Philip K. Dick on Blade Runner

Over at Flavorwire, they're discussing authors who actually enjoyed the film adaptations of their books, including Philip K. Dick, regarding Blade Runner.

 In a lovely letter written to the Ladd Company shortly before he died (and before Blade Runner hit theaters), author Dick expressed his enthusiasm for what he had seen of the film, and boldly predicted its response. “The impact of BLADE RUNNER is simply going to be overwhelming, both on the public and on creative people,” Dick wrote, “and, I believe, on science fiction as a field… Nothing that we have done, individually or collectively, matches BLADE RUNNER. This is not escapism; it is super realism, so gritty and detailed and authentic and goddam convincing that, well, after the segment I found my normal present-day ‘reality’ pallid by comparison. What I am saying is that all of you collectively may have created a unique new form of graphic, artistic expression, never before seen. And, I think, BLADE RUNNER is going to revolutionize our conceptions of what science fiction is and, more, can be.” In conclusion, he tells producer Jeff Walker, “My life and creative work are justified and completed by BLADE RUNNER.”

Whatever you may think of Blade Runner or Philip K. Dick, you have to admit, that's the kind of impact that's wonderful for other artists to hear as they do adaptations of another artist's work. I do feel bad that Prometheus and likely the pending sequel don't quite match the grand ambition and layering we saw in Blade Runner. But still, what a treasure to present to the world, to spark the imagination so.