Secret Lives

From Philip K. Dick's thoroughly charming author's note on his first sold story, "Roog":

"So here, in a primitive form, is the basis of much of my twenty-seven years of professional writing: the attempt to get into another person's head, or another creature's head, and see out from his eyes or its eyes, and the more different that person is from the rest of us the better. You start with the sentient entity and work outward, inferring its world. Obviously, you can't ever really know what its world is like, but, I think, you can make some pretty good guesses. I began to develop the idea that each creature lives in a world somewhat different from all the other creatures and their worlds. I still think this is true. To Snooper, garbagemen were sinister and horrible. I think he literally saw them differently than we humans did."

Snooper was PKD's dog, who became the dog in the story. Puck the Dog agrees with Snooper. That's why he sleeps, ever vigilant, next to my Buffy stake.

Is he upside down or am I?
(It's not that I can't figure out how to rotate the picture… it's that this is a Puck's eye view of the world, okay? Note: Dog decidedly unalarmed by lurking Kim Stanley Robinson and Justina Robson novels.)

5 thoughts on “Secret Lives”

  1. I’ll tell Puck you said that, Aruba lady–although we both know Puck is terrified of Bodhi. It’s because he’s seen Point Break too many times and thinks he’s somehow connected to Patrick Swayze.
    I owe you an email! And notes on your brill ms.!

  2. He is connected to Patrick Swayze! Spiritually. Actually the MAS swears she named him for Mr. No One Puts Baby In A Corner (wrong movie I know, but still the SPIRIT of the Swayze).
    I know you and C are completely swamped so no worries. Maybe we’ll get together sometime for drinks and dogs?

  3. Nope. We’ll be down the shore with Snookie and all the Jersey Shore peeps until July 10. Maybe when we’re all back and not so crazy? In that alternate universe with unicorns and rainbows?

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