The PKD Materials at the Bowling
Green State University Popular Culture Library, Bowling Green, Ohio (Aug 1997)
{Thanks to Patrick Clark for
compiling and sending us this list}
None of the Letters in the BGSU
collection are in any of the Underwood-Miller SELECTED LETTERS volumes.
MANUSCRIPTS
"The Hour of the T.E.N.C.H." Draft of novel, 224
typewritten pages with many minor corrections in ink throughout. This novel was published
by Doubleday in 1970 under the title A MAZE OF DEATH.
NOTES
"Notes on the Tench novel." 16 typewritten pages numbered
1-12, 3-6 (possibly intended to be 13-16). Ideas, character descriptions and plot lines
for the novel.
Handwritten notes used as a basis for "Notes on the Tench
Novel." Four sheets of typing paper, folded in half, with writing on the recto and
verso. Pages are variously numbered: 1-2, 9, 12, 13, and some unnumbered.
Handwritten notes for another novel, OUR FRIENDS FROM FROLIX 9. Five
sheets of typing paper, folded in half, with writing on the recto and verso, and one sheet
of unfolded lined notebook paper numbered 1-9. Ideas, characters and plot lines. This
novel was published by Ace Books in 1970 under the title OUR FRIENDS FROM FOLIX 8.
Handwritten notes dealing with Roger Zelazny's novel, Lord of Light.
One sheet of typing paper, folded in half, with writing on recto and verso. See letter
from Philip K. Dick to Roger Zelazny, November 13, 1968.
LETTERS.
35 letters from Jan 17 through December 19, 1968, including four
with no dates plus three royalty statements. 11 letters are from Philip K. Dick and
consist of unsigned carbon copies. 26 letters to Philip K. Dick are originals.
Correspondents include Dick's literary agent, Scott Meredith; his editor at Doubleday,
Larry Ashmead; his editors at Ace Books, Terry Carr and Donald Wollheim; Edward Ferman,
editor of The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction; and fellow sicence fiction
authors John Brunner, Roger Zelazny and Philip Jose Farmer. See calendar of letters.
Calendar of Letters in the Philip K. Dick
Collection at BGSU (Aug 1997)
1968
Cover letter accompanying the jacket artwork for UBIK (by Peter Rauch)
and asking Phil to meet Diane Cleaver, a Doubleday editor, at the SFWA conference.{LAWRENCE P. ASHMEAD TO PKD, 17 Jan 1968}
Announces the sale for a Dutch edition of SOLAR LOTTERY for $207 -- half
going to Phil and half to Ace Books. {SIDNEY MEREDITH TO PKD, 20
Jan, 1968}
FEB 4: TERRY CARR TO PKD. Cover letter acompanying proofs for THE
PRESERVING MACHINE and photocopy of the book jacket artwork. Problems with the
typesetter precludes copies for advance reviews but Carr will solicit input of Brunner,
Boucher and Ellison by phone. {TERRY CARR TO PKD, 4 Feb 1968}
Request for biographical information for a bibliogaphy, part of a library
science assignment by Brown. {ROBERT L. BROWN TO ACE BOOKS, 5 Feb
1968}
Announces that UBIK will be a Science Fiction Book Club selection. $1000
advance against a 6 cents royalty for every copy sold.{LAWRENCE P.
ASHMEAD TO PKD, 10 Mar 1968}
Announces sale of German rights to DO ANDROIDS DREAM OF ELECTRIC SHEEP?
