’m not really nervous, just wondering what will happen. The door clicks after a few heartbeats.

He has the chain on and peeks around the door. I’m not recording at this time, but I’ll mention what words were said.

PKD: (frowning) Yes?

RH: Hi Phil, I um.. we arranged a meeting. (I finger the book I’m carrying)

PKD: Ah yes. (he disappears for a second, there’s a rattle of the chain, then the door opens). Please come in.

I am lead into a small room.

PKD: Sit down. Would you like a drink?

I am taken aback how quickly I am accepted into his humble abode. Looking back, I suppose he knew what I looked like from my photo. I choose a comfy chair to sit in.

RH: Water, please. Thanks.

He gathers two glasses and disappears into what I presume is his kitchen. He returns a half a minute later with two filled glasses. I am unsure what he is drinking; but that’s none of my business. He hands me one then sits down on the sofa.

He crosses his legs and eyes me silently, swirling his drink.

RH: Phil, this is an honour. I know I’m going to start babbling. (Smiles). I’ve been a big fan of yours since reading The Electric Ant at school.

PKD: One of my early ones.

(Pause)

PKD: I really don’t like email. It’s impersonal. It’s not like a using a typewriter.

“An Everyday Town Once Had A Mysterious Visitor.”

No one would have believed, in the last years of the nineteenth century, that human affairs were being scrutinized, written down, rearranged and composed into a short but powerful novel. A man busied himself, merging intelligences greater than Man’s and yet as mortal as his own.

A leafy suburban town became the focus of his writings, the first strike point of an invasion from outerspace. From Mars. One world crept silently towards another. Thus was born, War Of The Worlds.

Herbert George Wells.

Some Shots Of The Wonderful H.G. Wells’ Martian Sculpture/Rendition To Be Seen In Woking

A Long Shot Which Shows The Height Of This Impressive Work Of Art

An Almost Vertical Shot Of The Daunting Martian Sculpture

A Close Up Showing The Detail Of The Martian’s Body

Another Close Up Shot. Notice The Detail, Especially The Tenticles

The Inscription Which Can Be Found Near The Martian

The Crashed Pod In Which The Martians Landed Is Located A Distance From The Martian Itself

As well as the Martian, a Crashed Pod and Bacteria Trail were built. The surrounding area was changed too to compliment the structure.

The Woking War Of The Worlds Martian Sculpture was conceived, designed and built by Michael Condron, Sculptor in 1998 and still looks as cool as it did then.

It is a shame that Woking didn’t utilise and build upon, even work with Universal Studios to promote the town centre and surrounding countryside (Horsell Common inparticular).

A SF Periodical Full Of Suprises Sprung By New Authors.

I will start this review of Interzone with some blurb off the TTA Press website.

Founded in 1982, Interzone has maintained its position as one of the world’s leading professional Science Fiction and Fantasy magazines, nominated for a Hugo many years running and winning in 1995, a reputation that the new team will be making every effort to enhance and improve.

TTA Press took over from the previous publishers from issue 194 (September/October 2004).

Prior to that, it was published by David Pringle and his gang. It was a stylish, 68 page, (monthly/bi monthly depending on the schedule) containg around 6 or 7 short stories. It included both well known authors and up and coming authors. The kind of stories were what I would term proper SF. They made you think. They were impressive, and most of all they were enjoyable.

Because the lineup changed issue by issue, it was almost like a lottery as to what kind of story you would next read (but the reader always won). Interzone has published new stories by authors such as Brian Aldiss, Sarah Ash, J.G. Ballard, Iain M. Banks, Stephen Baxter, Michael Blumlein, Molly Brown, John Brunner, Christopher Burns, Richard Calder, Jonathan Carroll, Thomas M. Disch, Paul Di Filippo, Greg Egan, William Gibson, Nicola Griffith, John Courtenay Grimwood, M. John Harrison, Robert Holdstock, Gwyneth Jones, Graham Joyce, Garry Kilworth, Jonathan Lethem, Paul J. McAuley, Ian R. MacLeod, Michael Moorcock, Kim Newman, Rachel Pollack, Christopher Priest, Alastair Reynolds, Nicholas Royle, Geoff Ryman, Brian Stableford, Charles Stross, Ian Watson and a great many talented newer authors. The list contains some of my favourite SF writers, namely Christoper Priest and Jonathan Carroll. The point being is that the list is impressive.

As well as the fiction, there were articles of non-fiction which included book reviews, interviews and movie reviews. They were intelligently written and almost as interesting as the fiction.

So, in issue 193 they announced that there was a change of management, and that there was an ‘incoming publisher’. We held our collective breath…

I must admit, that when they announced a change of publisher I wondered exactly how Interzone itself would be affected. I have seen all too many times, an entity is taken over and all of a sudden it becomes unrecognisable for what it was. The new owners have big ideas, which can invariably have a negative impact on how it appears from then on.

It appeared to me as if it was the backbone of British SF and it seemed to be the general consensus from other critics.

Along came issue 194.

