Lethem on Philip K. Dick

The New York Times reports that Jonathan Lethem (Motherless Brooklyn) will edit a volume containing four Philip K. Dick novels from the 1960s. It’ll be published by the Library of America next summer.

The Times piece also mentions that news of this enterprise came via an interview with Lethem published in The Elegant Variation blog, editors of which seem (rightfully) pleased as punch with themselves for breaking the story.

Speaking of Jonathan Lethem, though he’s best known for his more recent books, his early stuff is just as wonderful. I’m thinking in particular of one of my personal favorite novels, a much overlooked--and slightly bizarre--novel first published in 1994 (though it was republished by Harcourt in trade paper in 2003) called Gun, With Occasional Music.

When the book first came out, Publishers Weekly called it “SF/mystery/farce of murder and mass mind control,” which sums it up pretty well. What makes it of interest for this space is the novel’s sharp noir tone: like the very best of Hammett or Chandler. Think Orwell’s 1984 meets The Maltese Falcon. With sentient and fully dressed animals doing menial work.

Gun, With Occasional Music is brilliant. It’s funny and sad and thoughtful and, perhaps oddly, it comments on our world--and where we are right now (or, at least, where we were a dozen years ago)--in the most unlikely ways. If you’ve enjoyed Lethem in the past, but have missed this one, run, don’t walk.