for $375. Encloses German tax forms for Phil to sign. {SIDNEY
MEREDITH TO PKD, 23 May 1968}
Cover letter with returned German tax forms. {PKD
TO SIDNEY MEREDITH, 26 May 1968}
Questions about UBIK cover art. Congratulates Phil on the sale of the
movie rights to DO ANDROIDS DREAM OF ELECTRIC SHEEP?. Doubleday will alter the dedication
to that work in the next printing as Phil has requested. {LAWRENCE
P. ASHMEAD TO PKD, 29 May 1968}
Asks Phil if he will sit on a panel (with Norman Spinrad, Poul Anderson
and Richard Alpert) dealing with psychedelics at BayCon in August. Remarks that 'You are
mentioned are[sic;as] the foremost psychedelic writer." {BILL DRAER TO PKD, 26 Jun 1968}
Cover letter with Doubleday royalty statements for the six months
4-30-68. $6.32 for NOW WAIT FOR LAST YEAR, $671.38 for DO ANDROIDS DREAM OF ELECTRIC
SHEEP? {MARCIA M. HOWELL TO PKD, 29 Aug 1968}
Cover letter accompanying check for $1350. Doubleday "very
anxious about DEUS IRAE" and would like to contract for THE NAME OF THE GAME IS DEATH
as soon as possible." Essex House is interested in seeing any unpublished novels and
Collier Books is interested in "doing some science fiction collections from name
authors'" and they've asked about Phil as one such author. {SCOTT
MEREDITH TO PKD, 30 Sep 1968}
Explores the possibility of Phil doing another novel for Ace. {DONALD WOLLHEIM TO PKD, 17 Oct 1968}
Informs Wollheim that he has just sent A MAZE OF DEATH to Meredith. He is
interested in doing another novel for Ace and asks "do you want me to handle any
particular theme? Do you want me to avoid any particular theme (such as
reality-versus-illusion, for example)?" {PKD TO DONALD
WOLLHEIM, 22 Oct 1968}
Suggests that if LarryAshmead does not want A MAZE OF DEATH perhaps
Meredith can offer it to Wollheim. {PKD TO SCOTT MEREDITH, 22 Oct
1968}
Cover letter accompanying contracts for THE PRESERVING MACHINE. {MARCIA M. HOWELL TO PKD, 22 Oct 1968}
Informs Phil that they have sent, per his request, five copies of the
Japanese edition of THE MAN IN THE HIGH CASTLE under seperate cover -- cost to be deducted
from his Japanese royalties. Also provided the address of the Japanese translator. {HAYAKAWA SHOBO & CO. LTD. TO PKD, 31 Oct 1968}
NOV 2: EDWARD L. FERMAN TO PKD. Requests a short story to be published in
the 20th anniversary issue (Oct 1969) of The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction. {EDWARD L. FERMAN TO PKD, 2 Nov 1968}
Reply to Phil's letter concerning copyrights for the stories in THE
PRESERVING MACHINE. Offers to consider any new novel Phil might want to write for Carr's
Ace Specials at $2500, against 6% - 8% royalties. {TERRY CARR TO
PKD, 6 Nov 1968}
Cover letter accompanying a set of proof pages of John Brunner's The
Jagged Orbit and a request for comments on this work. {TERRY
CARR TO PKD, 7 Nov 1968}
Reaction to The Jagged Orbit. Very favorable. {PKD TO TERRY CARR, 11 Nov 1968}
Informs Phil that copies of the stories in THE PRESERVING MACHINE are
being returned under seperate cover. Renews his offer to consider any new novel for his
line of specials. {TERRY CARR TO PKD, 12 Nov 1968}
Informs Carr that Doubleday bought his new novel [A MAZE OF DEATH] but
that he is working on a new novel and has sent three and a half chapters and an outline to
Wollheim. Suggests sending proofs for THE PRESERVING MACHINE to John Brunner, Robert
Silverberg, Harlan Ellison and Roger Zelazny. {PKD TO TERRY
CARR, 13 Nov 1968}
{See: THE PRESERVING MACHINE.htm }
[4pp] Long letter of praise for Zelazny's novel Lord of Light
giving 15 reasons why it's excellent and 23 individual passages with page numbers and why
they appealed to him. Plus two complaints. Discusses their continuing collaboration on
DEUS IRAE and speaks favorably of Brunner's The Jagged Orbit. {PKD TO ROGER ZELAZNY, 13 Nov 1968}
{See: DEUS IRAE.htm}
[3pp] Discusses the life of a writer and the changes that have occured in
science fiction in the last decade. "Do you think Riders {Of the Purple Wage},
my THREE STIGMATA could've been written and sold ten years ago? And could we have written
them?" Speaks about the changes in his writing since THE MAN IN THE HIGH
CASTLE:"I put all the literary skills I have into my s-f, my marketable work."