My first impressions were from the way the presentation had changed. I held in my hand a glossy Manga style magazine. The main obvious changes were to the logo and the fonts had changed to be more ‘trendy’. I could see immediately that they were trying to push the magazine from it’s ‘fanzine’ look, to a more commercially viable look.

Opening issue 194 showed that they had re arranged the content presentation as well as the content. The look was definately crisper, easier to read, and somehow just looked better. The artwork seemed to revolve around the content of the page it was on. For example there were drawings which fitted in with the page of the story it was on.

Upon comparing the non-fiction areas, I could see that there were still the main areas as there were before, gossip, movie and novel reviews. But in addition there was a new computer game page. Hmm I thought. This instinctively struck me as a bad move. If I wanted to read about computer games, I’d buy a computer game magazine. But after reading the column, and subsequent columns, it shows that in fact, it fits in well. The column is written with SF in mind. Even though I wouldn’t personally buy a game from the sole writings in the column, it makes interesting reading.

The fiction itself was pretty much the same as before, which I breathed a sigh of relief to. But being wary, I wanted to read each subsequent issue to see if there would be a gradual change.

The format lasted from 194 to 198. I think during this time, the publisher were ‘testing the water’, trying various tweeks to the format (as it is in fact only the format and presentation which has changed), and getting feedback from readers.

And along came 199. And it blew me away.

Again, the changes were primarily presentation, but it makes it so much more of a proper magazine. The artwork is still just as excellent. The fiction and non fiction sections are just as good. But now the changes to the look and feel of the magazine seems to have thrust it into a format which could be displayed in a high street newsagents.

The feedback from their readers seems to have payed off. It has a masthead and more of an identifiable front cover. It has been toned down slightly, the logo is no longer in such a ‘futuristic’ font.

I noticed also they’ve put a few choice keywords on the front - Aliens! Murder! Celebrities! Dragons! Sex! Food! I’m not sure what the mentality is behind this choice of words, but I have a feeling that the publisher are aiming for a larger market, something that will sit on a newsagents shelf and be catching to the eye. The picture of the cyberamazon girl with big tits and a laser kind of implies that too.

Looking back, Interzones pre 194 were pretty stagnant. I would envisage this is because it was a case of ‘why fix what isn’t broken’. The format worked. But now, post 193, Interzone is going through many changes to simply bring it upto date.

And it is certainly working. I will continue to subscribe. You can subscribe to Interzone here too. You won’t be disappointed.

So, it’s been revamped and revamped again, and the publishers are improving it all the time. It is very much the better for it. It should be available at WH Smiths (at Waterloo for tired commuters wanting to escape the reality of being stuck on a packed, sweaty train).

A last thought: A few Interzone Anthologies have been released over the years containing key stories through the lifetime of the magazine. It was, infact, how I first got to hear about the publication. I would hate to think that these compilations won’t be carried on. Let’s hope the new publisher have the time/energy/money to bring out the first 21st Century Interzone Compilation.

Issue 200 is reviewed here and it’s funkier than ever.

Psychotic, Paranoid, Mesmerizing, Genius, Semi Scary Philosopher.

In the world of science fiction, the stories and writings of Philip K Dick are unparalleled. From his novel Do Androids Dream Of Electric Sheep? to the short story We Can Remember It For You Wholesale to Minority Report, he managed to inject something unique and almost infectious into his narratives. A lot (if not most) of his published material is still around. From novels and short stories, to essays, private writings and philosophical thoughts.

Dick had an amazing knack for putting forward ideas in a wholly realistic alternate future or present. Most, if not all of his original and unique ideas as current today as they were when they were written.

Since Dick’s death in 1982, four Hollywood movies have been released starring such actors as Harrison Ford (Blade Runner), Tom Cruise (Minority Report), Arnold Schwarzenegger (Total Recall) and Paycheck (Ben Affleck). At the time of writing a quick calculation shows he has been dead for 23 years. This shows that Dick’s writings have been made into a movie every 5.75 years. What other writer can boast that?

In the pipeline is A Scanner Darkly (Keanu Reeves). This one I am really looking forward to; and you’ll see from the link that the visuals are very interesting.

I honestly think that Phil was born too early. If he had started writing just a few years ago, he would have been embraced more. The wordly view on SF has changed in the past few years (I say this loosley, as it encompasses Fantasy too). Every few weeks a new SF movie is released. SF is creeping up in the popular media, and I bet that a lot of people haven’t really noticed either. SF has always been quite popular, although really in an almost underground way. Now it’s in the mainstream. Phil would have loved it; he would have found it easier to ‘fit in’. There would have been more of an outlet for his work. Also, it would have probably meant he would have had more respect as a ‘proper’ writer, rather than one of those.

Conversley, maybe he would have found the genre too diluted through no fault of his own. If he hadn’t had the friction and environment of his life, he wouldn’t have produced his somewhat genius narratives.

These are the works of Philip K Dick which became famous, through popular media and through cult followings. Many essays have been done on his popular work, instead I want to concentrate on his lesser known works, with my personal insight into the meanings of the writings, the intracacies and what Dick himself was going through at the time he wrote them.

Any story mentioned here is worth reading, some (because they’re short stories) are available in collections of stories. So you can easily go from one story to another.
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