Philip K. Dick (aka PKD) lived most of his life in California. He was born in 1928 in Chicago. In his career, he wrote 36 novels and five short story collections between 1952 and 1982. A Scanner Darkly was dedicated to many of his friends who died or suffered damage from drug abuse (including himself). The first-person narration of Radio Free Albemuth is written from the perspective of a young science fiction writer named Philip who lives in Berkeley. Many insights into Dick’s view of his world are available here. These include his distrust of government and authority, his life as a professional writer, and even cosmic visions he is said to have experienced. The novels of the Valis trilogy continue to blur the lines between fiction and Dick’s twisted reality.

Dick briefly worked in radio before studying at the University of California, Berkeley. The publication of his first story, "Beyond Lies the Wub," in 1952 marked the beginning of his full-time writing career. He was extraordinarily productive, often completing a new work—usually a short story or novella—every two weeks for publication in pulp paperback collections. His first novel, "Solar Lottery," was published in 1955. After struggling with drug abuse and mental illness for many years, Dick died impoverished and had only a limited literary reputation outside of science fiction circles.

Dick’s emotional state went through many changes throughout his life. The death of his twin sister, 41 days after their birth, is the first of many scars Dick would face. He would be involved in a string of bad marriages and was addicted to drugs. His level of output was inconsistent, with periods of intense creativity alternating with dark times when he wouldn’t write. Throughout the 1950s, Dick was beginning to make a name for himself in the science fiction world. He was writing stories for science fiction magazines and developing his own unique style that was different than the other sci-fi writers of the time. His first published novel was Solar Lottery in 1954. The political climate of the times and Dick’s own paranoia about authority, which he wrote about, created the atmosphere from which many of his stories emerged.

The 50s and the early 60s were very creative periods for Dick. He won the highest award in the science fiction world in 1962 for The Man In The High Castle. The 1970s produced some of Dick’s best work, and he continued to gain recognition in the science fiction community. Books such as Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep, Flow My Tears, and The Policeman Said were written in this time period (late 60s, early 70s).

Dick has been given many labels over the years, and his work has become more well-known since his death. His work is very experimental and questions the basis of our own existence. The twenty-first century has seen a surge of interest in Philip K. Dick, whose stories have inspired generations of readers, film lovers, and artists of all kinds. His books and stories are in print in dozens of languages, and his works are studied in university classrooms. In a Philip K. Dick story, you can find many elements of paranoia, psychosis, schizophrenia, hallucination, and more.

Dick, at his best, places his readers in situations where reality is not clearly defined. He explores the power of the brain and various human concepts of life, death, religion, and love in a dark setting, creating a provocative view of the world as we know it. His writing is a product of the cultural activity occurring during his lifetime, incorporating many elements from the world around him. His own personal experiences play a significant role in his writing as well.

After years of drug abuse and mental illness, Dick died impoverished and with little literary reputation outside of science-fiction circles. Soon, however, he was widely regarded as a master of paranoid fiction in the vein of Franz Kafka and Thomas Pynchon. While his works can be categorized as science fiction, Dick was notable for focusing on the discomfiting effects that technology often has on the characters in dystopian settings.

This edited and abridged bio is taken from a Philip K. Dick fan page website, with some historical elements taken from his Britannica page.