Talks about the utter loneliness of writers and a particular dream he had recently in
which he heard the voice of God speaking the words, "There she shall be taken upward
and there she shall be repaid. And I made her see the sea." and remarking that
"It's not my style; I wouldn't use phononyms such as <<see>> and
<<sea>> so close together." An extraordinary letter. {PKD TO PHILIP JOSE FARMER, 14 Nov 1968}
PKD TO MARCIA M. HOWELL. In answer to Ed Ferman's request for a short
story, Phil is very interested in writing one and asks Howell to thank Ferman for the
offer. {PKD TO MARCIA M. HOWELL, 15 Nov 1968}
[2pp]. Thanks Phil for his praise of The Jagged Orbit. Asks him
to read Stand On Zanzibar and, if he likes the book, would he "tell a few
people in places where a plug would do me good." {JOHN BRUNNER
TO PKD, 21 Nov 1968}
Disagrees with Poul Anderson's objections to printing Philip Jose
Farmer's speech given at BayCon. Phil calls Farmer's speech "a major and important
contribution to the evolving thought of the world of science fiction." {PKD TO ALEXEI PANSHIN, 5 Dec 1968}
Agrees to gladly read A Stand On Zanzibar and "if I like it
as much as I am sure I will" to nominate it for a Nebula Award. Remarks how close he
felt to Brunner while reading A Jagged Orbit. {PKD TO JOHN
BRUNNER, 7 Dec 1968}
Kawagucki translated THE MAN IN THE HIGH CASTLE into Japanese. Asks about
the reaction in Japan to the book, whether his portrayal of the Japanese manner of seaking
was convincing and Phil's own very positive views of the Japanese people. { PKD TO SHOKICKI KAWAGUCHI, 8 Dec 1968} {See: THE MAN IN THE HIGH CASTLE.htm }
[2pp]. Announces that a copy of A Stand On Zanzibar is on its
way from Doubleday. Discusses the fate of such words as "fulsome",
"discomfitted," and "decimate." Compliments Phil on his own writing
and his "exceptional sensitivity to people and situations." {JOHN BRUNNER TO PKD, 12 Dec 1968}
Asks if Phil wants to write an introduction to THE PRESERVING MACHINE.
Remarks that "van Vogt says he wants to read the collection." {TERRY CARR TO PKD, 19 Dec 1968}
Form letter announcing a special feature in the magazine Speculation
on Robert Heinlein's thirty years in science fiction. Typed across the top of the sheet
are the words, "Dear Mr. Dick: I wonder if you would like to contribute towards this
feature?" {PETER WESTON TO PKD, no date [c. post July]}
A fan letter praising Phil's works. {ARTHUR J.
HILLEN TO PKD, no date [c.Late Nov/early Dec]}
Form letter accompanying a questionnaire seeking biographical information
for a proposed listing of science fiction writers to be published by "The Name of
IV" -- a "loose group of fans." {R.REGINALD TO
PKD, no date}
Letter of thanks to Phil for responding to "The Name of IV"
request. Asks for additional information, specifically, the names of his wives, the dates
of his marriages, the name of the college he attended and the dates of attendance.{R.REGINALD TO PKD, no date}
NOTE; For further information on the BGSU materials and
copywrights, write to the PKD Trust, c/o Scovil Chichak Galen Literary Agency, Inc., 381
Park Avenue South, Ste.1020, New York, NY 10016.
{Thanks to Patrick Clark and the PKD Trust. As are all these letters
taken from the BGSU Collection excerpted herein, this material is copyright, The Philip K.
Dick Trust. All rights reserved... For information contact Scovil Chichak Galen Literary
Agency, Inc., 381 Park Avenue South, ste.1020, New York, NY 10016.}
